Rear Window® Captioning and DVS Theatrical®, developed by The Media Access Group at WGBH, make theaters accessible to audiences with disabilities. This site provides information to consumers, industry members and others interested in learning more about motion picture access. View background information about these systems and the Media Access Group's efforts in this area.
∗ A closed captioned digital cinema package is available for this film. Exhibitors projecting films digitally in auditoriums equipped with closed captioning technology should request the correct DCP from the packager.
∗∗ A closed captioned and descriptive narration digital cinema package is available for this film. Exhibitors projecting films digitally in auditoriums equipped with closed captioning and descriptive audio systems should request the correct DCP from the packager.
Many theater chains are now listing accessible films and showtimes on their web sites, the links below will take you to the pages of those chains that do provide this information. Helpful hint, some chains require you to know which theater in your area is equipped prior to finding the information about accessible film and showtimes. Link to "View Theaters" above to find a MoPix-equipped theater near you.
You can also search for captioned movies showing at a theater near you at Captionfish.com or Fomdi.com (just enter your zip code and presto, up comes a list your options). These sites "crawl" the web for accessible movie information posted by chains, so only that chains that currently list accessible screenings will appear as options for you. Captionfish.com allows you to search for captioned and/or described movies. Fomdi.com searches for captioned movies only.
National Amusements Showcase Cinemas and Cinema de Lux
These theater chains with MoPix systems do not yet list MoPix-accessible film information online: Carmike Theatres, Malco Theatres, Mann Theatres and Muvico Theatres.
WGBH's Media Access Group has worked closely with Rear Window Captioning Reflector manufacturer Boston Light & Sound and with Multi™ Design for People, an industrial design firm specializing in inclusive built environments, products and information graphics, to update the look, feel and performance of the Rear Window Reflector. This new design utilizes components that have become available since the original reflector was designed more than a decade ago. After focus group testing and manufacturing, they are now ready to go. Read more about the updated reflector design (6MB PDF). Theater chains and individuals can contact Boston Light & Sound (617 787-3131) for pricing information and to order reflectors.
Many people are familiar with closed captioning, the means by which the dialogue and sound effects of a film or television program are made visible via on-screen text. However, description, for viewers who are blind or have low vision, is less familiar. Description conveys the key visual aspects of a film or television program by describing scenery, facial expressions, costumes during natural pauses in dialogue. Listen to a clip of Disney's The Lion King with descriptive narration created by the The Media Access Group at WGBH. Because people who are deaf or hard of hearing have few opportunities to "experience" description, this clip also has closed captioning. The Lion King demonstration.
