Captioning in theaters is extremely important to provide people who are deaf or hard of hearing equal access to live performances. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), all newly constructed or altered theaters must offer closed captioning and open captioning services. However, many theaters choose to only offer one or the other. So, what’s the difference?
In this article, we will break down the three types of captioning in theaters: closed captioning, open captioning, and low-vision captioning.
What is Captioning Exactly?
Captioning is the process of converting spoken dialogue and other auditory information into text that appears on a screen and it is mainly helpful for those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Captions also include descriptions of non-dialogue audio information, such as sound effects.
Most theaters use captioning technologies that were implemented in the early 2000s, but other are taking the advantage of a high-quality captioning service by using the latest innovative technology based on Ai and machine learning that can provide extremely accurate live captions.
The Importance of Closed Captioning in Movies
Not only do closed captions provide assistance to those who are deaf or hard of hearing, but they also help others follow along with films. For example, non-native speakers might use them in order to understand the rapid pace and vernacular of spoken dialogue. Additionally, closed captioning can often improve the story experience for all viewers by providing extra context about what is happening in a movie scene.
Some people argue that captioning can be disruptive and distracting, but research has shown that this is not the case. In fact, a study from the University of Colorado found that closed captioning actually improves movie comprehension for all viewers, not just those with hearing impairments.
The bottom line is that closed captioning is an essential service that helps make live theater performances accessible to everyone. There are three basic types of captioning in theaters: closed captioning, open captioning, and low-vision captioning.
Closed Captioning
Closed captioning is the most common form of captioning in theaters. It involves displaying text on a screen that is only visible to those who are wearing special glasses or earpieces. Closed captioning is beneficial because it allows people who are deaf or hard of hearing to follow along with the dialogue and action without disturbing other audience members.
Open Captioning
Open captioning is similar to closed captioning, but the text is displayed on a screen that is visible to everyone in the theater. Open captioning can be helpful because it allows people who are deaf or hard of hearing to follow along with the dialogue and action without having to wear special glasses or earpieces.
However, some people find open captioning to be disruptive and distracting.
Low-vision Captioning
Low-vision captioning is a form of captioning that uses larger text and/or brighter colors to make the text more visible to those with low vision. Low-vision captioning can be helpful because it allows people with low vision to follow along with the dialogue and action without disturbing other audience members.
Another type that is gaining popularity is rear window captioning, which is a system that uses a small, portable device to provide captions that are visible only to the individual user.
Rear window captioning is beneficial because it allows people who are deaf or hard of hearing to follow along with the dialogue and action without disturbing other audience members.
Additionally, rear window captioning does not require the use of special glasses or earpieces.
Closed Captioning Law
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that all new movie theaters built after January 26, 1993, be equipped with closed captioning devices. The ADA also requires that all movie theaters offer closed captioning devices upon request.
In addition, the ADA requires that all new digital movie players (such as DVD players and Blu-ray players) be equipped with closed captioning capabilities.
The ADA does not require that all movies be captioned, but many movie theaters choose to caption all of their movies in order to make them accessible to as many people as possible.
Conclusion
Closed captioning is an essential service that helps make live theater performances accessible to everyone. There are three basic types of captioning in theaters: closed captioning, open captioning, and low-vision captioning as closed captioning is the most common form of captioning in theaters. So before going to the movies, check to see if they offer any type of captioning that would be beneficial to you.
