Movie Access, USA Today (2/4/00)

[Larry Goldberg <Larry_Goldberg@wgbh.org>]

>From today's USA Today.  Also the Associated Press is
covering the story.

- Larry
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Page 3A

Hearing-impaired wage fight in theaters 
Eight Oregonians sue the three largest chains to install closed-captioning

By Patrick McMahon
USA TODAY

Eight hearing-impaired residents of Oregon who want new
closed-captioning technology installed in theaters
nationwide sued three of the nation's largest movie-theater
chains Thursday.

Now available in a few movie houses nationwide, the devices
project captions from the rear of the theater onto
individual screens. The acrylic screens, similar to those
used in Tele-Prompters, reflect the captions while allowing
users to see through them and view the movie. 

Promoters say the screens do not block the views of other
patrons, and the system also provides blind users with
descriptions of the movies via infrared headsets.

''In the community of the deaf and the blind, this is
huge,'' said Larry Goldberg, director of media access for
the Boston public television station, WGBH, where the
technology was invented in the early 1990s. ''For people who
have never been able to go to the movies, or who have lost
their sight or hearing growing up, this a return to the
magic of Hollywood.''

The class-action lawsuit was filed in Portland under state
and federal laws prohibiting discrimination against the
disabled in federal court. The chains named are Regal
Cinemas of Knoxville, Tenn., Century Theatres of San Rafael,
Calif., and Carmike Cinemas of Columbus, Ga.

The lawsuit is not seeking monetary damages, said Portland
attorney Dennis Steinman, whose parents are hearing-impaired.

''We just want access to the technology,'' called Rear
Window Captioning, Steinman said.

He said his clients had written to the chains, all with
theaters in Oregon, but had never received any response.

Spokesmen for all three chains declined to comment Thursday
because officials had not seen the complaint. ''I know my
company looks at all these things,'' said Raymond Smith,
senior vice president for human resources at Regal Cinemas.
He said the chain, with more than 400 movies screens, is the
nation's largest. The technology, which costs about $15,000
per theater, is in use
 at about 48 theaters and in Disney theme parks nationally,
said Goldberg. 

 The General Cinema chain introduced it to movie theaters in
Sherman Oaks, Calif., in 1998 and now has it in 10 theaters.
''It's been a great success for us,'' spokeswoman Robin Lang said.

Among the General Cinema theaters with the new technology is
the Cinerama Theater in Seattle, refurbished last spring by
Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen.

Besides installing the new technology, Allen paid $15,000 to
have the latest Star Wars film -- Episode 1 The Phantom
Menace -- captioned when it opened in his theater.

''This technology is here. This technology is cheap and the
time has come from these theaters to respond'' to federal
and state discrimination laws, said Steinman, ''by
installing these devices in movie theaters across the country.''