Inclusion Daily Express -- New York Theaters To Be More Accessible Under Settlement

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New York Theaters To Be More Accessible Under Settlement
By Dave Reynolds, Inclusion Daily Express
December 13, 2005

ALBANY, NEW YORK--New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer announced Monday that the state had approved agreements with eight cinema chains to make the movie-going experience more accessible to filmgoers who are blind or deaf.

According to USA Today, the agreements cover 140 theaters across the state. Some will provide Descriptive Video Service (DVS) audio narration through technology that is compatible with hearing aids for patrons who have vision-related disabilities. DVS provides voice descriptions of key visual elements during pauses in the movie's soundtrack.

Some theaters will install "Rear Window" captioning systems that display text on transparent panels for patrons who have hearing-related disabilities. The text appears to the user to be superimposed over the movie screen.

Spitzer's announcement comes on the heels of the settlements of other lawsuits across the country that have been filed by people with disabilities who want accessible movie experiences for themselves, their families and friends.

Related:
"Theaters improve for disabled people" (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-12-05-theaters-disabled_x.htm
National Center for Accessible Media (WGBH)
http://ncam.wgbh.org/mopix

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