“My profoundly deaf mother had given up trying to lip-read movie stars years ago. At a subtitled show her eyes flickered into life.

“Finally, my mother and I have rekindled our cinema habit. She is now in her seventies, I’m approaching my forties. It may have been some time coming, but damn, was it worth it!”

The Access Community

The definitions for the labels “deaf” or “hard of hearing”, and “blind” or “visually impaired”, can be decided with scientific precision based upon various frequencies and levels of sound and light. They can be categorized by specialists and according to need or government requirement – driving restrictions, for example, though even there arguments can ensue. Evidence presented at an administrative hearing stated that deaf professional truck drivers have fewer accidents (in localities where they are allowed professional licenses) because their attention isn’t constantly taken by radio, phones and other audio distractions.

Cinema technology equipment labels the equipment that provides audio and video assistance as “HI” for “Hearing Impaired”, “VI-N” for “Visually Impaired-Narrative” and “CC” for “closed captions”. 

While it is preferable to label equipment to define what it is or does, it is imprecise to label a person because of what they can or can’t do since doing so often tends to “say too much” or “define towards ‘only’”. The FAQ on the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) website has this explanation:

For many people, the words “deaf” and “hard of hearing” are not negative.  Instead, the term “hearing-impaired” is viewed as negative.  The term focuses on what people can’t do.  It establishes the standard as “hearing” and anything different as “impaired,” or substandard, hindered, or damaged. It implies that something is not as it should be and ought to be fixed if possible. To be fair, this is probably not what people intended to convey by the term “hearing impaired.”

Deaf and hard of hearing people have the right to choose what they wish to be called, either as a group or on an individual basis. Overwhelmingly, deaf and hard of hearing people prefer to be called “deaf” or “hard of hearing.” Nearly all organizations of the deaf use the term “deaf and hard of hearing,” and the NAD is no exception. The World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) also voted in 1991 to use “deaf and hard of hearing” as an official designation

It is similar for blind and partially sighted people. Both hearing and sight loss can occur at any time in life. Some are born with the condition and there is an increasing population of “late in life” onset worldwide. Absolute numbers vary by society, age group and breadth of definition. One estimate of “those who have some difficulty hearing even with a device” is “up to 14%”. The majority are 65+ years of age.

The aging of the population is not lost on major studios, with anecdotal evidence that more movies are being created that cater to this crowd of movie-goers. Yearly statistics indicate that the 65+ per capita audience is growing, while the audience 20 and 10 years younger is not. This generation is also a group who have grown up with technology to address their needs, just in time for digital cinema solutions to assist them with diminished sight or hearing tools. 

In a recent US case mandating captioned shows, the judge ruled that: “The issue is not how many patrons have used the technology provided, but rather, whether an individual with a sensory disability has the legal right to have access to the movies when technology is now present to allow that access without impeding on other patron’s experience and it is feasible for the defendant to provide it.”