Today, the Committee of the Whole will hold a public hearing to consider a bill introduced by Councilmember Charles Allen that would require District movie theaters to provide open captioning on a set number of screenings.

What: Public Hearing on Bill 22-957, Open Movie Captioning Requirement Act of 2018
Where: Room 500, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave, NW (the John A Wilson Building)
When: 12:30 pm, Tuesday, December 11, 2018

The bill, as introduced, takes a tailored approach that would require movie theaters to provide a certain number of screenings of a movie to include open captions, depending the size of the theater.

“I was moved after meeting with some of my constituents who are deaf and hard of hearing as we talked about the challenges of enjoying a night out at the movies. It should be a lot simpler than it is right now,” said Councilmember Charles Allen. “I’d also like to note that this is important not just for a deaf and hard-of-hearing community, but also has a lot of support from senior communities, as well as families with young children, and military veterans.”

This bill is one of two bills Councilmember Allen has introduced this council period to help the District be a more welcoming and accommodating place to people who are deaf or hard of hearing. He also introduced the Office on Deaf and Hard of Hearing Establishment Amendment Act of 2018.