On Wednesday, March 13, Senator Tom Harkin introduced two bills that will expand access to closed captioning and video description in both movie theaters and airplanes. Harkin is the Senate sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). According to Harkin, “More than two decades have passed since the enactment of ADA, and in that time we have seen a transformation of our physical landscape…however we still have more to do. These bills will allow Americans with visual or hearing impairments enjoy going to the movies and watching in-flight entertainment, through captioning and video description, just as they can at home.”
The Captioning and Image Narration to Enhance Movie Accessibility (CINEMA) Act would require movie theaters to make captioning and video description available for all films at all showings. The Air Carrier Access Amendments Act would require that airlines make captioning and video description available for programming that is available in-flight for passengers.
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