By Johanna Wonderly, CA Hands & Voices Parent
Going to the movies is one of those simple pleasures so many families love—snuggling into those big recliner seats, popcorn in hand, escaping into a story on the big screen. For my family, it’s always been a little more complicated. I have four Hard of Hearing children, and while we love movies, we’ve often left the theater feeling frustrated. The “accessible” devices—those heavy captioning glasses or cupholder screens—often didn’t work right. They’d lose sync with the film, block part of the screen, or be uncomfortable to wear. Multiply that by four and more often than not, I spent the entire movie adjusting devices or out in the hall replacing them and trying to help my kids understand what was going on—missing the film myself in the process. It wasn’t fun. It wasn’t relaxing. And it definitely wasn’t equal.
A few years ago, everything changed. For my daughter’s birthday, we reached out to our local Regal Cinema and asked if they could offer The Super Mario Bros. Movie with Open Captions. These are captions displayed directly on the screen, visible to everyone. Regal has a policy: if you have a group of 10 or more, you can email their headquarters and request an Open Caption showing. So, we did. We invited friends, booked 20 seats for the birthday party, and for the first time, every one of my kids could enjoy the movie without struggling to follow along.
And me? I got to just be a mom at the movies. Not a tech support. Just a mom, laughing alongside her kids. It was such a hit, I started organizing more screenings for family-friendly films, and the turnout grew. Sometimes 30, even 40 people from our community would show up. Our family found something special and we weren’t alone in wanting it. Eventually, our local Regal closed, but by then, something had already started. Other parents began asking for Open Captions at other theaters nearby. Managers who had never tried it before said, “Why not?” Since then, we’ve had Open Caption showings at drive-in theaters, IMAX—you name it. All it takes is someone asking the question, and someone else willing to give it a shot.
Bigger Changes, Statewide
In 2023, a statewide advocacy group, California Open Captions, formed, and began meeting with theater managers and legislators, pushing for regular Open Caption screenings—not just by request, but as part of the regular schedule. Cinemark responded by offering Open Caption showings at select locations around the country. That meant families like ours could just go to the movies without needing to organize a big group or send emails in advance. States like New York, Virginia, Maryland, and West Virgina are working on legislation as well.
Locally, we’ve kept at it. While we still plan special events and our biggest one was this summer having over 45 people. Our local smaller theater now offers an Open Caption movie every day. That’s 25 people, every single day, who get to be included.
One of the biggest hurdles now is simply finding these Open Caption showings. Most theater websites don’t make it easy. There’s no filter or button to show only open captioned screenings, which means you have to dig through listings or call the box office. So, we created Sacramento Open Captions, a Facebook page and email list that shares weekly updates about which local theaters are offering Open Caption showings. Every Tuesday, when most theaters post their new schedules, we send out a list. Simple as that. And it’s working, attendance is up, and theaters are seeing that this isn’t just a niche request. It matters.
Want to Bring Open Captions to Your Area?
You don’t have to be part of an organization or plan a huge event. Sometimes all it takes is one email, one question, one “let’s try.” Here are some simple templates to make that easier. If you’ve ever walked out of a theater thinking, there must be a better way—there is. And chances are, your local theater is just waiting for someone to ask.
Helpful Resources:
Want to know if a Cinemark near you offers Open Caption movies?