I love captions so much. They make television and movies way less stressful and fatiguing. I literally always watch videos with captions on, and it significantly reduces my effort and strain.

In my home state, I am grateful because hearing loss accommodations are generally very well done and broadly offered. It wasn’t until I became connected to others at the national level that I realized that wasn’t true everywhere. I have never attended a movie theater in my state that does not offer a captioning device. It hadn’t occurred to me I would need to check in other places until someone shared that with me. Even in my miniscule hometown with a population of 1,300 and an old opera house turned into a single screen movie theater, I get to enjoy captions. While open captioning (captions on the big screen) is still pretty rare, captioning devices are everywhere.

When I was traveling recently in Indiana, I had a free evening where my friends had already headed home, and I wanted to relax after a long day of attending the conference. I saw that the IMAX across the street was playing How to Train Your Dragon. I thought it would be a fun way to use the evening as I had never seen a regular movie at an IMAX. But, keeping in mind stories I had heard, I wanted to make sure they offered captioning. I checked the accommodations on their website, and it was unclear if captioning was offered or not. So, I emailed to double-check. I received an affirmative response, so I was off to the movies!

I made sure I arrived early to have time to situate myself and the captioning device. I asked for it at check-in, and they needed to get the manager. Incidentally, the manager was probably a college student. The manager went to check the captioning machine was on in the projector room. Then I was given my caption device and told to come back with any problems.

I went and found my seat and set up my device. Both people on either side of me had claimed the cupholder. The caption device needs to be placed in a cupholder. I asked my neighbor to please let me have a cup holder. He was very cranky about shifting and, in an unfriendly tone, asked if I was holding a recording device. I told him no, it was a captioning device. I have never experienced that sort of attitude before.

In prior attendances at captioned movies, most theaters turn on the device and make sure it is in the right setting for the room you are in. This theater only had one room, so I thought maybe that simplified things. However, when I turned my device on, it asked me to select the auditorium number. I guessed one, and it said, “Searching not connected.” So, I tried the next couple of options and got the same results.

I went back out to speak with the manager about my issues. I was informed that it was auditorium one, and also that it would hopefully connect once the movie started and I should come back again if I still had issues during the movie. I said it wasn’t connecting now, and the manager merely shrugged.

At this point, I was extremely disheartened as I had come back and said it didn’t work, and the answer was, “Let’s hope.”

I have attended theaters with caption devices that show, “Connected but no captions offered,” before the movie, while at others captions only start with the movie. I wish all theaters would use the, “Connected but no captions offered.” That way, I know if the devices are working. If I have to go out during the movie, I am missing the experience and literally not getting what I paid for.

The movie started, and the captions didn’t work. I debated how to handle the situation. I was in the middle of a row, and in order to go out, more than 5 people would have had to stand to let me by in the narrow aisle of the IMAX. I would also miss the movie. And I guessed that the odds of a working caption device were quite low. I opted to just miss bits, hoping my familiarity with the original movie of the film would carry me. I also chose to put in my Airpods Pro 2 to help me with conversation recognition and protect my hearing from the loud explosive sounds. The Airpods did help.

After the movie, when the manager exchanged the caption device for my identification, they asked how it worked. I told them frankly it didn’t work, and that was not acceptable. I also said I understood they are just a staff member but that the IMAX needs a better system to make sure the devices are working prior to the movie as I don’t want to miss the movie I paid to see or disturb my neighbors. I told them I would reach out to their customer service because it is really important for people with hearing loss to be able to attend the movie and be included.

So that’s exactly what I did. I wrote an email and described my experience. I told them how important this access is and that they needed a better system than “come out during the movie if it isn’t working.” I also requested a refund.

I was delighted to hear they took my concerns seriously. They found the problem with the  captioning in the projection room, and they implemented new protocols to confirm the caption devices are working prior to the show. They did also issue me a refund.

I am typically not a squeaky wheel, and I can have a real hard time speaking up in regards to my own needs. However, in this situation I am so very glad I did because the next person with hearing loss who wants to attend the IMAX won’t have these struggles and will get to enjoy their experience (which literally could have been the next day as I was in the area to attend a hearing loss convention). It’s so important to share concerns and tell businesses when things aren’t working. If you don’t tell them, they will never know to fix it, as they likely do not utilize those things themselves.