Senate to consider legislation expanding captioning requirements for movies
Senator Tom Harkin, chairman the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), recently introduced a pair of bills that would expand existing requirements for ensuring deaf and blind individuals are able to access entertainment media in public settings.
The Captioning and Image Narration to Enhance Movie Accessibility (CINEMA) Act would require any movie theater with at least two screens to provide captioning and video description services to any attendees who request them. The Air Carrier Access Amendments Act would modify an existing law by requiring that airlines make captioning and video description available for all programs that are shown during flights.
The subject has long been of personal importance for Harkin. He authored the Americans with Disabilities Act and was its chief sponsor in the Senate.
"More than two decades have passed since the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and in that time we have seen a transformation of our physical landscape – from curb cuts to wheelchair ramps, buses with lifts to automatic doors – our communities are more accessible than ever for our neighbors with disabilities," Harkin said. "However, we still have more to do."
The Senator added that he believes it is essential to pass his newly proposed bills in order to "allow Americans with visual or hearing impairments to enjoy going to the movies and watching in-flight entertainment, through captioning and video description, just as they can at home."
The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) put out a press release commending Harkin for his leadership in promoting the rights of disabled Americans.
A spokesperson for the NCRA asserted that the organization's Government Relations Department is actively working to meet with members of Congress and their staffers in order to further strengthen the legislation and give it the greatest possible chance of being passed into law.
