Maryland to become second state to require movie theaters to provide open captions

In Maryland, lawmakers have passed a bill to require movie theaters to provide open captions and it will be signed by the Maryland governor very soon.

Once it becomes law, Maryland will be the second U.S. state after Hawaii to require open captioning in theaters.

A key person behind the bill is Jacob Leffler, the leader of the open captioning bill committee.

[Begin interview clip]

Jacob Leffler: My name is Jacob Leffler. I’m the leader of the open captioning bill committee. This committee is made up of four local organizations. The Baltimore City Association of the Deaf, Howard County Association of the Deaf, Prince George’s County Association of the Deaf, and Metro South Asian Deaf Association. The Maryland Association of the Deaf supported the effort, but these four organizations were the leaders. I’m the leader of this committee and we have worked for the past three years to introduce the bills.

Alex: Can you explain what is in the bill? What does it require?

Jacob: The bill requires movie theaters in the state of Maryland that have eight or more screens (if this applies), if a particular film is shown at least five times a week, that theater is required to provide open captioning two times a week. This is good for only the first three weeks from the film’s premiere. For the fourth, fifth, and following weeks, Deaf people can request open captioning for a particular film. The theater is required to accommodate them if they have reasonable time to do so.

Alex: Wow, nice. So it means during the first three weeks of a film’s release, it’s guaranteed — if it’s a big movie theater — that I have two options during each of the first three weeks. Then in the following weeks, I guess I have to call or send an email? How much time in advance is needed? What’s appropriate?

Jacob: I think two hours is appropriate. Two hours.

Alex: That fast?

Jacob: Yeah. Some theaters in Maryland can meet open captioning requests within two hours. Some of them already do this. So I guess two or three hours.

Alex: Wow. That’s the highest level of accessibility that I’ve ever seen. Two hours. I thought it may take three or four days. But just two hours? Wow.

Jacob: The bill will go into effect on October 1, 2024. This year, yes.

Alex: It seems that movie theaters don’t really need that much time to prepare? Most of them already have open captions? How does it work?

Jacob: When we were working on this, we decided to contact some theaters to ask how open captioning works. Most of them said it’s simply a matter of turning it on. They already have two files, one with regular captions and one with open captions. It’s already there, you just have to turn it on. Then the open captioning is on the screen. It’s very simple. It doesn’t cost anything more.

Providing equal access to Deaf and Hard of Hearing people in movie theaters is very important. Sometimes we go on dates or watch movies with family. Many people shared experiences with captioning eyeglasses or cupholder devices. They often had problems. They just don’t work. Open captioning is a solution. It’s enjoyable and very relaxing. Everyone has the same and equal access to movie theaters. It’s very important, for sure.

[End interview]

Thank you, Jacob. Here are remarks from one of the bill’s legislative sponsors, Maryland Delegate Harry Bhandari.

[Begin interview, interpreted by Convo Now]

Del. Bhandari: Yeah, primarily I was driven to support this bill after Jacob Leffler brought to our attention to my attention it to be three years ago. And when I went through the bill, the bills introduced in the past, did not move anywhere. When I read the bill, it has a significant accessibility barriers that the deaf and hard of hearing community faced in cinema. Then I see this legislation as a fundamental part of our commitment to inclusivity and ensuring that all Marylander can enjoy the universal delight of cinema. And my dedication always been to represent those who may not have big lobbyist, but whose needs are just as important.

Yeah, so I am deeply grateful for the unwavering advocacy of community leaders like Jacob and so many, and the Maryland Association of Deaf, whose passion and persistence were crucial in pushing this bill through after years of inactivity. And my path in politics has been about fighting for those who are most vulnerable. They cannot fight for themselves, a path that is not always easy, but is always worth the effort. And the passage of this bill is a significant victory in our broader mission to create a more accessible and equitable Maryland for everyone. And I sincerely hope that other state also get inspiration and pass similar legislation if needed.

[End interview]

Thank you, Delegate Bhandari.

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Jacob said this was the committee’s third attempt in passing this bill, which means that the previous two bills stalled and died in that year’s legislative session.

Jacob said they were successful this year partly because they collected data from movie theaters that already offered open captioning screenings and looked at how many people reserved seats. They found that if a film offered open captions, it really didn’t affect ticket sales because some open-captioned films had more people attending it compared with those without open captions. It countered any arguments, especially from the National Association of Theater Owners, that open-captioned films would hurt businesses.

So, congratulations to Maryland for passing this significant piece of legislation and I’m sure many Deaf Marylanders look forward to having open captioning access in movie theaters.

News coverage: https://wtop.com/maryland/2024/04/maryland-lawmakers-approve-groundbreaking-bill-to-require-captions-on-some-movie-screens/

Del. Bhandari Remarks: https://delegatebhandari.com/news/delegate-bhandari-announces-historic-victory-for-deaf-and-hard-of-hearing-community-as-landmark-legislation-reaches-governors-desk/