[Blindtlk] News Release: Settlement Provides Unprecedented Accessfor People with Disabilities to Go to the Movies in Illinois

[Chris Nusbaum]

Hi Steve,

>From the way the release reads, it seems like only AMC theaters 
in IL will be equipped with audio description technology, but 
that may only be because it was the IL Attorney General who 
handled this case.  So, do you know if this means that all AMC 
theaters will be equipped with audio description?

Chris Nusbaum

"For we walk by faith, not by sight."
2 Corinthians 5:7

Sent from my BrailleNote

 ----- Original Message -----
From: "Steven Johnson" <blinddog3 at charter.net
To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org
 sent: Wed, 4 Apr 2012 22:42:00 -0500
Subject: [Blindtlk] News Release: Settlement Provides 
Unprecedented Accessfor People with Disabilities to Go to the 
Movies in Illinois

For Immediate Release                                               
Media
Contact: Maura Possley

April 4, 2012
312-814-3118


mpossley at atg.state.il.us

Follow OAG on:

@ILAttyGeneral

youtube.com/ILATTORNEYGENERAL

huffingtonpost.com/lisa-madigan



MADIGAN ANNOUNCES SETTLEMENT WITH AMC THEATRES



Settlement Provides Unprecedented Access for People with 
Disabilities to Go
to the Movies



Chicago - Attorney General Lisa Madigan today announced a 
landmark
settlement with Illinois' largest movie theater operator that 
will provide
unprecedented access for people with hearing and vision 
disabilities.



Madigan said the settlement with AMC Theatres, based in Kansas 
City, Mo.,
will provide personal captioning services and audio-description 
technology
for movie-goers with hearing and vision disabilities at all of 
its theaters
and its 460 movie screens.



"This technology will allow people with disabilities to enjoy a 
movie right
alongside their friends and families unlike ever before," Madigan 
said.



Madigan was joined today at AMC River East 21, 322 E.  Illinois 
St., by AMC
representatives and disability rights supporters to detail the 
settlement.
By 2014, AMC movie theaters will be equipped with captioning 
services and
audio-description devices.  The technology will be available to 
movie-goers
at nearly any movie at an AMC theater and at all of a film's 
listed
showings.



The Attorney General's settlement is a significant development 
for people
living with disabilities in Illinois.  Prior to the agreement, 
Madigan said,
only 21 out of 246 movie theaters in Illinois offered 
closed-captioning
services and only 10 offered audio-description services.  The 
settlement
arose out of concerns brought to the Attorney General's Office in 
2010 by
Equip for Equality, the federally funded advocacy agency for 
people with
disabilities in Illinois.  At the time, only a small fraction of 
movie
theaters offered the technology for only a limited number of 
movies and
usually at showings set at off hours.



"AMC is committed to providing the best possible moviegoing 
experience for
all of our guests, which includes the conversion to digital 
presentation,"
said Noel MacDonald, vice president of Operations at AMC 
Theatres.  "For the
past several years we've worked with suppliers to develop digital 
assistive
technologies that can be implemented on a broad scale.  We're 
excited that
this technology allows everyone to join us at an AMC theatre.  "



"Our clients are thrilled with the comprehensive agreement 
reached by the
Illinois Attorney General and AMC," said Amy Peterson, senior 
attorney for
Equip for Equality.  "Under the agreement, people who are deaf, 
hard of
hearing, and blind will now be able to fully enjoy going to the 
movies, like
all other citizens of Illinois."



This case was handled by Madigan's Disability Rights Bureau Chief 
Nicki
Bazer.  Madigan's Disability Rights Bureau enforces state and 
federal laws
that protect the rights of people with disabilities to equal 
access to
places of public accommodation, housing, and local government 
programs and
services.

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