Please sign our petition asking all multiplex cinemas to dedicate one screen to subtitled films, by clicking here.
A group of Deaf people were effectively forced to leave a subtitled screening of the new Star Wars film yesterday evening when the cinema appeared to turn off the subtitles after hearing people complained about them appearing on the screen.
Our reader Louise Drake, who took her two 16 year old daughters – who are both deaf – with her to one of the few subtitled screenings, told us:
It was the 6pm screening of Star Wars at the Odeon cinema, West Street, Brighton. It was clearly advertised as a subtitled screening and my tickets say captioned.
When the film started there were no subtitles, so myself and another man (whose brother is deaf) went to the desk to complain. The lady said she was sorting it out.
The film was stopped and she came up to advise everyone that they would be restarting the film with subs. Quite a few people started complaining about the subtitles and saying they didn’t think it was supposed to be subtitled.
She told them they could move to another screen that started at 7pm but they said they would stay. However a number of other people left.
I then went to the toilet with one of my girls and when we got back there were two more women who worked for the Odeon, there saying that they weren’t going to show subtitles with the film and anyone that wanted to leave could get a refund. We left and the man with his deaf brother left too and we were refunded.
It looked very obvious that all the Odeon cared about was numbers. Easier to refund five people rather than about thirty people who didn’t want subtitles.
As you know subtitled films are few and far between and we had been looking forward to seeing the film – impossible for my girls without subs. As a hearing person I’m disgusted at the prejudice shown towards deaf viewers tonight and at the cinema for putting profit before rights.
Louise also told us that one of her daughters, Esmee (pictured below, on the left) is a big Star Wars fan and was extremely disappointed after returning home from the cinema. The trip was a Christmas treat.
We have contacted Odeon cinemas for an explanation. On disability access, the Odeon website says:
We support the principles of the Equality Act (2010) and are committed to recognising and responding to the needs of all disabled people. It is our intention, wherever possible, that all our premises and facilities are accessible whatever the nature of disability. We work with other informed parties, for example the ‘Cinema Exhibitors Association’, ‘Business Disability Forum’’ and other professional groups, to develop solutions to our own and industry wide barriers to access.
Odeon have now responded on Twitter saying:
Unfortunately a technical fault prevented us showing Star Wars: The Last Jedi with subtitles. Our team apologised to guests affected, offering full refunds and passes to return on a date of their choice. We’ve now fixed the fault and look forward to welcoming guests back soon.
— ODEON (@ODEONCinemas) December 19, 2017
Charlie Swinbourne, Editor
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Sylvia Webb
December 18, 2017
Can I share this with public please?
Editor
December 18, 2017
Sure
Molly Berry
December 18, 2017
When are we going to really start to kick up a fuss about this?
Cinemas and other events put forward all sorts of reasons why they didn’t admit wheelchairs to performances, but that fight is now won, and no one would dream of excluding anyone in a wheelchair now, so I think it is time to protest loudly about deaf people being excluded. Others will soon get used to subtitles, and will also find out how much they miss too without them.
Cathy
December 18, 2017
Hi Molly, you think all hearing people will get used to subtitles? I can categorically say that is not true! My daughter, who is hearing cannot stand them. After all her life growing up with subtitles, she couldnt wait to leave home so she could finally get rid of the subtitles!!! So how many like my daughter are out there?? This is one area where the equality act has no impact! Either the vast majority walk out losing the film revenue or small cinemas have to be created for Deaf people!
Editor
December 18, 2017
Cathy, hearing people have plenty of choice of non-subtitled screenings don’t they? All they have to do is not go to our subtitled ones.
Queby
December 18, 2017
Let’s hope your daughter’s hearing never deteriorates and that she never needs subtitles when she visits the cinema.
Abi
December 19, 2017
So is it fair for deaf people to be forced out of cinema to not their own fault? Hearing people should of check the website or the screen whether if it’s subtitled or not. Absolutely unfair treatment.
J Walker
December 19, 2017
Do you not know how to use your remote control…. I’m pretty sure you can turn off CC on your TV. It’s an option on all televisions unless you live in the 70s still. All disabilities need to be recognized no matter what the disabilities are. Discrimination is high these days as it was years ago and it needs to stop. I’m both hearing and hearing impaired and I use CC whenever possible. If you cannot make a change in your life to be a better person when it comes to subjects like this I feel sorry for you..
Graham Johnston
December 19, 2017
Cathy, when you and/or your daughter becomes blind, will you or she gets used to have a guide dog or having walking cane ??!!!!
Mike
December 20, 2017
Next time check to see if the movie is Open caption or not. Otherwise, shut up! The theater had advertised the times for CC screenings, so the deaf family was in the right for scheduling their time to seeing this movie. If your daughter didn’t like them then go to another screening where there is no Open captioning. For deaf people, the CC screenings are limited. Odeon outright lied to that deaf family saying it was a technical fault. The solution is simple, look for screenings with no Open Captions before buying your ticket and save yourself from losing that small mind of yours!
Michelle
December 21, 2017
It’s a good thing profit margins are not always the deciding factor in accessibilty issues. If it was, there would be very few services for my family or anyone elses. I grew up with closed captions on our tv all the time. It wasn’t my favorite but it didn’t cross my mind to be self centered about it or complain. Also, sometimes I understand the dialog much better from captions or sub-titles as a hearing person. win-win.
Christopher Wyer
December 21, 2017
You are rather short sighted and I am not going to let you spoil my Xmas with a rant and accuse you of bigotry! Happy Xmas!!
Cathy
December 19, 2017
J. Walker; what on earth are you talking about?! Why would I switch the subtitles off? Iam deaf!! I feel sorry for you if your understanding of what I said is that bad!!
Brian
December 20, 2017
It seems that the lack of understanding comes from your daughter. Maybe she should wear ear plugs for a couple of days and ‘walk in our shoes’?
Mike
December 20, 2017
Cathy, either your daughter needs to learn about finding movies with no captions, or you need to educate her about the many options she has as a hearing person. You do realize she doesn’t have to go to a CC movie, and that she can go to one without CC, right? What choices do deaf people have? CC only.
Ken Jones
December 18, 2017
Have you got an Odeon email address I can complain to? Ken Jones
Editor
December 18, 2017
If you email editor@limpingchicken.com I can send it to you, thanks
Marika Rebicsek
December 18, 2017
Molly Berry is absolutely right. Also we have just ONE maybe two, if lucky subtitled showing in ONE week and that, only two maybe 3 films. Hearing people have a massive choice, we don’t Where is the equality in that. even that little taken away from us. We do need to stand up for this.
Tim
December 18, 2017
“We support the principles of the Equality Act (2010)”
The weasel words of somebody who wants to obey the law only when it suits.
It’s why the Equality Act has all the bite of a drunken slug that”s just been stamped on.
It’s why we need proper legislation with actual teeth that ensures actual equality.
Sam
December 18, 2017
Amen!!
Katie Healy
December 19, 2017
How many times have we all heard them say ‘it’ s technical fault! ‘ it’s a load of balls!!!
flybow
December 20, 2017
indeed.
signinglady
December 18, 2017
As the film was advertised as Subtitled … then it should be shown..with Subtitles. .. otherwise its breaking the law for the trades description act..
Im a hard of hearing person…
People should read the information available ..
I went every week with my Deaf friend to subtitled films…in Southport. Merseyside… sometimes there were just the 2 of us… other times maybe 10 Deaf people….
These days there are so many showings of the same film on different days and with different times available too… so many options for Hearing people.. Usually no choices for Deaf people…
Christopher Wyer
December 18, 2017
Editor – Are you actually waiting for a response or they just referred you to their website under ‘Disabilities Access’?
Editor
December 18, 2017
I contacted them on live chat and they gave me an email address at Odeon
Christopher Wyer
December 18, 2017
Did they actually explain why they decided to adhere to the demands of the hearing audience?
Ruth Montgomery
December 18, 2017
I know it isn’t Odeon related, but back in August my family booked a pantomime at Chelmsford Civic theatre (in Essex) showing captions on a very specific date and time and we all booked well in advance knowing that it is very imperative and important to us and my son who also likes subtitled access. We got a phone call last week to say that the captions isn’t happening at all and that there are no other alternative, except to send us a refund. They couldn’t explain the reason for the cancellation. I think it is very wicked, extremely cruel. very discriminating. These people have absolutely no idea. The notice is very short too meaning that everywhere else is full.
barakta
December 18, 2017
I strongly encourage the people affected by this consider legal action. I would be happy to help them draft what is called a Pre Action letter. This happens again and again. What deaf people need to do is start proceedings, when they get “small compensation” keep records and the NEXT time it happens escalate and escalate.
Do not agree to confidentiality in settlements if possible. Discuss the outline of the case publicly, encourage others to complain. What we need is clear caselaw and a public attitude which is “Dear Cinemas, if you advertise subtitles and do not provide because of poor maintenance or prioritising hearing people, we will sue you, no love, deaf and other subtitles users”.
Dino Bishop
December 18, 2017
Depot is an independent 3-screen cinema in Lewes, not far from Brighton. We are pleased to confirm that, as advertised, all our Star Wars: The Last Jedi screenings today are CAP caption subtitled.
Every Monday, the Depot programme includes a selection of films with caption subtitles – a transcription of the film’s dialogue, in English, along the bottom of the screen. A description of the sounds in the film is also included.
Caption subtitles are produced by the film distributors and, as it’s a costly process, not all distributors have a policy of providing caption subtitles for all of their films. But, as an independent cinema, we have made it our policy to make all our Monday screenings captioned, where a captioned version can be obtained
.
Also, all auditoria are fitted with infrared hearing systems and Depot can provide special headphones, or you can plug in your own hearing aid via a lanyard. There are hearing loops around the box office, food counter and in the Studio.
Editor
December 18, 2017
Dino, this is absolutely fantastic, I live up in Yorkshire but I have a close friend in Leeds and I saw your amazing building when I visited him in the summer. At the time I said ‘it is a shame there’ll be no subtitled screenings’ because this is often the case at independent cinemas. I’m very pleased to find out I was wrong! But also very disappointed that you’re not around the corner from me. Maybe I should move to Lewes!
What a fantastic policy, having literally all of your Monday screenings captioned? What prompted this? And what has the response been like? I’d love to know more. Could you email me? Editor@limpingchicken.com. Thanks! Charlie (Ed)
Louise Drake
December 19, 2017
Well done Depot. Lovely to hear some positive news. We will definitely be visiting in the near future.
Queby
December 18, 2017
If this happens to you, ask the people in the cinema if they have problems with people in wheelchairs as well, or is it only some disabilities that bother them. Also, as the Editor said….there are lots of film screenings without subtitles and if they bother people so much they should go to another screening. I’m appalled that the cinema took the action they did.
Michelle
December 21, 2017
Oh! I’d love to see the response to this cutting question. Good one.
Queby
December 18, 2017
Can you imagine the outcry if someone in a wheelchair was asked to leave because people objected to them being there?
Daniel-Mark
December 18, 2017
What about Vue? I am going tomorrow you are right the only one evening slot out of many as they offer for hearing, it is not fair some of us have evening work, like me, I ask my students if they could cancel the class, they full understood this situation. They think the film was…….. Ha ha
Roger Hankey
December 18, 2017
I agree with the comment that it appears to be in breach of the Trade Description Act and Odeon should be liable for the additional costs – travel etc of the affected customers.
Odeon should present a full and unreserved apology as well.
John
December 18, 2017
I just don’t understand why, with all the technology available, films can not just have subtitles embedded into the film in which only those who wear specialized glasses can read them.
Editor
December 18, 2017
I saw something like this a while back, no idea why it wasn’t adopted by cinemas, think it used infared light
Claire
December 18, 2017
@John, one cinema company in America does have said glasses.
http://www.syracuse.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2013/06/closed_caption_glasses_movies_regal_theaters_deaf.html
Claire
December 18, 2017
AMC (Again in America) has the CaptiView which slots into your seat cup holder.
https://www.amctheatres.com/assistive-moviegoing
UK way way behind the times in terms of d/Deaf access. Like I remember rearranging my train travel down south to visit family in order to go to a subtitled screening of a movie near me (Newcastle). Who does that?! Ha ha
Pug
December 20, 2017
I have experience with CaptiView in Canada before. I’ve seen CaptiView are having technical difficulties most times like out of sync subtitle timing due to wireless interference (maybe smartphone caused them), wrong search signal, and battery lifetime went defective during movie (it happened to my friend). I ended up got free ticket three times for complaints about CaptiView technical difficulties. Their CaptiView should need wired hooked up to cup holder’s port instead of cheap wireless.
Colleen
December 19, 2017
Oh for f sakes WHY is this even a fricken issue???? If you don’t like subtitles ignore them.
Michelle
December 21, 2017
or GTFO!
Gez
December 19, 2017
Failure to make reasonable adjustments… That is discrimination on the grounds of disability. End of. I.e. you could sue them for disability discrimination.
Dawn
December 19, 2017
I don’t know what the problem is with subtitles. If anything I find it helpful to back things up when I watch things. Then again I am far too used to subtitles from playing video games and watching anime.
If people can’t read their tickets then that is their problem and no one else’s.
Inger den Haan
December 19, 2017
Coming from the Netherlands where everything is subtitled (into Dutch) I cannot *believe* that people would complain about subtitles or even claim, as a woman above that she ‘can’t stand them’. It’s a bit of text at the bottom of the screen that allows others just like you to enjoy the film too. What’s next, walking people complaining about the presence of the ramps my son needs to get it. Some people seriously and I mean seriously get a grip. This is not OK.
Matthew Shaw (@Shaw_Matthew)
December 19, 2017
Surprised & sad to read this has happened. I was thinking how grateful I was for Odeon Derby while waiting for Star Wars at 0.01 (subtitled) on the night of their release. In the past we always had to wait for couple of weeks for subtitled screenings.
Sue Worner
December 19, 2017
Dear editor and everyone
Re the lewes cinema with subtitles on Mondays, here in Sheffield one of the independent cinemas, the Sheffield showroom, have a similar policy of Monday subtitles. 🙂
Not sure if it’s ALL films but it’s certainly most.
Editor
December 19, 2017
That’s fantastic, maybe I can move to Sheffield instead and stay in yorkshire!
Judy Lemming
December 19, 2017
These people should be ashamed of themselves. I think that they should be prosecuted as this was obvious discrimination. I hope that all of the people with a moral compass will boycott this cinema
barakta
December 19, 2017
I hate to be a cynic, but I don’t buy ODEON’s excuse… That’s clearly not what the deaf people were told or understood.
And even if it was a technical problem, it’s still disability discrimination as organisations have a duty to make sure technical things are kept in good working order, tested and checked… There’s SO many subtitling technical failures that I think it’s just a lie they roll out because we have no chance of proving it isn’t a lie..
And when technical failure doesn’t work organisations will claim a member of staff, lone, rogue, “nowt to do with them” “made a mistake” or “acted against policies” as if they aren’t liable for the actions of their staff in discrimination law.
I think we need to start issuing formal disability discrimination complaints each time subtitles fail at a cinema and start logging them somewhere, writing about the issue publicly and keeping track of failings. If a cinema settles it merely means if they screw up again you get to skip to the next stage of a complaint and on the third or fourth time you can insist on it going further for a judicial decision because it’s clearly a “repeat problem”.
Trish
December 19, 2017
Hi! I’m a American and saw the Same Star Wars movie few days ago with closed captions at the bottom of the screen at my home town in California. A Deaf friend began reserves a room in a movie theatre that will show movie with closed captions on certain day and time. She will announce it on Facebook to the Deaf community in my home town. So far no problems.
Perhaps this can be done in Uk? Reserve a room for Deaf people to watch. Movie with closed captions.
Ian Depledge
December 19, 2017
The truth is that the Equality Act 2010 is toothless and useless. It provides no means of redress, and businesses and service providers know it. They will try to get away with it if they can. A strong and sustained campaign to improve the Equality Act is needed. Where is BDA? In the past they used to lead and represent the Deaf Community by means of protesting and campaigning.
Pete
December 20, 2017
Hi I found you through the BBC article – I was the ‘man who’s brother is deaf’, we weren’t offered free passes to comer back. Did Mrs Drake actually get these . I know they refunded the ticket price and the food that they bought. To be honest I was so angry at the whole way it was handled I needed to get out of the place before I made the situation a whole lot worse.To be honest it was the response by the rest of the audience, and especially the family sat in front of my brother, that really caused me most issue. The ignorant, small minded nature of the comments shocked me.
I have tried to get hold of the cinema via phone with no luck and as yet have had no reply to email
flybow
December 20, 2017
The hatred of the disabled continues unabated. I hope the people sue.
Simon Flynn
December 21, 2017
Please, please stop this discrimination. Subtitled films are good for all. Please also show them at proper times. Not 1 minute past midnight or 9am . Thank you.