Vue cinema in Reading allegedly REMOVED subtitles from deaf-accessible Star Wars screening because it “has been popular”

Posted on December 22, 2017 by


Earlier this week, we reported on a failed subtitled screening of Star Wars at an Odeon cinema in Brighton, which led to our viral petition to improve access to subtitled cinema (it’s now nearly at 14,000 signatures in four days, sign it here).

Now, a new story has emerged which, if true, shows the disrespectful and worryingly casual attitude of cinemas towards subtitled screenings and the welfare of their deaf audiences.

It has been reported by Wokingham Today that a group with two deaf teenagers at Vue cinema in Reading were allegedly told that the subtitles had been removed from a subtitled screening of Star Wars “because it was popular.”

The paper’s story says:

The youngster had booked for one of Vue Cinema’s special subtitled showings of The Last Jedi, and had an e-ticket that confirmed this arrangement. But when the movie started there were no subtitles.

Her friend queried this with the Reading cinema staff who are alleged to have told them that Star Wars had been such a box office smash that the captions were removed.

The mother of one of the deaf teens is quoted in the article, saying:

My friend quickly got up out of her seat and went and spoke to a member of staff, who explained ‘Star Wars has been popular so we changed it’.”

Disappointingly, the cinema’s statement described “confusion” over the screening, apologising only for any “disappointment” she experienced.

Read the full story here: https://www.wokinghampaper.com/cinema-listens-unsubtitled-star-wars/amp/

By Charlie Swinbourne, Editor


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