TDI Gives Testimony Endorsing DC Open Caption Bill
On December 11, 2018, the DC council hosted a Public Hearing session on Bill 22-957, Open Movie Captioning Requirement Act of 2018. This Bill, introduced by Council member Charles Allen, would require District movie theaters to provide open captioning on a set number of screenings.
Eric Kaika, TDI’s Director of Public Relations and uCaption Product Manager testified at the hearing, stating, “Captioning is universal access. It benefits everyone, including those without hearing loss” and by passing the Bill, the Council will demonstrate that the Nation’s Capital believes in universal access for all Americans.
After four hours of testimonies from over 20 individuals, the Council decided to reintroduce the bill in Spring 2019 to make some refinements to the bill. This postponement has given the consumer groups an opportunity to work more closely with movie theaters, DC government offices, and other entities to find some common ground.
TDI and its affiliated consumer groups are fully optimistic we will be seeing open captions as part of regular screenings at movie theatres in DC in the immediate future. And hopefully, someday, across the Nation.