Tips for Closed Captioning at the Movies

Spider-Man: No Way Home was an absolute vibe and must see. Being unable to fully enjoy the movie due to non-functional caption devices…not so much fun. The movie theater I went to mentioned that they only had (3) closed captioning devices for their movie theaters (and they were all being used the time I needed them).

Here are some tips for your closed caption movie going experience:

1. Check in advance if your movie time and theater will actually have closed captioning (CC) available for the movie you want to see before you purchase your ticket. Some movie showings do not have the CC version of the movie available, so it’s always worth going to the movie company’s website or to call the movie theater to double check that the movie is CC.

Screenshot of a movie company’s website showing Spiderman’s No Way Home poster with a yellow circle drawn around the copy “Accessibility devices available CC.” Photo credit: iPic Theaters

2. Arrive to the movie theater at least 20 mins earlier than your expected movie time to give yourself enough time to get your CC device (and some snacks). One time I waited almost a half an hour to get CC devices in the past because no one knew where they were or how to program them.

Gif of a Black woman sighing

3. Ask movie staff to check if the CC device is programmed to the specific auditorium you are in. This may sound weird, but sometimes movie staff members are not aware if a device is programmed correctly or not, so it’s always worth that extra ask.

Photo of a movie theater closed captioned device. Photo credit: AMC Theaters

4. Be prepared to miss the introduction of a movie if your CC device does not work. I know it’s not fair. But get ready to leave the theater to find a staff member to fix your device while the introduction of a movie is going on. Unfortunately, you do not know if a CC device is actually functional until the movie actually begins. (Side note: I seriously need all movie previews to be CC, so I can actually check if a CC device is actually working before the movie begins…and so I can understand what’s going on in previews. Please and thank you).

A photo of a Black woman named Karen Pittman saying “I prepare for everything.”

5. Ask for a refund ticket if you miss even a part of the movie because your movie going experience has been negatively impacted due to an accessibility issue (which is protected by the American Disabilities Act). In this movie theater, they refunded me the price of my ticket, my friend’s ticket, and our meals. So advocate for yourself.

Rihanna rubbing her fingers together for money with a pout face

And yes, I did dress up as Spiderman to watch my favorite superhero in action.

Spiderman slinging web threads and swinging through buildings in New York City