Folks:

As many of you readers of my blog know, I've been actively campaigning for greater access to captioned movies throughout Kentucky for the past 2 years.  Today, I have some good news... My local theater has relented and now has a DTS system capable of showing Open Captioned movies!  Over the course of the next week or two, they will be installing it and have asked me to help spread the word.

No details yet on when the first captioned movie will be shown, or what movie it will be, etc.  But they are coming, and this area of Kentucky will finally have access.  The great thing about the DTS system is not only that it shows OC movies, but it also has the capability to show Descriptive Audio (DA) movies for those with visual difficulties as well.  A BIG thumbs up to the local theater for coming into the 21st century...

But now the cautionary words... This will NOT be a success without YOUR ACTIVE PARTICIPATION.  The movies in Pikeville are very reasonably priced, much cheaper than the average bigger cities.  There will be challenges as we move forward in ensuring that movies are shown when we can actually get to them, etc., but I will be fighting for that.  I need for YOU to come to the movies!  Bring your friends, deaf or not, so they can see what we've been missing, and what we finally have.  Full houses are the best way to show our appreciation not only for finally having access, but to allow them to more quickly recuperate their costs of investment and be a model success story for other theaters to follow.  Make no bones about it, one of my main arguments has been that a new source of people coming to the movies can help grow their revenue stream and make it worth their time, and that can only happen by YOU coming to the movies.  Help explain that this is NOT going to be on every movie all the time, so that those hearing people who may be unfamiliar are not scared away, but rather, that there will be specific showings that are captioned.  When you come, THANK THEM for their efforts and let them know it is appreciated.  As I've said in the past, I realize they are in business to make money, and if it is not profitable, they will stop showing them, potentially.  It would be a shame, after all these years of bemoaning our lack of access, if we were to lose it due to lack of participation.

Pikeville has long advertised itself as "The City That Moves Mountains", and we have..We have moved a VERY large mountain for those of us who have a hearing loss.  Deaf, hard of hearing, visually impaired, those for whom English is a second language, those with Cochlear Implants, and so forth and so on now all will be able to enjoy a movie.  No longer will we have to lean over and whisper or sign "What did they say?" or "I missed it because the sound is too loud", etc.

There have been many people involved in making this happen. Some who do not wish to be recognized publicly or by name (you know who you are), and to all of them, I say "Thank You".  For your support, for your friendship, for your understanding.  This is by no means the end of a road, but rather the beginning... For there are still people in other areas of the state and nation without access, and I won't stop till they ALL have reasonable access, in some shape or form.  I will never advocate solely for one form of access over the other, I simply want ACCESS for all, period.

Now...to steal a line... "See you at the movies!"

Eddie