Sen. Tom Harkin introduced two bills that could improve access for individuals who are deaf and hard-of-hearing: S. 555, the Captioning and Image Narration to Enhance Movie Accessibility (CINEMA) Act and S. 556, the Air Carrier Access Amendments Act. The CINEMA Act would require any movie theatre with two or more screens to make captioning and video description available for attendees should they ask for accommodations. The Air Carrier Access Amendments Act, which would amend the Air Carriers Access Act, would include requirements for airlines to make captioning and video description available for any program viewed during flights.
Since the introduction of these bills, NCRA’s Government Relations Department has been meeting with members of Congress and Congressional staff in an effort to bolster both pieces of legislation so they can eventually be passed into law. NCRA will continue to work with Congressional leadership, the Federal Communications Commission, and organizations representing individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing to require more and better captioning across the country.
