Sony Entertainment’s Access Glasses will be hitting more than 6,000 Regal theatres this month after passing a test run. The high tech glasses will allow for deaf and hard of hearing moviegoers to enjoy films on their first room in the theatre as opposed to waiting for the movie to hit DVD so that they can utilize the subtitle or close captioning features.
The Access Glasses allow for viewers to see the captions at the bottom of the field of view. The text is sent to the Glasses through a wireless system. There will also be audio headsets for blind moviegoers allowing for those who attend Regal to enjoy films. The glasses won’t be available for those who aren’t deaf, hard of hearing, or blind.
Regal has stayed the course in having their theatres accessible for the blind and deaf and embracing the technology as CEO Randy Smith Jr. has a son who is deaf. It’s Smith’s passion to share the movie going experience with his son and others who are blind and deaf that led to Regal teaming up with Sony on this approach.
Sony’s Access Glasses and headsets will be available at the services counter of Regal theatres. Films and locations compatible with the tech can be spotted with an online search and finding “accessibility devices available”.
