So I've done this quite a lot. You first check online or give them a ring to check which films have audio description and at what times. When you get to the cinema just speak to the person at the desk and they'll get the headset for you or get someone else to bring them. You don't need to show any proof of impairment or anything, just let them know you're visually impaired or blind and that should be fine. Once you're in the screen and have sit down the headset will start describing as soon as the movie starts. It's wireless over head headphones that you get and they just have a volume nob on one side to adjust. The people at the desk will instruct you on how to use it. Once you've finished just hand it back to one of the staff members and you're golden.


This is my experience in the UK.

I’ve used those many times. Here’s the dealio-

After you pay for your ticket, you go up to either the ticket booth or the customer service counter and ask for the device. It’ll either come as a stand alone head set or as a small box that you hook headphones up to. When you get inside of the theatre, it should start playing when the movie starts. That’s if everything goes well.

Here’s what usually happens. Often the staff will be confused and will try to hand you the equipment for deaf people. Be prepared to self advocate and to try to describe what you need “no, the device that speaks out the actions on the screen.”

Once you get to your theatre, I would advise against getting too comfortable right away. Most of the time, the headsets don’t work right away so you gotta be prepared to get up. The descriptions don’t start until your movie starts, so you’ll be in the dark for the trailers. If your device doesn’t work, go to the help desk for assistance.

It’s a good idea to know what your theatre’s policy is on equipment issues. For example, the AMC’s around me had a policy where if you missed out on a certain period of time, they’d give you and everyone in your group ticket vouchers to see another movie. I don’t know if that’s changed since covid.

Audio descriptions are great when they work. But, if you plan on seeing a lot of movies that way, you may miss out on a lot of intros haha. I’m still salty that I missed the first 40 minutes of endgame because the theatre we went to sucked

When they get the right tracm selected on the device it works great. The description track comes out of the headphone and you can hear the rest of the movie in theatre. You can even use your own wired headphones or earbudsgh In my experience they get it right so infrequently that I have actually started writing and composing a song about it.

I dont go to theaters often, even before the Rina, but I have asked at two different theaters. But both were AMC. There booths to ask about devices where you show tickets and either they get them for you or tell you where to go.

The first time, the first set they have me didn't work. My hubby, bf at the time, went to get me another one. That one's batteries we're dead. Tried a third time and there weren't any others available.

The second time we went the one we got didn't work either. I just didn't bother trying for another one that time. Didn't want to deal with it.

Hi, I'm in the Austin area and was wondering if you'd found an answer for your question!

guy from Ontario here. So I show this Access 2 Entertainment card I got from Easter Seals program (it also works at amusement parks, and museums)

I ask for the described captioning headphones for the movie in question

the person behind the counter says "do you mean closed captioning device?" to which I have to explain again what described captioning is (this happens 90% of the time)

I get them, now unfortunately it does not come until after all the trailers, so Have no useful way of knowing whether it will work or not so sometimes I have to ask an usher if they can assist me and sometimes I just don't bother but it works like 70% of the time

I return device to counter and explain if there were any issues and say have a good day.

Other people gave similar ansewrs, but I'll throw in my experience. I usually buy my ticket and while I'm at the counter, I'll ask for an audio description device. As someone else mentioned, don't be surprised if they hand you a closed captioning device, this happens to me all the time. This is the exact reason I tell them when I buy my ticket, so they can take all the time they need trying to figure it out while I wait for my popcorn haha. Device they give you is either a wireless pair of headphones, or a little box that you can either use the wired headphones they'll give you, or bring your own. I prefer to bring my own, in case that device is ever the one I get. Most theaters should give you a refund if the description doesn't work. I've had some issues with it in the past, but not a ton compared to how often I use to go to the movies pre pandemic haha.

I think, I’ve tried it three times now. It never worked. And according to what I’ve heard so far, these things are very unreliable.

I recently used one the first time during the Quiet Place 2. I’m legally blind so I still have some vision, but it really helped by describing things I could not make out.

The only issue was I had to hold up the device the entire time to get good reception or else it was nothing but static. The employee who gave it to me warned me that the range was not great though. Only the actual movie had the descriptions, none of the trailers or commercials did, so at first I wasn’t sure it worked at all.

[deleted]

Just ask for audio descriptions when you go to buy tickets they will tell you about it and give you a device. Problem I’ve run into is that it’s either playing audio for the wrong movie or it just stops working halfway through and nobody knows how to fix it

id love to know the answers to this