ADVOCACY: PLAN A MOVIE PROTEST

WHAT DO WE WANT? DESIGNATED SCREENS IN EVERY MOVIE 'MARKET' IN AMERICA. That means captioned movies 365 days a year in just 'one' of the 9 to 25 screens in a typical movie cineplex in major cities across the nation. DETAILS ON CAPTIONED MOVIES AND HOW TO PLAN A PROTEST IN YOUR CITY Movie access protests brought change in Philadelphia after just two public rallies. United Artists responded by offering 8 captioned movies between June and September, 2000. Now you can do this in your city! WANT ANOTHER MOVIE ACCESS PROTEST to push the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and National Association of Theater Owners (NaTO) to Provide Captioned Movies Continuously in your area? This issue is not about 'Special Access" -- It is about "Equal Access"

Organize in your community now!

People across the nation are planning National Movie Access Protests. Dates may vary from city to city. Success of the rallies depend on the following:

1. People organize in their own Town, City or County Each community targets a theater in their area to demonstrate at
2. Getting press releases and media-alerts to press one week and one day before rally.
3. Sign and Voice interpreters hired (2)
4. Microphone system rented (cost: approximately $100)
5. Have flyers/press kits ready to hand to press and movie patrons. Publicize strongly to deaf and hard of hearing people, friends, families, sign language community, etc.
6. Inform Press and media are of the rallies (news coverage is important: TV, Radio, Newspapers, Internet News wires, Deaf, Hard of Hearing and hearing press, newsletters etc.)! IF YOU CAN GET LEGISLATORS AND/OR CELEBRITIES TO JOIN OUR STRUGGLE. GET THEM - MEET WITH THEM - AND CALL A PRESS CONFERENCE. WE MUST GET THIS ISSUE UP AND OUT. AND EXPOSE THE AMERICAN MOVIE INDUSTRY FOR THIS INJUSTICE PUBLICLY!
7. Show up with signs one hour prior to scheduled protest to set up. If you, your family and/or organization plan to protest for Movie Access for Deaf and Hard of hearing people and their families on September 23 (or any other time), please contact Creative Access promptly. Early publicity is essential. Send fax to press one week before rally. Send 'Media Alert' one day before rally. Then call each press contact. Note: For those not familiar with captions: Captions are likened to subtitles in foreign films and are essential for communication/content accessibility for individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing. This program allows families, friends and people of all ages to enjoy an outing to the movies in the same manner as the society at large...together...without having to choose between leaving the Deaf family member at home, or not going at all.

more on movie captioning advocacy...