What Is Descriptive Video Movie Theater?

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Descriptive Video Movie Theater, or DVMT, is a type of theater experience that offers viewers the opportunity to watch a film with audio description. This audio description is provided by a narrator who explains the action taking place on screen in detail, allowing blind and visually impaired viewers to experience the same movie as sighted viewers.

DVMT was first developed in 1987 by a group of filmmakers, audio engineers and researchers from the University of California, Berkeley’s Center for Accessible Technology (CAT). The CAT team developed an innovative system that integrated descriptive narration into standard audio tracks for films. This allowed blind and visually impaired viewers to access films in the same way as sighted audiences.

Descriptive video tracks are now available on many DVD releases and can be accessed with compatible DVD players or digital streaming devices. When viewing films with descriptive narration, viewers can press a button on their TV remote control to activate the descriptive track. The narration is then heard alongside the standard soundtrack so that both blind and sighted audiences can enjoy the movie together.

Descriptive video movie theaters are now available in some cities throughout the United States and Canada. These theaters offer enhanced viewing experiences for blind and visually impaired audiences by providing special seating areas where they can sit close to speakers that provide clear audio descriptions of what’s happening on screen. Theaters also provide tactile maps of the theater layout so that blind viewers can easily find their seats without assistance.

In addition to providing enhanced viewing experiences for blind and visually impaired audiences, descriptive video movie theaters have become popular venues for families with children who have visual impairments or are deaf or hard of hearing. These theaters allow families to enjoy films together in a comfortable setting where everyone can fully experience the story being told on screen.

Descriptive video movie theaters are an important part of making movies accessible to all types of audiences. By providing clear audio descriptions alongside regular soundtracks, these theaters allow blind and visually impaired viewers to experience films in much the same way as sighted audiences do—allowing everyone to share in the joys of cinema together.

Conclusion: What Is Descriptive Video Movie Theater? Descriptive Video Movie Theater is an innovative type of theater experience that provides audio descriptions alongside regular soundtracks so that both sighted and non-sighted audiences can enjoy films together. These special theaters provide enhanced viewing experiences for those with visual impairments while also allowing families with children who have visual impairments or are deaf or hard of hearing to share in the joys of cinema together.