Pittsburgh, PA – Kenneth DeHaan, a deaf movie fan from Pittsburgh, filed suit today against Cleveland Cinemas, LLC and Soffer Organization for refusing to provide captioning for deaf individuals at the SouthSide Works cinema in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. DeHaan made multiple requests that the Southside Works theater, the theater closest to his home, come into compliance with federal law and provide full and equal access for movie buffs who are deaf. The complaint charges that SouthSide Works, which is located at 425 Cinema Drive, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania refuses to display captions that are necessary for deaf movie-goers like DeHaan to understand dialogue, sound effects, and music.
“Watching movies is a favorite past-time in America and scenes from movies become part of our cultural lexicon,” said Howard A. Rosenblum, CEO of the NAD. “Deaf and hard of hearing people deserve the same access to this essential American activity, and we seek to ensure that all movie theaters are accessible through captioning.”
“The Americans with Disabilities Act requires movie theaters to ensure full and equal access for individuals, including individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing,” said Michael Steven Stein, an attorney with Stein & Vargas, LLP, one of the firms representing the plaintiffs. “Going to the movies is an important part of American culture and one that should be accessible to deaf individuals.”
DeHaan is represented by the National Association of the Deaf and Stein & Vargas, LLP.
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The National Association of the Deaf is the nation’s premier civil rights organization of, by, and for, deaf and hard of hearing individuals in the United States.
Stein & Vargas, LLP is a civil rights firm based in Washington, D.C. and committed to the principle that all people have full and equal access to all parts of society.
CONTACTS
National Association of the Deaf
Lizzie Sorkin
301-587-1788
[email protected]
Stein & Vargas, LLP
Mary Vargas
240-793-3185
[email protected]