Resolved complaint (202) about disability discrimination in goods, services and facilities

About the complaint

The complainant has moderate hearing loss and uses hearing aids. She alleged cinemas operated by the respondent entertainment company only offered captions on a small proportion of screenings. She further alleged that captiviewers, devices used to access closed captions, routinely failed because of incorrect setup by staff, devices not being charged or running out of charge, and not being in good repair.

The company apologised to the complainant for her experience but denied engaging in unlawful discrimination.

The complaint was resolved by conciliation with an agreement that the company offer the complainant ten cinema tickets and refund the ticket cost or offer complimentary tickets for any future sessions interrupted by equipment malfunction. The company agreed to update its procedures regarding use and maintenance of accessibility devices and ensure induction includes accessibility device awareness training. The company also agreed to consult with audience members on the provision of open captions (i.e. where captions appear on the screen).

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