State of Arizona v. Harkins Amusement Enterprises
Apr 30, 2010OUTCOME: First Circuit Court of Appeals affirmation that movie theaters are required to provide auxiliary aids and services to individuals with sensory impairments where the movies being displayed have been produced with captions or audio descriptions
The State of Arizona filed a complaint against Harkins Amusement Enterprises because it failed to provide equipment to display captions and transmit audio descriptions so that individuals with hearing ... or visual impairments could enjoy the service (movies) provided by the place of public accommodation. The District Court dismissed the complaint when it found that the Americans with Disabilities Act did not require movie theaters to provide auxiliary aids and services to individuals with sensory impairments so that they could gain access to movies. The State appealed that decision to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeal, which reversed the District Court's decision and remanded for further proceedings.
