A blind date at the movies

Going on a blind date to the movies

So how do Les and I have a blind date (pardon the pun!) that we can both enjoy the experience and that doesn’t include the popcorn either?

When I lost my sight, I thought this would be an outing that we would never return to doing but how wrong I was.

The three of us already for a fun time out, yes, Les has to share his date with his two best girls, Myself and of course Rhian! How lucky is he to have two gorgeous girls to take out!

Purchasing the movie tickets

Les always tells me later about the looks, stares and curious head turning that people do when they see me, and Rhian walk into the cinema to purchase tickets.

I can well imagine the curiosities that onlookers would be thinking. Why would a blind person want to see a movie? What would be the point?

When booking seats with a guide or Seeing eye dog, you get to sit in the seats allocated for disability. These are at the front of the cinema where there is wheelchair access. This gives you plenty of room for the dog to lie down comfortably and protected from foot traffic. Les will generally get to sit in the front next to me but if there are other disabled clients using them, then he sits elsewhere.

Tickets in hand, I then request the audio descript headset.

How do I know what is going on in the movie?

The audio descript headset narrates the movie for me. The device is blue toothed to the cinema you are in and when the movie begins, it narrates everything that is visually being shown, colours, images and the camera viewpoint or angle. When there is dialogue in the movie, the narration ceases but even in the smallest pauses of a scene, it describes the key points that is important to the setting of the scene or story line.

I feel like I get more out of the movie as names of characters are used right from the beginning, when normally you wouldn’t know their name until further along in the movie. I have often told Les the names of characters as they come onto the scene, and he questions me how I know that? I explain the audio description narrates it to me.

It’s highly informative in describing facial expressions, body language and the type of looks a character is conveying. It portrays extremely well the depth and mood that is being created.

A seeing-eye dog in a cinema

What about Rhian, you may be asking?

Don’t worry, she is very adept to the cinema now. Once I am settled in my seat, I will take off her harness and extend the lead to a long length. This enables her to have room to move around and find her most comfy spot to do her circling ritual, turning around and around, to finally curl up into a little ball and sleep through the movie.

Sometimes she likes to go between the seat and the wall behind and stay quietly hidden away.

She is super doggie happy if there happens to be a few pieces of popcorn left on the floor to snaffle up!

A different type of audio descript

On one of our dates to the cinema, I asked the assistant for the audio descript headset. When he returned, he handed me over this contraption I had never seen or should I say felt before. I would describe it not too unlike a desk lamp with the flexible stand about 30cm long, with an oblong head fitting with a flat screen on it.

Thinking that it must be a latest version, I happily made my way with Les into the cinema.

The movie began, so I held the flat screen to my ear and waited for the audio description to begin. It seemed a bit awkward to hold it near my ear, but I did it anyway. No sound was coming out, so I handed it to Les to try and figure out. He couldn’t make sense of it either.

Putting it away in disappointment, Les then told me to hold it up for him. He could see closed captions running along the flat screen of this device. It was for deaf people! Obviously, they can see the movie but can’t hear it. Brilliant idea, even I had never even thought about a deaf person going to the cinema, had you?

No wonder holding it up to my ear wasn’t ever going to work!

Now when I ask for the audio descript device, I make sure I tell them, not closed caption. They have since bought the wrong device out but returned with the correct one.

More than just a movie

I also go to the movies with friends and family. It is not simply the movie that is the fun aspect. It is the socialising with people, out in a buzzing and happy environment. Gathering together, talking, laughing, and getting excited about what the movie may bring. Then exchanging the favourite parts of the movie that each person liked, makes for important human interaction that we all need. After all, we are social creatures.

So next time when you see any person with a disability go into a cinema, don’t just think it is all about the movie. It is more about the social outing, interaction, and fitting into society. The politically correct word they use now is inclusivity.

Thankyou for joining me once again.

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Until next time…