Jeffrey's Soapbox - Monday, July 28, 2025 at 5:29 PM
When Good Intentions Meet Poor Design at the movie theatre: Why Nothing About Us Without Us Still Matters
My family loves going to the movies. For years, we relied on audio description systems that worked beautifully. They were intuitive, reliable, and most importantly, designed with actual input from people like me who are blind.
Last year, our family encountered for the 1st time, the Dolby Accessibility Solution during what should have been an enjoyable evening at the movies. What we experienced was a frustrating ordeal that left us feeling like second-class patrons.
According to Dolby’s own documentation, their Accessibility Solution is described as “a complete and versatile cinema accessibility solution that is easy for exhibitors to install and maintain, and simple for customers to use” . The reality for users who are blind tells a very different story.
The problems started immediately. Unlike the previous equipment, the Dolby tablet device had no tactile buttons to distinguish controls from the frame itself, making it impossible to operate without sight . The system instead relies on a touchscreen with no screen reader. The screen, button presses, and basic functions provided no audio feedback whatsoever, despite being built on open-source software that already has and could easily include screen reader technology .
Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of the Dolby Accessibility Solution is how it stripped away the independence that previous systems provided. With older systems, I could program my device at the box office, test it there, and troubleshoot any issues before entering the theater. I was in control of my own experience.
The Dolby system requires theater staff to accompany patrons to their seats to connect the Dolby Accessibility Solution Receiver directly to the auditorium at the auditorium. According to Dolby’s own Theatre Staff Reference Guide, staff must physically go to each auditorium to set up the device for patrons .
Picture this common scenario: My family arrives for a 7 PM showing. At the concession stand, I explain that I need the audio description device. The staff member accompanies you to the theatre and programs the device. You wait until the movie has started as the ads and previews never have audio description. So the only way to check that things are working is to wait until the movie starts.
The movie starts and you realise there is no audio description because the unit has either been misconfigured or lost connection. Troubleshooting ensues in our seats, with whispered conversations and the glow of the device screen affecting nearby moviegoers. By the time we get audio description working, we have missed the first fifteen minutes of the actual movie, and several patrons around us are visibly annoyed by the disruptions.
Or alternately, halfway through the movie you have accidently touched the touchscreen and disconnected the unit. You now have to get someone to help you. More troubleshooting ensues in our seats, with whispered conversations and the glow of the device screen affecting nearby moviegoers. By the time we get audio description working, we have missed another fifteen minutes of the actual movie, and several patrons around us are visibly annoyed by the disruptions.
Oh, and wait, god forbid you need to go to the washroom, as you will lose signal and have to get the device re-programmed before you will hear audio description again.
These scenarios played out repeatedly during our visits over the last year, turning what should have been an enjoyable family experience into an embarrassing ordeal that affected not just us, but everyone around us.
The contrast with previous systems could not be starker. Earlier accessibility devices could be programmed, tested, and troubleshot at the box office or customer service counter. If there were issues, they could be resolved without entering the theater, without disrupting other moviegoers, and without the need for staff to accompany me to my seat like I was incapable of finding it myself.
This design choice by Dolby fundamentally changed the movie-going experience from one of independence to one of dependence. Instead of being an equal patron who could manage my own accessibility needs discretely, I became someone who required staff assistance, caused disruptions, and drew unwanted attention from other moviegoers.
The Dolby Accessibility Solution highlights how technical compliance can coexist with practical failure. The system may meet basic requirements for providing audio description, but it completely fails when it comes to preserving user dignity and independence.
The requirement for staff to accompany patrons to their seats and troubleshoot devices in the theater itself represents a fundamental misunderstanding of what accessibility should accomplish. Good accessibility design should enhance independence, not create new forms of dependence. People who use accessibility features are the true experts on what works in real-world situations. We understand the importance of discretion, independence, and minimizing disruption to others.
While Dolby markets their Accessibility Solution as simple for customers to use, the reality is far different . The system creates barriers to independence and forces users into situations that are embarrassing and disruptive to others.
Real inclusive design means involving people with disabilities from the earliest stages of product development. It means understanding that accessibility is not just about providing a technical feature, but about preserving dignity and independence in the process.
Companies like Dolby can continue to approach accessibility as a compliance checkbox, creating solutions that technically work but practically fail. Or they can embrace truly inclusive design that recognizes people with vision, hearing and dexterity requirements and other disabilities as equal participants who deserve independent access to entertainment.
Nothing about us, without us remains as relevant today as it ever was. When companies design accessibility solutions without meaningful input from users, they often create new barriers while solving old ones.
The Dolby Accessibility Solution demonstrates how well-intentioned efforts can go wrong when user experience and dignity are not prioritized alongside technical functionality. True accessibility preserves independence and minimizes disruption, rather than creating new forms of dependence that affect everyone involved.
Dolby has the resources and expertise to create better solutions. The question is whether they will choose to involve the people who actually use their products in designing them.
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