06/05/2025
My name is Sarah Lin, and I’m a high school senior and the founder of Theaters Unsilenced and co-founder of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Friendly, an initiative I started with my sisters to promote accessibility and inclusion.
I’m currently working alongside the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) to help support the Open Captioning Accessibility Act (A.4628/S.2269), a bill that would require movie theaters across New York State to offer a reasonable number of open captioned screenings each week, making movies more accessible for Deaf and Hard of Hearing New Yorkers.
While NYC, Maryland, Hawaii, and D.C. have already passed similar laws, New York State still has no statewide requirement. The Assembly bill is gaining momentum, with Queens (Forest Hills, Kew Gardens, Rego Park) District 28 Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi already pledging his support—but the Senate version still needs more public visibility before the legislative session ends in June (most likely by June 12).
🎥 Here’s a short video featuring me and other advocates explaining why this matters:
🔗 https://youtu.be/_oZK8TBhdzs
If you support this cause, one of the most helpful things you can do is email or call your state senator and assemblymember to express support for this bill. Every message makes a difference!
If you’re part of a community group, media outlet, or school that might help spread the word or just want to learn more, I’d love to connect.
Please also consider sharing and signing the petition below in support of the Open Captioning Accessibility Act:
Over 1,700 New Yorkers have signed the http://change.org/ocmoviesnow petition, among over 26,000 nationally!
Thank you so much for reading and for supporting greater accessibility for all.
📩 You can reach out to me via Facebook or email at [email protected]
Movie Theaters - Open Captions (Subtitles) Are Better for Everyone!
