The Experience of Hearing Loss at the Movies

Abstract

For years, movie theaters have offered viewers an escape from reality and an opportunity for sociability. Individuals with hearing impairments may not be able to connect in the same way, without the appropriate assistive devices. Until today, researchers have only investigated noise levels/risks at movie theaters. This study’s primary goal is to investigate the availability and adoption of accommodation options by assessing movie theater efforts (or lack thereof) in promoting inclusivity of the movie-going experience. The secondary goal is to provide a sample of noise levels to attest adherence (or lack thereof) to regulations and if any suggested risks are posed for noise-induced hearing loss. A sample size of 25 movie theaters in the Southeast Appalachia region was selected and a thorough website/social media evaluation for advertisement of accommodation options was completed. Some data was unattainable for one theater due to extensive damage from Hurricane Helene. The remaining 24 theaters were contacted by call, email, or in-person to assess accommodations, staff knowledge about their use, and if visited, the overall performance/accuracy of the accommodations. For the study's secondary goal, measurements of total run time, LAeq, Lmax, LCpeak, time-weighted average (TWA), dose, and projected dose were recorded at the 14 visited theaters using the NIOSH Sound Level Meter (SLM) app on an iPhone 13 Pro. Data collection is complete and analysis is underway. Some preliminary observations reveal 1) closed caption and personal amplifier devices are the most common accommodations for those with hearing loss, 2) most theaters have at least one type of accommodation available but inadequate (or lack of) advertising/signage highlighting them, and 3) although movie theaters seem to remain within advisable NIOSH and OSHA values, the SLM did detect peaks exceeding this level suggesting some risk for significant noise exposure.

Start Time

16-4-2025 1:30 PM

End Time

16-4-2025 4:00 PM

Presentation Type

Poster

Presentation Category

Health

Student Type

Graduate Student - Doctoral

Faculty Mentor

Marcy Hite

Faculty Department

Audiology and Speech Language Pathology

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Apr 16th, 1:30 PM Apr 16th, 4:00 PM

The Experience of Hearing Loss at the Movies

For years, movie theaters have offered viewers an escape from reality and an opportunity for sociability. Individuals with hearing impairments may not be able to connect in the same way, without the appropriate assistive devices. Until today, researchers have only investigated noise levels/risks at movie theaters. This study’s primary goal is to investigate the availability and adoption of accommodation options by assessing movie theater efforts (or lack thereof) in promoting inclusivity of the movie-going experience. The secondary goal is to provide a sample of noise levels to attest adherence (or lack thereof) to regulations and if any suggested risks are posed for noise-induced hearing loss. A sample size of 25 movie theaters in the Southeast Appalachia region was selected and a thorough website/social media evaluation for advertisement of accommodation options was completed. Some data was unattainable for one theater due to extensive damage from Hurricane Helene. The remaining 24 theaters were contacted by call, email, or in-person to assess accommodations, staff knowledge about their use, and if visited, the overall performance/accuracy of the accommodations. For the study's secondary goal, measurements of total run time, LAeq, Lmax, LCpeak, time-weighted average (TWA), dose, and projected dose were recorded at the 14 visited theaters using the NIOSH Sound Level Meter (SLM) app on an iPhone 13 Pro. Data collection is complete and analysis is underway. Some preliminary observations reveal 1) closed caption and personal amplifier devices are the most common accommodations for those with hearing loss, 2) most theaters have at least one type of accommodation available but inadequate (or lack of) advertising/signage highlighting them, and 3) although movie theaters seem to remain within advisable NIOSH and OSHA values, the SLM did detect peaks exceeding this level suggesting some risk for significant noise exposure.