{"abstract":"This final rule amends the Department of Justice (Department) regulation implementing title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), which prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities by public accommodations and commercial facilities, including movie theaters. The rule adds specific requirements addressing the obligations of public accommodations that own, lease, or operate movie theaters to provide effective communication to patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing, or blind or have low vision. The rule requires that movie theater auditoriums provide closed movie captioning and audio description when showing a digital movie distributed with such features unless doing so would result in an undue burden or a fundamental alteration. The rule requires movie theaters to have a specified number of captioning devices and audio description devices based on the number of auditoriums in the movie theater that show digital movies. The rule does not impose any specific requirements for movie theater auditoriums that exhibit analog movies exclusively.","action":"Final rule.","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE","name":"Justice Department","id":268,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/justice-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/268","parent_id":null,"slug":"justice-department"}],"body_html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/2016/12/02/2016-28644.html","cfr_references":[{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":36,"title":28}],"citation":"81 FR 87348","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":null,"correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"This rule is effective January 17, 2017. Public accommodations with movie theater auditoriums showing digital movies on December 2, 2016 must comply with the rule's requirement to provide closed movie captioning and audio description in such auditoriums by June 2, 2018. If a public accommodation converts a movie theater auditorium from an analog projection system to a system that it allows it show digital movies after December 2, 2016, the public accommodation must comply with the rule's requirement to provide closed movie captioning and audio description in such auditoriums by December 2, 2018, or within 6 months of that auditorium's complete installation of a digital projection system, whichever is later.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["CRT Docket No. 126","AG Order No. 3779-2016"],"dockets":[],"document_number":"2016-28644","effective_on":"2017-01-17","end_page":87387,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"explanation":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2016/12/02/2016-28644.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/12/02/2016-28644/nondiscrimination-on-the-basis-of-disability-by-public-accommodations-movie-theaters-movie","images":{"ER02DE16.023":{"large":"https://img.federalregister.gov/ER02DE16.023/ER02DE16.023_large.png","original_size":"https://img.federalregister.gov/ER02DE16.023/ER02DE16.023_original_size.png"}},"images_metadata":{"ER02DE16.023":{"large":{"identifier":"ER02DE16.023","content_type":"image/png","size":23947,"width":823,"sha":"c70614d6179957936c0ca416283111d7","url":"https://img.federalregister.gov/ER02DE16.023/ER02DE16.023_large.png","height":597},"original_size":{"identifier":"ER02DE16.023","content_type":"image/png","size":40683,"width":3609,"sha":"6d1f8e865855f7e7aa542556608489d2","url":"https://img.federalregister.gov/ER02DE16.023/ER02DE16.023_original_size.png","height":2617}}},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/2016-28644?publication_date=2016-12-02","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2016-12-02/2016-28644/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":40,"page_views":{"count":10552,"last_updated":"2026-04-04 18:15:03 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2016-12-02/pdf/2016-28644.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2016-28644.pdf?1480599926","publication_date":"2016-12-02","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2016/12/02/2016-28644.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{"1190-AA63":{"issue":"201610","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/1190-AA63/nondiscrimination-on-the-basis-of-disability-movie-captioning-and-audio-description","title":"Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability; Movie Captioning and Audio Description","xml_url":"http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=201610&RIN=1190-AA63&operation=OPERATION_EXPORT_XML","priority_category":"Other Significant"}},"regulation_id_numbers":["1190-AA63"],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{"supporting_documents":[],"comments_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/docketBrowser?rpp=50&so=DESC&sb=postedDate&po=0&dct=PS&D=DOJ_FRDOC_0001","supporting_documents_count":0,"docket_id":"DOJ_FRDOC_0001","regulation_id_number":null,"title":"Temporary Holding Docket","checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2016-12-22T06:00:20Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":true,"signing_date":null,"start_page":87348,"subtype":null,"title":"Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability by Public Accommodations-Movie Theaters; Movie Captioning and Audio Description","toc_doc":"Movie Theaters; Movie Captioning and Audio Description","toc_subject":"Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability by Public Accommodations:","topics":["Administrative practice and procedure","Buildings and facilities","Business and industry","Civil rights","Individuals with disabilities","Penalties","Reporting and recordkeeping requirements"],"type":"Rule","volume":81}