Families of children with sensory sensitivities in the Permian Basin will be able to watch new movies in an environment that caters to their needs, including reduced sound, brighter lights, and the ability to walk around during the feature film.
It's all thanks to a partnership Superior Healthplan formed with Cinergy with a goal to bring a sensory-friendly cinema experience one Saturday a month to families of children with special needs, NewsWest9 reported.
"In our movies, the sound is gonna be a little bit lower, the lights may be a little bit brighter. Children maybe can't sit for the entire movie so if they need to walk around or go up and down the aisles during the length of the movie then they're more than welcome to do that," Andrea Cruce, Community Relations Manager for Superior Healthplan, told the station. "Because that's the goal of a sensory friendly movie is to make sure the children are comfortable and the family can experience the movie together."
Admission to the movies is free, and the showings are open to everyone at Cinergy theater locations in Odessa, Midland and Amarillo, NewsWest9 reported.
"The whole family gets to come," Cruce said. "Mom and dad and they bring everyone, so it's definitely not just for younger kids. The movies we do show are for children."
According to Cruce, the companies want families to be able to look forward to going to the movie theater.
"That was our goal there is just making sure the family could come out and enjoy a movie together and to be able to get those additional resources and the support that they need," Cruce said.
There isn't an age limit to attend the movie, according to NewsWest9. The most recent showing was The Addams Family 2 on Oct. 23.