Julie Raney is a certified and licensed audiologist. She has a B.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders and a Master’s Degree in Audiology from Idaho State University. She has worked as a clinical audiologist in Colorado since 2005. She specializes in hearing amplification for adults and delivers her services in both English and Sign Language.

Arvada Center

6901 Wadsworth Blvd

Arvada, CO 80003

The Arvada Center is located just off of Wadsworth and Fire Lane in Arvada, CO. It is one of the nation’s largest multidisciplinary arts centers and is supported by the City of Arvada and the Scientific & Cultural Facilities District (SCFD). They offer theatrical performances, art galleries, and educational opportunities for the community. It features two performance theatres, the Main Stage and the Black Box, where they perform seven theatrical productions a year. The Arvada Center also has three gallery exhibit areas which feature touring exhibits, local artists, and partnership exhibits. Classes and workshops are also available, ranging from performance art, dance, movement/yoga, ceramics, photography, and visual arts.

In order to accommodate their hard of hearing patrons, The Arvada Center provides several options which are available upon request. For all performances, exhibits, and classes, Assistive Listening Devices are available for patrons by request.

Assistive Listening Devices are amplifiers that are used to bring the sound directly to the user’s ear and help to separate speech from background noise. They typically look something like this:

The receiver is clipped to the user’s belt and the headphones, earbuds, or neckloop is plugged into the headset jack on top of the receiver. Once the performance or class begins, the user can adjust the volume on the receiver until the sound can be comfortably heard.

If you are interested in taking a class or workshop and have profound hearing loss or are deaf, they can also provide an American Sign Language interpreter if they are notified in advance.

Apex Center

13150 W 72^nd Ave

Arvada, CO 80005

The Apex Center is located right off of 72^nd Ave and Zinnia St in Arvada, CO. It is a large recreational facility with several amenities including an indoor water park (complete with body and tube slide rides, zero-depth water playground, vortex pool, activity pool, lap pool, adult and family hot tubs), two NHL ice rinks, a natural rock climbing wall, three full sized gymnasiums, an elevated indoor walking/running track, a cardiovascular/weight/conditioning area, an indoor cycling studio, a Pilates and massage studio, and a private Pilates studio. They offer numerous classes and activities for the residents of Arvada ranging from adult sports leagues, aquatics, art and music, clubs/cards/games, dance, adult education, fitness and wellness, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey and skating, outdoor recreation, pickleball, racquetball, tennis, therapeutic recreation, and several youth sports, activities and leagues.

While their accommodations are slightly limited, they do provide sign language interpreters in programs or classes upon request. All they ask is that they are notified 2-3 weeks prior to the class or program so they can secure an interpreter.

AMC Westminster Promenade 24

10655 Westminster Blvd

Westminster, CO 80020

The AMC Westminster Promenade 24 movie theater is located off of Church Ranch Blvd and the Boulder Turnpike (US 36) in Westminster, CO. This theater has 24 screens and features Dolby Cinema, IMAX, ReadD 3D, and AMC Independent showings. It also has a large concession area which serves a variety of food and beverage options including 100 drink choices, specialty smoothies and coffee drinks, hot food items like loaded hot dogs and chicken tender bites, and the traditional gourmet popcorn and candy selections. There is also a bar which serves beer on tap, a selection of wines, spirits, and AMC crafted cocktails.

At AMC, many of their showings are designated to assist moviegoers with hearing impairments. They offer devices to enhance and amplify audio and provide closed captioning. Assistive Listening Devices are available for all movies at this theater upon request.

While closed captioning—or written text—is an option, not all titles are compliant with them so it is important to look for showtimes with closed captioning labels or ask an AMC crewmember for assistance. Such labels look like this:

AMC uses a personal in-theatre system known as Dolby CaptiView to provide patrons who are hard of hearing with closed captioning text. Closed Captions are transmitted to a Captiview receiver over wireless frequencies. The receiver is secured into the cupholder at your seat and you can adjust the flexible arm holding the small OLED display to suit your desired viewing angle. The CaptiView system is equipped with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that can hold a 16 hour charge. The high contrast display includes a privacy visor so it can be positioned directly in front of the user with minimal distraction to neighboring patrons. CaptiViews are available upon request and look like this:

Elvis Cinemas

5157 W 64^th Ave

Arvada, CO 80003

The Arvada Elvis Cinemas is located off of Sheridan and W 64^th Ave in Arvada, CO. It is a discount movie house which shows new movies that have gone off the big screen in other theaters but are not yet available for personal purchase (or have just come out on Blu-ray or DVD).

Like the AMC, the Arvada Elvis Cinemas offers CaptiView technology to hearing impaired patrons upon request.

Denver Museum of Nature & Science

2001 Colorado Blvd

Denver, CO 80205

The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is located off of Colorado Blvd and E 22^nd Ave in Denver, CO. It is a tri-level building and is home to several exhibits including Expedition Health, Gems and Minerals, North American Indian Cultures, Insects, Prehistoric Journey, Space Odyssey, Wildlife Exhibitions, Explore Colorado, and Egyptian Mummies. The museum also features special traveling exhibits, which are changed periodically. Other attractions include the Phipps IMAX 3D theatre as well as the Gates Planetarium, both of which show a variety of films that rotate periodically.

Like many of the other venues, The Denver Museum of Nature & Science accommodates hard of hearing patrons using several methods.

Assistive Listening Devices are available at no charge on a first come, first serve basis for most shows in Phipps IMAX Theatre and Gates Planetarium. They can be requested from an usher or at the box office at least 20 minutes before the show begins and requires an ID as a deposit.

Closed captioning is also available in the Phipps IMAX Theatre using Rear Window. Like CaptiView, Rear Window is a method for presenting a transcript of the audio portion of a film in theatres for deaf and hard of hearing people. The Rear Window Captioning System displays reversed captions on a LED text display which is mounted in the rear of a theater. Patrons use transparent acrylic panels attached to their seats to reflect the captions so that they appear superimposed on or beneath the movie screen. The reflective panels are portable and adjustable, often mounting in the cupholder of the seat, enabling the caption user to sit anywhere in the theater.

American Sign Language interpreters are also available at no charge for museum programs and exhibits as long as 5 days’ notice is given.

Denver Performing Arts Center

1400 Curtis Street

Denver, CO 80204

The Denver Performing Arts Center (DCPA) is located off of Arapahoe St and 13^th St in Denver, CO. DCPA is the nation’s largest non-profit theatre organization dedicated to creating unforgettable shared experiences through beloved Broadway musicals, world-class plays, and educational programs. It features eight theatres (The Buell, The Ellie, The Stage, The Space, Garner Galleria, The Conservatory, The Ricketson, and The Jones). Each theatre has a unique personality to match the diverse plays, musicals, and shows that happen inside.

The complex offers audio accommodations upon request to patrons who need them. Enhanced Assistive Listening Devices are always available for all shows and can be requested from an usher at any of the theatres. They are free of charge and only require a photo ID as a security deposit.

Another accommodation is American Sign Language interpretation, which can be purchased during the time of ticket sales. The service is free with the price of your ticket. Simply use the code ASL at check out. It should be noted that only specific dates and showings offer this service but they are clearly indicated on the DCPA website.

The final accommodation option for the hard of hearing is open captioning. Opening captioning is a text display of all of the words and sounds heard during a production—very similar to closed captioning on your TV.

Open captioning performances, like the ASL interpreted performances, are only on specific dates and times and can be purchased at the time of ticket sales. This service is also free with the price of the tickets. Simply use the code OCAP at check out.

Often, open captioning and ASL interpreted performances occur during the same showtime. Check the DCPA website for details.

Denver Art Museum

100 W 14^th Ave Pkwy

Denver, CO 80204

The Denver Art Museum is located off of 13^th St and Bannock St in Denver, CO. The museum is one of the largest art museums between the west coast and Chicago, standing at seven stories with over nine curatorial departments and more than 70,000 diverse works from across the centuries and world. It features collections ranging from Architecture, Design and Graphics, Asian Art, Modern and Contemporary, Native Arts (African, American Indian and Oceanic), New World (pre-Columbian and Spanish Colonial), Painting and Sculpture (European and American), Photography, Western Art, and Textile Art and Fashion. It also has a variety of traveling exhibits which rotate throughout the year.

The Denver Art Museum offers a selection of accommodations for their patrons who have hearing loss. First, American Sign Language interpreters can be scheduled for any museum tour, program, or event with two weeks’ notice and can be arranged on their website. If shorter notice is given, the museum will make every effort to accommodate the request.

Transcripts are also available for exhibition audio tours and are available at the welcome desk. Printed transcripts for selected educational videos and audio components are also available in the galleries.

The museum also offers custom access tours for visitors whose needs are not met by other access offerings. American Sign Language interpreted private tours of the museum and exhibits can be arranged on their website as long as the requests are made at least two weeks in advance.

Red Rocks Amphitheatre

18300 W Alameda Pkwy

Morrison, CO 80465

The Red Rocks Amphitheatre is located off Trading Post Rd and Ship Rock Rd in Morrison, CO. Red Rocks is a geologically formed, open-air amphitheater that is not duplicated anywhere in the world. With Mother Nature as the architect, the design of the Amphitheatre consists of two, three hundred-foot monoliths (Ship Rock and Creation Rock) that provide acoustic perfection for any performance. The dramatic sandstone monoliths serve as a history book of animal and plant life in the area for the past 250 million years. The majestic setting of the amphitheater, along with the panoramic view of Denver, makes for a breathtaking scene. It features a variety of concerts (of various genres) and special events including movies and fitness.

Like the other venues, Red Rocks does its best to accommodate their deaf and hard of hearing patrons.

Assistive Listening Devices and ASL interpreters are available for any concert or event upon request. These requests must be made seven days prior to the ticketed event and can be made online.

For events with assigned seating, special seating is designated for those who have hearing loss as well as other impairments. Row 2, seats 6-21 are reserved for such patrons. Concertgoers who require the use of this location must purchase accessible tickets prior to the event to sit in these seats. If an event requires reserved seating and tickets for accessible seating have sold out, visitors can call AXS to determine if other seats are available near the front.

For events with General Admission, concertgoers have the option to arrive early and sit near the front to accommodate their hearing needs.

While these are just a few of the accessible venues the Denver Metro area has to offer, it goes to show that no matter the level or severity of your hearing loss, you can still go out and enjoy a concert or a movie or even a museum without the worry that your hearing loss will hinder your experience.

Local Venues with Accommodations for Hearing Loss