New captioning and audio-description equipment will be installed in 78 cinemas across England over the coming months, and the UK Film Council is working with the Northern Ireland Film and Television Commission, Scottish Screen and Sgrîn Cymru with a view to providing similar services across the UK.
Funding for the new facilities, which will improve access to film for audiences with sensory impairments, has been provided through the Film Council’s Cinema Access Programme. £350,000 of National Lottery money will contribute to the costs of installing new equipment at the selected venues, but the cinemas themselves must provide at least 50% of the required funding. A website giving information on the availability and timing of films screening in subtitled or audio-described formats has been established to support the initiative. The news of the development was well received by charities representing visually and hearing impaired people. Dr John Low, Chief Executive of The Royal National Institute for the Deaf said “The installation of this equipment greatly expands access and choice for large numbers of deaf and blind and partially sighted people.”
w: http://www.yourlocalcinema.com
Published: 23-02-2004