Scoop Magazine article

Derek Brandon

Access means all - so please listen.

Ever tried to lip-read Spiderman, Darth Vader or, even worse, an animated car, cow, wolf, squirrel, rat, chicken, fish or penguin?

It’s impossible. The current proliferation of masked heroes & villains, and animated creatures whose lips don’t always move in a totally natural way is very bad news for the hundreds of thousands of film fans with considerable hearing loss, who rely on listening AND a bit of lip-reading to get by.

Fortunately, subtitled cinema makes it possible for them to enjoy the cinema experience. These days, most popular films are released with subtitle ‘files’ and over 220 UK cinemas have the vital DTS or Dolby ‘access' facilities to screen around a thousand subtitled shows every month. Almost a 40% increase on last year.

So why are many cinemagoers who need and use subtitles so miserable? Simple - they like what they see and want more. A lot more.

Despite the current ‘accessibility’, statistics clearly show that most of the cinemas that have subtitle facilities don’t utilise them very well. Only around 50% screen ‘accessible' subtitled shows weekly. Most of those show the same film only once or twice a week. A handful of cinemas are doing better - four or five shows a week, two or three different films. The rest could do a lot more.

Many smaller distributors don’t ensure their films are made accessible, even though UK Film Council grants are available to help with ‘access’ costs. Of the top 100 films of last year, less than 75% were accessible.

The industry must realise that, like disabled ramps, toilets, lifts, loop systems, wheelchair spaces etc, ‘access’ facilities are not there to make a profit. They are there to enable people in our communities who are less fortunate than ourselves, to enjoy the products and services provided - films, and cinemas to watch them in.

Cinemagoing should be suitable for everyone. As someone once said: “Disability only becomes a tragedy when society fails to provide the things one needs to lead one’s life”.

Derek Brandon is Editor of Your Local Cinema .com
www.yourlocalcinema.com