Subtitling revolution arrives at your local cinema

A further seventy-eight cinemas in England will now be able to show subtitled screenings of the latest blockbuster and specialist films - marking a revolution for thousands of would-be cinema goers across the country.

RNID, the largest charity representing the nine million deaf and hard of hearing people in the UK, welcomes today’s announcement by the UK Film Council, via its Cinema Access Programme, that seventy-eight cinemas have been successful in their application for funding towards the installation of captioning and audio description equipment.

The equipment will be available in one in seven of the country’s cinemas, and will enable people with sensory impairments to enjoy the latest mainstream and specialised films. Prior to this announcement, there were only twenty-two cinemas out of almost 700 cinemas in the UK that had subtitling equipment.

Dr John Low, Chief Executive of RNID, said “Deaf and hard of hearing people have been excluded from the enjoyment of cinema since the advent of the talkies back in the 1920’s. At a time when service providers are preparing for part III of the Disability Discrimination Act which comes into affect in October 2004, the installation of this equipment greatly expands access and choice for large numbers of deaf and visually impaired people.”

Peter Buckingham, Head of the UK Film Council's Distribution and Exhibition Fund said: "We want to help all sectors of the community to enjoy film which is such an important part of our culture. In the past, too many people with impaired sight and hearing have been cut off from the world of cinema. This pioneering new scheme will mean that they will able to enjoy films at the cinema, as well as the discussions afterwards, along with their friends and family."