From:	Janene Sadhu 
Sent:	Wednesday, 25 November 2009 2:39 PM
To:	disabdis
Subject:	Objection to the recent application made by Village Roadshow, Greater 
Union, Hoyts and Reading Cinemas requesting exemption from the 
Disability Discrimination Act for a period of two and a half years

Please go to see a film at 		a Village Roadshow, Greater Union, Hoyts or 
Reading Cinema and close your eyes whilst watching the film! Can you follow what is 
happening easily? Most likely not.
You may be disappointed ...

Please go to see a film at a Village Roadshow, Greater Union, Hoyts or Reading 
Cinema and close your eyes whilst watching the film. Use the provided audio 
description  track to follow what is happening on the screen just as all the other cinema 
goers who are watching and enjoying the movie are doing.
Can you follow what is happening easily? Most likely yes.
You are not disappointed ...

If the proposed exemption goes through, Australians who are Deaf, hard of hearing, 
legally blind and vision impaired, including older Australians, lose their right to 
complain to the Human Rights Commission about the lack of provision of captioning 
and audio description services at ANY of the 125 cinemas (1182 screens) owned by 
these four exhibitors.

If this exemption is granted, cinemas will provide captioning and audio description for 
a minimum of three (3) screenings in 35 cinemas around Australia.

I have read that jointly these exhibitors have 1,182 screens across Australia. 
They show approximately 30 movies per screen every week. 
That's a total of 41,370 screenings per week (1182 screens x 5 sessions per day x 7 
days) 
Of these, only 105 will be captioned and audio described. This is equal to less than 
0.3% of all movies screened per week. 

A key element of the Rudd Government's National Arts and Disability Strategy is to:

Explore opportunities to enhance accessibility and inclusive practices in the film, 
television and broadcast industry. This may include programs in Auslan and efforts to 
increase captioning and audio-description services, particularly for government funded 
films, and promoting international best practice models which support casting artists 
with a disability. 
(Focus area 4. Strategic development, 9. Film, television and broadcast industry) 
www.cmc.gov.au/publications/nationalartsanddisabilitystrategy 
  
Is the cinema exhibitors' proposed exemption in the spirit of the goals of our National 
Strategy? 
I don't think so.

I urge that people who have hearing and/or vision loss are not disadvantaged by a 
decision to deny full access to films shown in Village Roadshow, Greater Union, Hoyts 
and Reading Cinemas resulting in a markedly reduced enjoyment of a movie going 
experience.


Janene Sadhu
Kew, Victoria 3101