From:	Valerie Young 
Sent:	Thursday, 3 December 2009 10:41 PM
To:	disabdis
Subject:	URGENT: Cinema captioning and audio-description - please 
read

"To Whom It May Concern,
 
I am joining my voice in dissent against the cinemas' attempt to be exempt from Disability 
Discrimination Act for any length of time. This is a backward step and against the spirit 
of fairness and equal access to all members of the society."
 
 
 
 
 
AUSLAN VERSION: 
 
 
Please click on the blue link below for an Auslan version of the recent 
Media Release from Arts Access Victoria: 
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yGaQbqz3aQ 
 
 
Spread this email as widely as possible thanks.  
 
 
 
ENGLISH VERSION:
Full View 
Arts Access Victoria MEDIA RELEASE
...
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM VERONICA PARDO, 
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Arts Access Victoria and The Other Film Festival are calling upon individuals and 
organisations to voice their 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.
This means that Australians who are Deaf, hard of hearing, legally blind and vision 
impaired, including older Australians, stand to 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 the exemption is granted, cinemas will provide captioning and audio description for 
a minimum of three (3) screenings in 35 cinemas around Australia.
Let’s put that into perspective:
?                 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.
?                 At this pace, it will take 1000 years to achieve universal access, that is, 
access to all screenings in all cinemas.
Arts Access Victoria and The Other Film Festival ask - Is this fair?
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? 
We don’t think so.
If you don’t think this is right, you can voice your concern by sending an email or letter 
to disabdis@humanrights.gov.au by Monday 7 December 2009.
For further information, you can visit the Human Rights Commission website at:  
www.humanrights.gov.au/disability_rights/exemptions/cinema/notice
or you can contact ARTS ACCESS VICTORIA at:
Voice 03 9699 8299 
Fax 03 9699 8868 
TTY 03 9699 7636 
Email info@artsaccess.com.au 
 

 
 


 
©2009 Arts Access Victoria | 24 Eastern Rd South Melbourne VIC 3205

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