Using a range of communication channels to reach disabled people

This guidance was written for government communicators but may also be useful to other communication professionals. We absorb a wide range of information every day through different communication channels, for example, radio, television, newspapers, advertising, internet and word of mouth. Some of these methods may be out of reach or inaccessible to some disabled people. … More

Bring Us Our Rights: Disabled People’s Manifesto

After months of work and collaboration with over 200 disabled people and activists from across Wales, Disability Wales are delighted to launch Bring Us Our Rights: Disabled People’s Manifesto this International Day of Disabled People! The manifesto highlights many key areas for advancing equality for disabled people as well as offering policy solutions. The manifesto … More

International Day of People with Disabilities is the annual celebration of people with disabilities. In 2021 the theme was “Fighting for rights in the post-COVID era.”

Since March 2020, every person has been impacted by drastic political, social and economic change as a result of domestic and international responses to COVID-19.

It was intended that International Day of People with Disabilities should be used to recognise that people who live with disabilities are among the most affected populations amid the COVID pandemic. Where marginalisation, discrimination, vulnerability and exploitation are every day factors for many people, the increased risk of poor outcomes were magnified with the reduced access to routine health care and rehabilitation services, more pronounced social isolation, poorly tailored public health messaging, inadequately constructed mental health services, and a lack of emergency preparedness for people with access needs.

We call on domestic and international public health officials, political representatives, advocates, supporters, and every citizen in every community, to learn from the experiences of people living with disabilities during the pandemic, and push for more meaningful investments into the socioeconomic building blocks which will reduce the barriers faced by people with disabilities in every community.

Disabled representation in cinema continues to be a struggle, as we see very few authentic depictions that don’t play to the hero or tragedy tropes so often associated with disability on screen. Our ask of the film sector is to see more varied characters and stories about disability, to hire more disabled talent into production, distribution and exhibition roles in film, and to support any workers with access needs with compassion and care, so they can progress and have jobs for life in the industry.

As regards exhibition, at Inclusive Cinema, we seek to see as many subtitled, audio-described and relaxed screenings made available across the UK for those with access requirements as there are for those without access requirements.

Useful sources for accessible screenings

Your Local Cinema lists many subtitled and audio-described screenings

Accessible Screenings UK also list autism-friendly, dementia-friendly, subtitled and audio-described screenings

“South Asian Heritage Month runs from 18th July to 17th August every year. It seeks to raise the profile of British South Asian heritage and history in the UK through education, arts, culture and commemoration, with the goal of helping people to better understand the diversity of present-day Britain and improve social cohesion across the country. It had its inaugural year in 2020.  The Month is a grassroots movement that has been driven by the lived experiences of the founders and others in being British South Asian.

South Asian Heritage Month is about reclaiming the history and identity of British South Asians. People need to be able to tell their own stories, and this is an opportunity to show what it means to be South Asian in the 21st century, as well as look to the past to see how Britain became the diverse country it is today. “

More information about the month, its founders and activities can be found here. 

Read below for ideas on screenings and films.

South Asian Heritage Month LGBTQIA Special

Document

Founded in 2003 by Mona Rai and Paula Larkin, Document is one of Glasgow’s longest running homegrown film festivals, occupying a unique space in the Scottish festival landscape through its historical links with grassroots art and activist organisations, and through its commitment to stimulating programming that bridges cinema, visual cultures, politics and human rights.  The … More