International Day of People with Disabilities is the annual celebration of people with disabilities. This year On 3 December 2024, the theme is “Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future.”
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 disabled people, 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.
Your Local Cinema lists many subtitled and audio-described screenings
Accessible Screenings UK also list autism-friendly, dementia-friendly, subtitled and audio-described screenings
UK Disability History Month takes place from November until December.
The UK Disability Month website offers a wide range of resources to understand the importance of the struggles of Disabled People.
Cinemas and film exhibitors can use this time to promote stories which explore the history and struggles of disabled people.
It is important that accessibility is addressed in all its complexity, encompassing the physical environment, transportation, information and communication, and services.
Cinemas across the country offer access for people who may have visible or hidden disabilities, as well as offering specific accessible screenings, such as subtitled, audio described, BSL interpreted, relaxed environment, autism-friendly, and/or dementia-friendly screenings.
Find screenings…
Your Local Cinema lists many subtitled and audio-described screenings
Accessible Screenings UK also list autism-friendly, subtitled and audio-described screenings
We Shall Not Be Removed has worked in partnership with Ramps on the Moon, Attitude is Everything,Paraorchestra, and What Next? to create a new guide for the arts and entertainment sectors to support disability inclusion. Our Seven Inclusive Principles for Arts & Cultural Organisations working safely through COVID-19 is designed to complement the suite of … More
We Shall Not Be Removed worked in partnership with Ramps on the Moon, Attitude is Everything,Paraorchestra, and What Next? to create a new guide for the arts and entertainment sectors to support disability inclusion. Their Seven Inclusive Principles for Arts & Cultural Organisations working safely through COVID-19 was designed to complement the suite of guidance documents already issued by UK Governments and sector support organisations.
The focus of this unique initiative, which builds from the #InclusiveRecovery campaign, was to ensure D/deaf, neurodiverse and disabled people were not discriminated against as creative work begun again and as venues re-opened following closure during the Covid pandemic. The Seven Principles offer practical guidance to arts and cultural organisations to support disabled artists, audiences, visitors, participants and employees.
The Seven Principles are applicable across all art forms and across all 4 UK nations and come with endorsement from a wide range of leading sector bodies including: Arts Council England, Creative Scotland, The Arts Council of Wales, The Arts Council of Northern Ireland, British Film Institute, The Museum Association, Theatres Trust, Royal Philharmonic Society and the British Council.
Read the full document for details and examples here at WeShallNotBeRemoved.com
You can also find out more through this video.
Keeping active and purposeful when staying at home will help fight off boredom and frustration. Here are some activities you can try at home.
Carers Week takes place in June and aims to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges unpaid carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families, communities, workplaces and society throughout the UK. It also helps people who don’t think of themselves as having caring responsibilities to identify as carers and access much-needed support.
There are 6.5 million people in the UK who are carers. They are looking after a family member or friend who has a disability, mental or physical illness or who needs extra help as they grow older.
Caring can impact on all aspects of life from relationships and health to finances and this should not be underestimated.
There are many ways exhibitors and venues can support carers, from considering accessibility for the people they care for to offering cinema escapism through film, social networks through film groups and screenings, and supporting carers in the workplace.
It’s vitally important that we recognise carers, either as customers, audiences or employees, for the difficulties they may be experiencing, respect them for all they are doing, and provide them with information, support and understanding.
Battersea Arts Centre is relaunching itself as what it claims is the world’s first relaxed venue, in a move it said will help make it more accessible to disabled and neurodivergent audiences, artists and staff. As a fully relaxed venue, BAC said it will embed access and inclusivity across all its activities, applying the principles … More
Bring older and younger generations together in your community. Our free guide to intergenerational activity is packed full of key information, inspiring success stories and top tips for your own projects.
Testing Situations was awarded a Wellcome Public Engagement Grant to tour around the UK throughout 2019. Through a range of events – from exhibitions and one off screenings to interactive workshops, live experiments and public discussions – the tour has been drawing on the knowledge of experts and communities and learning how testing can affect people’s lives and society at … More
National Intergenerational Week is all about celebrating those moments and places where different age groups come together for shared benefit.
In changing times, parents are having children later in life, and living greater distances from their own parents. Given current impacts from Covid-19, we are having to segregate and isolate, with a particular focus on 70+ year olds being forced into self-isolation, there is a need now, more than ever, to focus on positive communities. How can we bring together older and younger generations safely in a way that supports friendship?
St. Monica Trust think it’s about time we change the way we do things. They aim is to get as many people talking about existing intergenerational projects in their local area as possible. Find out how to get involved in National Intergenerational Week.
Let’s pool our collective experience into sharing ideas for tackling social isolation – whether through in-person events or via online sessions and emails, phone calls and social media. Share your ideas for supporting intergenerational connections on the hashtag #IntergenerationalWeek
Cinema can be an inspiring and powerful tool for developing intergenerational projects. Find some inspiration on this page about previous and existing projects, or information for further research and planning ideas. Share your organisation’s projects or those local to you with the online world during #IntergenerationalWeek
Could you:
We would love to know about your Intergenerational film or cinema project at Inclusive Cinema. If you’d like to submit your own case study, please download this Inclusive screening case study template and submit it to toki[at]filmhubwales.org, so we can share your experiences, too.
