People affected by dementia often have to give up the things they love due to inaccessible and unsupportive environments. This includes visiting a cinema.

Cinemas have an important part to play in tackling the social and economic impact of dementia, by allowing people living with dementia to continue to participate in entertainment. Our new cinema guide, produced in collaboration with Alzheimer’s Society and UK Cinema Association, is designed to help cinemas improve their accessibility and become more dementia-friendly.

People living with dementia should be able to live the life they want to lead in their communities, irrespective of their condition. This will only be achieved with greater awareness, understanding, and support for those impacted by dementia. Becoming a dementia-friendly organisation means providing the opportunities to help every person with dementia continue to do the things they want to do and cinemas are central to this aim.

From your first family trip to the big screen to seeing the latest blockbusters with friends as a teenager, film is an immersive experience which can leave a profound and lasting impact on an individual. It can promote activity and stimulation of the mind; be an important tool for reminiscence, and is often associated with relaxation, engagement and, above all, enjoyment. By developing an understanding of dementia, cinemas can make a huge difference to people living with dementia.

This guide gives best practice advice on how to run dementia-friendly screenings and shares successful case studies from organisations already running. It aims to spread awareness of dementia-friendly screenings and encourages cinemas of all sizes to get involved.

We have also prepared a dementia friendly survey to assist with gathering data at your screenings.

Access the guide, along with further resources in the downloads section.

In 2015 Disabled Access Day, 16 March, began as a day to celebrate good access and to create opportunities for people to try something new. The day was very much about highlighting the fantastic access that already exists in places, experiences such as going on a touch tour, enjoying a relaxed performance, sensory experiences, signed events, level access and of course a warm welcome! Often these activities and experiences are hard to arrange or create a sense of anxiety and fear.

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.

UK events

Your Local Cinema lists many subtitled and audio-described screenings

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

April is Autism Acceptance Month. Many people have heard of autism, but fewer people understand the strengths and challenges that come with it, and the diversity of presentation in the autistic community.

Understanding autism is the responsibility of all of society, so that autistic children, adults, and their families can be understood, supported and accepted in their communities, schools and workplaces.

Many cinemas across the country offer relaxed environment or autism-friendly screenings, with adaptations to make the space more comfortable and accessible for autistic people to enjoy film as individuals or with their families.

Organisations such as the UK Cinema Association, Dimensions, National Autistic Society and BFI FAN have worked with cinemas to support them in welcoming autistic audiences.

We have provided some training resources and information on this page to help you host Relaxed Screenings in your venue.

Autism and cinema

Cinema and film can be an inspiring and powerful tool for representation and developing awareness projects. Find some inspiration on this page about previous and existing projects, films, or information for further research and planning ideas.