We have collated some guides to help you to increase and improve access for disabled, d/Deaf and neurodivergent people in your organisations, whether that be for audiences at the cinema or for employees.

Cinemas across the country currently offer 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

Resources

The BFI FAN: Access Directory
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BFI FAN: EDI in Focus - Advocacy Skills for Accessible Screenings
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Oska Bright: Welcoming Learning Disabled Audiences Back
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And What Next? Demanding Change | THE CINEMA OF IDEAS
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Using Film to Tell Disabled Stories | THE CINEMA OF IDEAS
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Unlimited: Accessible Recruitment and Employment
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Crip Club
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Crip Cinema Archive
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The Space: Digital Accessibility: Best Practice
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Unlimited: Accessible Marketing Guide
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Unlimited: Cards for Inclusion
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The Bigger Picture Case Study: Universal Accessibility for Schools Screenings
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ICO: Where to Begin with Relaxed Screenings
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The Hollywood Reporter: A Recent History of the Academy’s Accessibility and Disability Inclusion Efforts
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What might a more inclusive film programming world look like?
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Caption This: the subtitling champions working to make festivals, screenings and global cinema more accessible
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Being Disabled In Britain - A Journey Less Equal
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Centering Disabled Arts and Audiences
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Planning and Access for Disabled people: A Good Practice Guide
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The Fringe Guide to Adapting Events for Deaf and Disabled Audiences
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UKCA's CEA Card
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Using A Range Of Communication Channels To Reach Disabled People
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Accessibility in cinemas: Are cinemas playing fair?
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Access Guide - Ensuring your venues and events are open to all
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7 Documentaries to Watch After Crip Camp

If you recently watched Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution and want to learn more here are 7 documentaries by Deaf and disabled people for you to check out. These films are available for either rental, purchase, or by subscription on various platforms and websites. You can find information about captions or audio description by going … More

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

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

7 Principles to Ensure an Inclusive Recovery

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