Carers Week Resources
Putting on Carers Week events, finding out about being a Carer Friendly Community.
Putting on Carers Week events, finding out about being a Carer Friendly Community.
Involve Me was a 3 year project about how to creatively involve people with profound and multiple disabilities (PMLD) in decision making. The Involve Me summary booklet and practical guide below are a result of the 3 year project, supported by the Renton Foundation and run by Mencap in partnership with the British Institute of Learning … More
When websites and web tools are properly designed and coded, people with disabilities can use them. However, currently many sites and tools are developed with accessibility barriers that make them difficult or impossible for some people to use. Making the web accessible benefits individuals, businesses, and society. International web standards define what is needed for … More
We need Easy Read because sometimes people use words that are hard to understand. This guide contains tips about the law and ways to make things better: things you should do, good and bad ways of doing things, a word list and the Learning Disability Action Group.
The Family Carer Support Service is part of Hft, a national charity supporting adults with learning disabilities and autism. At FCSS, we support the carers of people with learning disabilities. This can include giving advice on how to navigate the benefits system, providing support when liaising with local authorities, supplying information about respite and holidays, or signposting to other useful … More
‘Neurodiversity’ is a term meaning people have different brain types. The term neurodivergent can be used by people who have neurological condition such as, but not limted to: autism, ADHD, dyspraxia, dyslexia and discalculia. It is also common for neurodivergent conditions to be co-occuring (a person can have two or more conditions).
Autism is a ‘spectrum’ condition, with a wide range of characteristics, but which nevertheless share some common features in terms of how people learn and process information.
[1] What is Autism, National Autistic Society
[2] School Report 2021, National Autistic Society
[3] World Autism Acceptance Week, 2023, National Autistic Society
[4] New Data on the Autism Employment Gap, National Autistic Society
[5] The Autism Act, 10 years on, National Autistic Society
[6] People with a Learning disability, autism or both, NHS England
[7] The Autism Employment Gap, National Autistic Society
Autism in Mind support individuals who are both newly diagnosed with autism or diagnosed during childhood but have been unable to access support or services during their adult lives.
Autism Independent UK helps to increase awareness of autism to the notice of all, together with well established and newly developed approaches in the diagnosis, assessment, education and treatment.
Dimensions supports people with learning disabilities, autism and complex needs out of institutions, helping them lead ordinary lives in their local communities.
National Autistic Society is the leading UK charity for autistic people (including those with Asperger syndrome) and their families.
Contact support families with the best possible guidance and information, bringing families together to support each other, and helping them to campaign, volunteer and fundraise to improve life for themselves and others.
[1] ONS Opinions Survey 2011
[2] Family Resources Survey 2016/17
[3] Households Below Average Income, 2015-16
[4] Scope: The disability price tag
[5] ONS Opinions Survey 2011
[6] ONS Opinions Survey 2010
[7] Department for Work and Pensions
[8] BFI Audiences Research and Statistics 2015
Scope exists to make this country a place where disabled people have the same opportunities as everyone else.
Disability Rights UK want a society where everyone can participate equally.
Centre for Accessible Environments (CAE) provides consultancy, training, research and publications on building design and management to meet all user needs, including disabled and older people.
Mind provides advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem.
Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is the UK’s leading charity supporting blind and partially sighted people.
Action on Hearing Loss supports and helps people experiencing hearing loss, so they can take back control and live the live they choose.
Contact supports families with the best possible guidance and information. They bring families together to support each other, and help families to campaign, volunteer and fundraise to improve life for themselves and others.
Disability Arts has an extensive database of cinema and arts organisations
Black Moon Film Club hosts screenings all over Northern Ireland, with a home in Belfast’s Black Box arts venue in the Cathedral Quarter area of the city. The film club has been supported by Film Hub NI who offer funding and audience development support to film exhibitors in Northern Ireland. Black Moon Film Club is an inclusive … More
*** COVID GUIDANCE UPDATE ***
Research by Dimensions found that 90% of guests to autism friendly cinema screenings would feel safe going back to the cinema, with safety measures in place. Previous research has found that the autism friendly screenings are sometimes the only [quoted] “normal” activity people and families with autism can do together without fear of judgement. Autism friendly screenings are a safe space for people and families with autism, there isn’t fear of judgment and it’s an experience they can share with and talk about with friends and loved ones.
Going to autism friendly screenings was a routine for some guests, and routine can be very important for people with autism. Lockdown changed day-to-day life significantly so being able to go back to the cinema will offer some normalcy and respite.
Independent cinemas that are able to provide screenings are encouraged to support these audiences.
Dimensions created guidance and key messages to help exhibitors to adjust screenings to keep providing autism-friendly cinema to customers throughout covid.
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Back in 2011, Dimensions and the UK Cinema Association joined forces to help introduce regular autism-friendly screenings to the UK, developing the work begun by Picturehouse in collaboration with National Autistic Society (NAS) in 2009.
ODEON was one of the first UK cinema companies to roll out the delivery of autism-friendly screenings, in 40 sites across the country. Over 3,000 guests attended those screenings, since which time they have grown tremendously in terms of availability and popularity.
2016 marked the fifth anniversary of national autism-friendly screenings in the UK. In those first five years, there were 280,000 visits to 200 screenings across 300 sites operated by ODEON, Cineworld, Vue and Showcase Cinemas, with many more independent cinemas picking up the mantle and running regular programmes of their own.
With five national cinema chains, and a number of independent exhibitors, now partnering with Dimensions and committed to high quality, regular screenings, cinema is becoming increasingly accessible for guests with sensory sensitivity. Through this training, we aim to support more cinemas in the delivery of autism- friendly screenings.
The UK Cinema Association, supported by Dimensions and the BFI Film Audience Network, have produced this guide on how best to deliver and promote autism- friendly screenings at your cinemas. We hope you find it useful and it inspires you to consider putting on your own autism-friendly screenings.
Whilst this guide predominantly focuses on autism – and screenings are therefore referred to as autism-friendly screenings (AFS) – we know many cinemas use the terms ‘relaxed’ or ‘sensory friendly’. Whatever the name used, such screenings can benefit anyone who finds standard screenings overwhelming.
People with a broad range of cognitive conditions can look at what these screenings do differently to see if they might be of benefit to them.
Access the guide, along with further resources in the downloads section.