Deafie Blogger: #SubtitledCinema Campaign aims for more subtitled screenings

I’m extremely passionate about campaigning for more open subtitled cinema showings as I’d like for myself and the D/deaf community to be able to go and watch films more often, like our hearing peers can.

I feel much more can be done to allow D/deaf people to feel fully inclusive in enjoying the cinema experience.

Following the incredible support from the D/deaf community to bring #SubtitledCinema campaigns back on the radar, Michelle Hedley, Deaf Girly and I have been working hard contacting various cinema organisations to see how we can work together.

People have shared their experiences on Twitter using the hashtag #SubtitledCinema, Deaf YouTuber Jessica Kellgren-Fozard made a video about her #SubtitledCinema experiences. We also wrote a blog for Action on Hearing Loss.

Meeting with the UK Cinema Association

Last week, Deaf Girly and I met with senior members of the UKCA, along with Johanna Taylor from Action on Hearing Loss to discuss the current subtitled cinema provision.

The meeting was attended by the UKCA’s CEO Phil Clapp and Policy Executive Gráinne Peat, along with Access Adviser Rick Freeney, from Freeney Williams.

We explained our experiences of not being able to go to the cinema due to a lack of open subtitled screenings and how we would love to be able to go more often.

It was a productive meeting with lots of points tabled, and we are now looking forward to a further meeting with representatives from the main cinema chains for the first time.

It will be a fantastic opportunity to see how we can work together to bring D/deaf people back to the cinema to enjoy more open subtitled films and make it a fun, enjoyable, accessible experience for them.

We will keep you posted on how we get on with this.

Discussions about the Technology Challenge Fund

The cinema industry is currently working towards a new solution to increase accessibility by looking for a technological closed captioned ‘solution’ to run alongside open captioned showings (subtitles on the screen).

The UKCA’s Technology Challenge Fund has been set up with a view to inviting entries from business and individuals who might be able to provide the answer.

The UKCA has reassured us that any new closed caption provision should work alongside open subtitled shows.

However, many people from the D/deaf community feel that technological solutions are usually worse than having subtitles appear on screen. They also feel that a closed captioned ‘solution’ is unneccessary when they have open subtitled films already in place; also, it is not fair that D/deaf people should be segregated from the rest of the audience because of these technologies.

The demand for open subtitled screenings is shown by the incredible 36,000+ signatures on both The Limping Chicken’s petition and my petition.

Current closed captioned technologies in the US have received widespread negative reviews from the D/deaf community, and they are campaigning for open captions to return. Our main concern is that an technological introduction into closed captioning might lead to less open captioned shows.

Although the panel members for the Challenge are predominately hearing, the UKCA and Action on Hearing Loss have reassured us that there will be a focus group of D/deaf people to discuss any closed captioned applications.

We’d love to hear your #SubtitledCinema experiences…

It’s not too late to share your experiences, good or bad about subtitled cinema. Part of the challenge for us all moving forward is to bring D/deaf and hard of hearing people back to the cinema by increasing awareness of and advertising subtitled shows. We need to convince cinemas of the known demand for subtitled screenings. You can help by…

• Tweeting your subtitled cinema experiences using #SubtitledCinema
• Contacting your local Cinema’s Manager and ask for an increase in subtitled showings
• Signing our petitions!

Deafie Blogger, aka Ellie, was born profoundly deaf, uses verbal communication, lipreads and wears Phonak hearing aids. She is currently learning British Sign Language. Ellie embraces every new challenge, such as excelling in her education, working as a Marketing Executive for a Spa & Health Club, Events and Promotions Staff for a local newspaper as well as blogging for Hearing Like Me. She is passionate about deaf awareness, campaigning for equality and helping others through her personal blog as Deafie Blogger.