Cinema disabled access
7 October 2011
Cinema disabled access is expanding nationally. Under the Federal Government’s Cinema Access Implementation Plan the major cinema chains of Hoyts, Village, Event/Greater Union/Birch Carroll & Coyle and Reading will commence accessible screenings at an extra seven locations by the end of the year.
The seven new locations below will have both closed captions (CC) and audio description (AD) on the given number of screens. Dates given are indicative only and will be confirmed in the future.
- Village Crown Casino in Melbourne – 2 screens by 31 October
- Hoyts Garden City in Perth – 2 screens by 30 November
- Hoyts Eastgardens in Sydney – 2 screens by 30 November
- Hoyts Norwood in Adelaide – 2 screens by 30 November
- Village Knox in Melbourne – 3 screens by 31 December
- Hoyts Chadstone in Melbourne – 3 screens by 31 December
- Hoyts Melbourne Central – 2 screens by 31 December
The ten existing locations that will have their access increased are:
- Reading Charlestown, NSW – addition of AD to its 1 screen by 31 December
- Village Jam Factory in Melbourne – move from open captions to CC and AD on 3 screens by 30 November
- Event Cinemas Robina, Qld – addition of AD to its 1 screen by 31 December
- Event Cinemas Parramatta, NSW – increase to 2 screens with CC and AD by 31 December
- Event Cinemas George St, Sydney – increase to 3 screens with CC and AD by 31 December
- BCC Maroochydore, Qld – increase to 2 screens with CC and AD by 31 December
- Event Cinemas Marion, SA – move from open caption to CC and AD on 3 screens by 31 December
- BCC Casuarina, NT – move from open captions to CC and AD on 2 screens by 31 December
- Greater Union Glendale, NSW – move from open captions to CC and AD on 2 screens by 31 December
- BCC Brisbane Myer Centre – move from open captions to CC and AD on 2 screens by 31 December.
These locations will join the recently added Capitol Cinema Centre in Warrnambool Victoria (one screen with captions and audio description), the change at Hoyts Erina from open to captions and the addition of closed captions to Hoyts Penrith (each with two screens). These two Hoyts locations will have audio description added sometime in the future.
Accessible sessions are advertised on Hoyts, Village, Events/Greater Union/Birch Carroll & Coyle and Reading websites and also in local newspapers. Look for sessions advertised with CC and AD.
Further information on the Cinema Disabled Access Implementation Plan can be found on the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs website.