IFI

#IrishCinemas: IFI announces new initiative accessible screenings for audiences with disabilites

The IFI will be providing accessible screenings for audiences with hearing and visual impairments, with the addition of audio description and open captioning for selected screenings, in a continued commitment to providing access to all audiences.

The first films to include Open Captions will be Ben Wheatley’s visually striking High-Rise on March 21st at 6.15pm and March 29th at 4pm, and John Carney’s hilarious, warm-hearted musical Sing Street which will also have two Open Caption screenings on March 23rd at 4.10pm and March 30th at 6.30pm. All screenings of the Coen brothers’ screwball comedy Hail, Caesar! will be fully available with Audio Description from its release on March 4th followed by Sing Street and High-Rise, both released on March 18th.

This commitment continues for all future IFI programmes and the  AD (Audio Described) and OC (Open Captioned) symbols on screenings on the IFI website and printed programme will denote what films will have this capability. The IFI endeavours to offer audio description on all screenings where it is possible and to offer a selected programme of open captioned screenings.

Open Captions will be provided for a selection of screenings and are like subtitles. Captions not only display dialogue, but also text describing sounds, sound effects, speaker identification, music, and other auditory information not conveyed in speech e.g. a door banging. Hearing loops are installed at the IFI and are available in all screens and headphones are also available for audiences who are hard of hearing.

The IFI will also offer audio description for a selection of screenings. Audio Description (AD) is designed to allow audiences who are visually impaired enjoy a film through the use of headphones. The headphones receive a narration of the film which describes the visual elements of the scenes on screen. Headphones are available at Box Office.

The IFI is already wheelchair accessible. If you are a wheelchair user, please let the IFI Box Office know at least 30 minutes in advance of the screening (01 679 5744/boxoffice@irishfilm.ie) to determine your requirements and assist you fully. At present wheelchair accessible spaces cannot be booked online.

This project is supported by the Arts Council, in partnership with Arts & Disability Ireland.