move feature item backpause feature itemmove feature item forward
A teenage boy and girl are smiling while watching a movie in a cinema.

Accessible cinema

More cinemas across Australia are using captions and audio description so that all their customers can get the most enjoyment out of going to the movies.

Find an accessible cinema near you.
A closeup image of a person typing a text message on an iPhone.

Digital technology

A guide to the mainstream technologies that are affordable and accessible, helping people with a disability access information when and where they choose. 

Visit this section to get the latest on the technologies making the most impact.
teacher and two students in accessible classroom

Accessible education

It is vital that teachers who have students who are deaf or hearing impaired in their classrooms create an equitable educational environment through the use of accessibility practices.

Visit our teacher section for information on maintaining an accessible classroom

Latest News

  • Saturday, 28 January 2012
     Phone support now offered for NVDA users

    NV Access, organisation behind the NVDA screen reader, has announced it will provide phone support for its services. The NVDA screen reader is free, open source screen reader software for Windows computers. The software can be downloaded to a USB and used on multiple computers.

  • Wednesday, 25 January 2012
     American cinema formalises commitment to accessible movies

    After an informal announcement in August, American Multi-Cinema Inc (AMC) has officially committed to captioning in its complexes across the USA. Although audio description has not been a part of the announcement, the rollout will also include this feature.

  • Wednesday, 25 January 2012
     Most accessible mainstream game of 2011 announced

    The AbleGamers Foundation has named Star Wars: The Old Republic the 2011 Accessible Mainstream Game of the Year, rewarding its publishers for considering the needs of players with disabilities in the game’s design. The AbleGamers Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that works to increase access to digital entertainment for people with a disability.

  • Monday, 23 January 2012
     World first: US legislates captioning online videos

    The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the USA has adopted a set of rules governing the closed captioning of TV programs that are distributed over the internet.

  • Thursday, 19 January 2012
     US independent cinema chain commits to closed captions

    The USA’s largest independent cinema chain, Landmark Cinemas, has agreed to implement closed captions in conjunction with its conversion to digital cinema. Plans for converting to digital will be finalised by mid-2012 and may not include all of Landmark’s locations but the chain will investigate alternative captioning possibilities for the remaining analogue sites.

  • Monday, 16 January 2012
     Melbournians invited to have their say on new captioning technology

    IMAX Melbourne is seeking feedback from Deaf and hearing impaired cinema goers on its trial of the new Rear Window Captioning system. The cinema is inviting people to test out the new technology and answer a short survey on their experience.

  • Monday, 16 January 2012
     Hunter cinema delivers the goods for blind movie-goers

    Going to the movies just got a whole lot more enjoyable for people who are blind or vision impaired in the Hunter region of NSW, with the introduction of audio description at Reading Cinemas, Charlestown.

View all news

Welcome to Media Access Australia

This website provides information on access to media using technology. It covers a wide range of practical information on access issues involving TV, DVDs, cinema-the-arts, the artsXXX, new media and education; and access technologies including captioning (primarily used by people who are Deaf and hearing impaired) and audio description (primarily used by people who are blind and vision impaired). You will also find information on rules and regulations affecting access, and levels of access on various types of media in Australia and the rest of the world. The key to our service is keeping people up-to-date with the world of accessible media.

Read more about us


Top of page
Tags: