Transcript: Accessible cinema schedule releasedRoberta: Under the Federal Government Cinema Access Implementation Plan, the major cinema chains of Hoyts, Village, Event and reading have guaranteed to install accessible screens at all of its locations by the end of 2014. The last few weeks have some announcements in the program and Ally Woodford from Media Access Australia joins us today to give us an update. Hello Ally.
Ally: Hi Roberta.
Roberta: Last time we spoke, if I remember correctly we were waiting on a schedule from the cinemas of new locations that would be rolled out. Has that been released?
Ally: It has now finally. We have been provided with a schedule that rolls until the end of the year and people will be pleased that there are seven new locations and 10 locations that will its current program access updated.
Roberta: So we have 17 locations to be updated on which is great to hear, but can you start off by telling us where these are, where the seven new ones are?
Ally: Sure, well Accessible Cinema fans, they will be very pleased to hear that four of the locations are in their city; I know that they have been waiting quite a while. We have got Village Cinemas at Crown Casino and Hoyts Melbourne Central and these will both have two screens with captions and audio description. We have also got Village Knox and Hoyts Chadstone, each with three screens, so that’s four locations in location. And rounding out the seven we have got Hoyts Garden City in Perth, Hoyts East Gardens in Sydney and also Hoyts Norwood in Adelaide, each with two accessible screens.
Roberta: That’s fantastic and those four in Melbourne Ally, that covers just about all points, doesn’t it?
Ally: I think so, yeah. And there will be more to come in the future as well.
Roberta: Oh that’s super. Now, and do we know exactly when the audio described sessions will start?
Ally: The date given, they are indicative only, but the cinemas hope to have Crown Casino up and running by the end of October. Garden City, East Garden and Norwood running by the 30th November and Chadstone, Knox and Melbourne Central by the 31st December.
Roberta: And how about the 10 locations that will have their accessible programs updated, where are these?
Ally: In Melbourne Jam Factory which is Village. It's moving from option captions to closed captions and audio description on three screens by the 30th November. The remaining nine are all due by the 31st December and they are Reading Cinemas in Charlestown, Events Cinemas Robina and they are both adding audio description to their single screens.
Event Cinemas Parramatta, BCC Maroochydore are increasing to two screens with captions and AD.
Event Cinemas George Street in Sydney, they are increasing to three screens with captions and AD. Event Cinemas in Marion South Australia, they are moving from the current open captions to closed captions and audio description on three screens. And lastly we have got BCC Casuarina, that’s up in the Northern Territory, Greater Union Glendale and BCC Myer Centre in Brisbane, they are all moving from open captions to closed captions and AD on two screens.
Roberta: Now for people, who might now have a cinema nearby them and is offering accessible sessions, what advice do you have for them in attending a movie and what could be their first time in a very long time?
Ally: Yeah. It might be difficult to do, but try not to be daunted by the idea. Just as long as you can get to the box office, they will take care of things for you there, so just get to the box office, purchase your ticket and when you are purchasing the ticket, ask for an audio description receiver. The staff they are there to assist you and they will I expect be quite glad that you are there to try their new program.
Roberta: Of course.
Ally: And what they will do is provide you with a small receiver, it's the size of around an iPhone, maybe a little bit thicker, but around the size of an iPhone and you take that into the cinema with you. If you have got your own ear buds that you listen to an MP3 player on, you can plug them into the receiver yourself, and otherwise the cinema will provide you with a pair.
I think the last thing to note an it's quite important, is that the cinemas will ask you for a form of ID to be shown and they will ensure that and that is to ensure the safe return of the equipment to the box office when the movie is over, it's quite standard.
Roberta: But that’s important, because if that doesn’t happen, it could impede future audio descriptions, couldn’t it?
Ally: Yeah and the thing is, these tiny little receivers, it's easy to kind of put it in your pocket and forget it's there.
Roberta: Exactly, yeah. Well to find out more on the role out and how accessible cinema works, visit mediaaccess.org.au or give Ally and her colleagues a call on 02 9212 6242 and you can also email info@mediaaccess.org.au with any questions that you might have. Thank you, Ally.
Ally: Thanks Roberta.
Roberta: I have been speaking with Ally Woodford from Media Access Australia and Media Access Australia are supporters of this program.
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