Last week I received an email from Worcester Odeon Cinema excitedly telling me about their national support for Deaf Awareness Week. The email claimed that as a trial run they were prepared to show several more subtitled films than normal to "test the market" and would I forward this information on to other deaf young people, deaf organisations etc.
I clapped my hands in glee, forwarded it to all my contacts, shared it on facebook and then wrote to Worcester News asking them to advertise the fact that films suddenly became way more accessible.
It wasn't until my friend and I went to check the website yesterday - in preparation for a youth group visit to the cinema! - that we discovered this...
These are the ONLY subtitled films Worcester Odeon will be showing during Deaf Awareness week:
- American Pie Reunion - Thursday - 15.50
- Marvels Avengers Assemble - Monday - 14.00; Tuesday - 13.00
- Mirror Mirror - Wednesday - 14.10
Although I admit this is an increase in subtitled showings (we've gone from 2 per week to 4...) these aren't at accessible times and not one of them is at the weekend! Although Avenegers is being shown on the bank holiday. But on a normal school week I wouldn't be able to make a single one of these showings - and I don't know anyone under 60 who would!!
What's the point in emailing around several people in a good position to advertise your cinema's accessability if you're not going to IMPROVE your accessability! All Odeon have done is make a lot of deaf people laugh at them...It makes me so angry!
I recently wrote to Worcester Odeon and gave them a copy of our YAB petition and they wrote back to me assuring me that they had considered my points and would act on them - silly me to think that Deaf Awareness Week was their action.
So I'm writing another letter and enclosing another copy of all the petitions we have... If you want to sign the petition please click here: YAB Campaign to increase frequency (and accessability) of subtitled film showings...
If your local cinema is being accessible - or if you don't have a job! then enjoy your subtitled showings!!
I'm sorry but I find your comment, "Funny thing is, I was under the impression that deaf people generally still go to school, have jobs and aren't particularly available until after 17.00 most days of the week" quite absurd. That's a huge generalisation that most deaf people go to school...I'm pretty sure there is a large majority of deaf people that either don't attend school, because either it's not suitable for them or they are above school age. I praise Odeon cinema's action in making these films more accessible for deaf people and I think this article is pretty low. Surely this step is better than nothing?
ReplyDeletemaybe it is a generalisation... but all deaf young people up to age 16 go to school by law. And the majority over that will be in some form of education. Those who are not may have a job etc. The point is that alot of people arent free during the day to go to the cinema - they have other commitments, just like the majority of hearing people.
Deletemaybe it is a good stop for odeon - but is it enough? as a cinema theyre still dicriminating against deaf people as films are so infrequently subtitled and are at inconvenient times!!
I think alot of deaf people will also share their experiences of having gone to the cinema to find that films advertised as being shown with subtitles actually arent shown with subtitles. this has happened to me personally twice now! take a look at www.limpingchicken.com for another example just this week!