‘Accessibility Standards’; New guidelines for public exhibition of feature films in cinema theatres come into effect

In a bid to make cinemas more inclusive, “Accessibility Standards” module in E-Cinepramaan has finally come into effect. This has been done to enhance accessibility standards for the public exhibition of feature films in cinema theatres for persons with hearing and visual impairment.

The guidelines apply to those feature films certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for public exhibition in cinema halls/movie theatres for commercial purposes.

All feature films that are to be certified in more than one language would be required to provide at least one accessibility feature each for the hearing impaired and visually impaired, i.e. Closed Captioning/Open Captioning and Audio Description, reported PIB.

Through an Office Memorandum dated March 15, 2024, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has taken a significant step towards making cinema viewing more inclusive and accessible for persons with disabilities.

The Ministry had issued new guidelines aimed at enhancing accessibility standards for the public exhibition of feature films in cinema theatres for persons with hearing and visual impairment. The Ministry had set September 15, 2024, as the effective date for implementation of these guidelines.