----- Original Message -----
From: "Christian" <christian...@gmail.com>
To: "SHHH Support Group (Self Help for Hard of Hearing People)"
<shhhgroups@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Monday, November 09, 2009 9:53 AM
Subject: {SHHH Support Group} Temporary exemption application - cinema
captioning

From Nicole Lawder of Deafness Forum

The Australian Human Rights Commission has received an application for
a Temporary Exemption on behalf of Hoyts Corporation, Greater Union
Organisation, Village Cinemas and Reading Cinemas. The application and
a notice inviting submissions on the application has been placed on
AHRC website at
http://www.humanrights.gov.au/disability_rights/exemptions/cinema/not...

The application for exemption offers (in summary)

Increase the number of screens in cinemas operated by the applicants
capable of delivering captions to 35 over the next 2½ years
Provide audio description capability in all those 35 screens,
including a retro-fit of the current 12 cinemas offering captioning
Commit to a review of the current program in consultation with
representatives from key stakeholders starting 9 months before the end
of the Temporary Exemption period
Ensure accessible information on captioned and audio described film
schedules.

Comments on the application are due by Monday 7 December.

Note that in addition to the current 12 cinemas (which has been in
place for many years now), and the proposed additional 23 cinemas,
there are also now 12 independent cinemas offering captioned movies,
and we will continue to work with independent cinemas to increase the
number of captioned screens.

This has been a long and involved period of negotiation to get them to
agree to this increase and I do not believe we will get much more out
of them. Without knowing what is in the not-yet released government
inquiry into media access, we cannot determine if there will be
recommendations relating to cinema in that report, and I am not at all
confident that it will have recommendations about cinema captioning.
Therefore, I recommend that we agree to the exemption application from
the large cinema companies. Comments from members will inform Deafness
Forum’s response to this application so please let me know your
views.

Members are welcome to provide their views to me on the application
for exemption, or alternatively you can write to direct to the
Australian Human Rights Commission with your views on
disab...@humanrights.gov.au by 7 December 2009.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----

No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 8.5.425 / Virus Database: 270.14.55/2490 - Release Date: 11/08/09
19:39:00