Government Launches Guidelines to Ensure Cinema Accessibility for Disabled

The Central government has issued guidelines to make films accessible for those with hearing and visual impairments. At a workshop in Guwahati, officials urged the film industry to comply. Accessibility standards must be incorporated in multi-language films by September 15, 2024, with full compliance by September 15, 2026.

In a significant move, the Central government, following Supreme Court directives, has introduced new guidelines aimed at achieving universal cinema access for individuals with hearing and visual impairments. The announcement was detailed by Rajib Lochan Borthakur, Regional Officer, Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), Guwahati, during a workshop held at the PWD Convention Hall in Guwahati on Friday.

Borthakur urged the film industry to collaborate in realizing this goal. Sailendra Pandey, a member of the Advisory Panel, CBFC, North East India Region, emphasized that multi-language films must adopt accessibility features by September 15, 2024. He added that festival films need to include these standards by January 1, 2025, with all theatrical feature films complying by September 15, 2026.

During the Guwahati workshop, which saw participation from notable Assamese filmmakers, editors, and sound engineers, several pertinent questions regarding the implementation of these guidelines were raised. XL Cinema's CEO, Ms. Dipti Prasad, joined the discussion virtually from Mumbai. This workshop, the first of its kind in the Northeast, highlighted the critical need for accessible cinema. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)