22 August 2011 Same ticket – second-class service? - Major cinemas failing disabled movie-lovers

Disabled movie-lovers are receiving a second-class service at major cinema venues across the country, according to the results of Trailblazers' new investigation, published today in our report The Big Picture. Trailblazer at a London cinema

Trailblazers from across the UK visited 125 independent and chain venues to report on issues faced by disabled customers. The campaign was sparked after young disabled people told of struggling to enjoy a trip to see a film with friends and family - even at cinemas just a few years old.

While many cinemas both chain-operated and independent, were praised by Trailblazers campaigners, the group says that the physical access issues, poor staff training and poorly thought out support found at some venues is unacceptable for paying customers and must be tackled.

The 100 Trailblazers who took part in the investigations reported:

  • Poor or very poor views of the screen from wheelchair-accessible seating at one in three major cinema venues.
  • Over half of major chain cinemas have uncomfortable accessible seating areas, causing discomfort or even pain while viewing.
  • Staff with poor or very poor disability awareness at a third of major chain cinemas, often leading to rude or embarrassing treatment of disabled customers.
  • Single accessible screens at multi-screen cinemas mean some films are never available to wheelchair-users locally.

Trailblazers campaigner Fiona Anderson from Bury said that the important social aspect of a visit to the cinema is compromised at many venues.

I went to test out my local cinemas with a group - a trip to see a film is a great, not too physically demanding activity for me to do with friends. Or, at least, it's supposed to be. I was very disappointed to find that at two of the cinemas I investigated, my friends and I were split up when seated, as there was only one other seat next to the wheelchair space. Separating us deprived me of that social aspect of a film that is so important. Elsewhere we had a fairly positive experience. At one cinema the staff were fantastic - very helpful and ready to quickly assist with buying tickets. This kind of attitude can make a big difference to disabled customers, and is an area that costs so little to improve.

Trailblazer Jagdeep Sehmbi said that cinema design is still failing to fully consider disabled customers:

What I think really needs to be addressed is the design of auditoriums and seating for disabled people. I even went to one well-known cinema where major recent refurbishments have actually made it less accessible to wheelchair-users. People are often being given a very uncomfortable view and are unable to sit with groups of friends and family.

The Trailblazers have now produced a charter laying out the standards of access and service that disabled cinema-goers should be able to expect of cinema operators and are calling for cinema operators to commit to working towards this benchmark. A petition has been launched for cinema-goers and members of the wider public to support the campaign, which will be presented at Westminster in October.

Trailblazers project officer Tanvi Vyas said:

When people go to buy a ticket to see a film they have simple expectations. To be able to book a seat in advance, to be able to sit with their companions, to have a reasonable view of the screen and to be able to buy refreshments. At many venues, disabled customers find that these very basic standards do not extend to them - despite paying exactly the same price for a ticket as everyone else.

We have seen that tight budgets, historic buildings and physical access issues needn't be an obstacle to making disabled customers feel valued. Yet at many major venues "disabled access" is still about putting in a ramp or two and putting a couple of wheelchair-accessible seats in the unpopular area in front of the screen. It really is time we left this kind of thinking behind.

We hope that this charter will help to raise the bar on accessibility standards at cinemas and encourage cinema operators to think more progressively about their disabled customers.

High profile figures within the British film industry, including Nick Frost, Simon Pegg and Miranda Richardson have already expressed their support for the campaign. Giving her signature to the petition, actress Miranda Richardson said:

It would be great to see the major cinemas really taking on board what they should be doing to bring cinema accessibility fully into the twenty-first century. Everybody should have the opportunity to enjoy a great film, and as this petition shows, it is often the small considerations that make a big difference to the whole cinema experience for disabled movie-lovers.

Support Trailblazers cinema campaign by signing our petition.

See what we found in your region.

Tags: East Midlands, East of England, London, North East, North West, Northern Ireland, Scotland, South East, South West, Wales, West Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber, access, campaigning, cinema, disability, disabled

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