Accessible Arts / arts + disability NSW

Disability Awareness Training on the increase

Accessible Arts, the peak arts and disability organization across NSW, welcomes the recent decision of the Australian Human Rights Commission to refuse a temporary exemption from captioning of pay TV programs.

ASTRA, the peak body for pay TV representing 34 broadcasters who operate 91 subscription TV channels, requested a five year exemption from the requirement of the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Section 55) to provide captioning.

In its ruling against the exemption the Australian Human Rights Commission considered that ASTRA had provided insufficient reasons to justify an exemption.  The Commission was also of the view that such an exemption may have a detrimental impact on the ability of people who are Deaf or have hearing impairment to lodge complaints regarding failure to provide captioning.

Sancha Donald, CEO of Accessible Arts, sees the ruling as building on the momentum of the Commission’s May 2010 decision that cinemas must meet their legislative requirements to provide access for Australians who are Deaf or have hearing and vision impairment.

‘Viewing these decisions together I think we can gauge a shift in the way access to entertainment is being thought about,' said Ms Donald. ‘Being able to choose a program on the tele, or catch up with what’s happening at the movies, shouldn’t be a privilege available only to some of the community.’
Following the Commission’s decision on captioning and audio description in cinemas, Hoyts, Village, Greater Union and Reading formed the Accessible Cinema Advisory Group (ACAG).  As part of their commitment to the Cinema Access Implementation Plan they have engaged Accessible Arts to deliver five Disability Awareness Training workshops in two states before the end of the year.

‘Breaking down barriers so people who are Deaf or have hearing impairment can participate more fully in Australian culture, is important on many levels’ said Ms Donald, ‘Not the least because it promotes recognition and acceptance within the community of the principle that people with disability have the same fundamental rights as the rest of the community.’

For further information about this release contact:

Tracylee Arestides, Marketing & Media Coordinator, Tel: 02 9251 6499 ext 101 Mob: 0425 208 521 marketing@aarts.net.au

Entertainment access set to grow with human rights ruling (Word, 104KB)