The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) seeking a detailed response on whether recent film releases are compliant with new accessibility guidelines for disabled viewers. The directive, given by Justice Sanjeev Narula, stems from a petition that underscores the importance of inclusivity in cinema for individuals with hearing and visual impairments.
The petitioner, Suman Bhokray, who is visually impaired, has pushed for the enforcement of the “Guidelines for Accessibility Standards in the Public Exhibition of Feature Films in Cinema Theatres for Persons with Hearing and Visual Impairment,” introduced by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on March 15. These guidelines require films certified in multiple languages to incorporate closed captions and audio descriptions, with a compliance deadline set for September 14.
The legal plea pointed out potential lapses in films like ‘Vettaiyan’ and ‘Martin’, which were allegedly released without full adherence to these guidelines. This lack of compliance could undermine previous court directives that mandated such accessibility features to make cinema more inclusive.
In response to these concerns, Bhokray’s counsel has proposed the development of an “accessibility application” that could be used across various platforms to provide standardized closed captions and audio descriptions for films, thus enhancing the cinema experience for viewers with disabilities.
