What we learned: Accessibility Across the Board

This week, our Marketing & Outreach Coordinator Anna attended the final session of Accessibility Across the Board, Independent Cinema Office’s training to support FAN members to embed disability inclusion within their organisation.

Led by BFI FAN’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Champion Charlie Little, the course featured case studies from Scottish Queer International Film Festival (SQIFF), Australian Centre for Moving Image (ACMI), Midlands Art Centre (MAC) and Birmingham Hippodrome.

About the course

Disability Across the Board is new short course delivered by Independent Cinema Office (ICO).

24% of people living in the UK have a disability, so ensuring accessibility for audiences and an inclusive workplace is essential to a truly welcoming environment for disabled audiences and staff. 

The course focused on practical steps to create organisational change so that exhibitors can develop a more accessible and inclusive culture and environment for disabled audiences and staff. 

What did we cover?

Introduction to the key principles of organisational change

In this session, we looked at current disability inclusion practices across film exhibition, discussing the social model of disability and access needs for both audiences and film exhibition staff. This session featured a case study by Lesley Gillan, Head of People and Culture at ACMI, who discussed their journey of creating and implementing their own plan. 

Developing a Disability Action Plan

This session focused on Disability Action Plans. Templates and resources were shared, before we collaboratively created a draft Disability Action Plan for their own organisation. Featuring a case study by Indigo Korres, Director of SQIFF.

Implementing disability inclusion and shared learnings

In-person at MAC, Birmingham, we shared our learnings, and challenges with implementing disability-inclusive organisational change. David Baldwin, Producer for Cinema & Screen at MAC, presented their Expanding the Frame project and their journey with embedding disability inclusion, alongside a case study from Birmingham Hippodrome. 

Key Takeaways

• Importance of access riders – access riders offer a list of what someone needs and when. By asking for an access rider, or creating one with an individual, you can learn how to best support your team and colleagues. Shape Arts and Unlimited have great resources on creating access riders with your staff and volunteers.
• Careful programming can contextualise outdated films – MAC’s ‘Captioned Classics’ season brought classic titles back to the big screen with accessibility at the forefront. The films were accompanied by conversations so, if the film had outdated or offensive themes, this was discussed in a safe environment.
• Communicate your accessibility and inclusion plans, even if they are in their infancy – a public-facing Disablity Action Plan is a visible way to communicate your accessibility goals. You can update this every 6 – 12 months to reflect on what you have achieved, or where you’d like to improve.
• Organisations like MENCAP and Creative Access can support you to offer internships and work experience that can provide opportunities for disabled people in the exhibition sector

Useful resources

• Midlands Art Centre’s Expanding the Frame project
• 7 Principles for an Inclusive Recovery
• BFI FAN Access Directory
• BFI FAN: EDI in Focus session recordings – Inclusive Recruitment with Diversity Scotland; Accessible Cinema for Blind Audiences
• Culturehive Disability Action Plan Example (Australian Centre for the Moving Image)
• Arts Council of Northern Ireland Disability Action Plan
• Sydney Film Festival Disability Inclusion Action Plan
• Queer Screen Disability Inclusion Action Plan

Please get in touch if you have any thoughts or questions about this topic.

Image credit: Midlands Art Centre – Expanding the Frame: Touch Screen, Will Pace 2023