Cinema Without Barriers: Inclusive Technologies in Film

Technical Methods for Making Films Accessible to Everyone.

According to 2024 statistics, more than three million people with disabilities live in Ukraine, and that number is only growing because of the war. And although even an ordinary pastime like going to the movies remains inaccessible for many, modern technology is gradually changing the picture, making cinema more inclusive.

The DeTalks team looked into how the film industry is transforming to become open to everyone, and how inclusive technologies in cinema work.

Audio Description

Audio description (sometimes called 'descriptive narration') is a spoken description of the events on screen. This practice helps people with visual impairments understand what's happening in a film when the characters' dialogue doesn't make it clear.

A voiceover can describe the setting, atmosphere, and action on screen. Audio description can also describe a character's appearance, their clothing, and facial expressions, since even body language in film can say a lot — a certain posture, crossed arms, a tilt of the head. This too becomes clear to people with visual impairments, thanks to audio description.

Andrii Demchuk, a developer of software for audio description, has explained to Village how these audio descriptions get made. First, you have to feed the video into a program that analyzes the audio track and uses special algorithms to find natural pauses in meaning. These 'gaps' are where the audio description can be inserted without talking over the dialogue.

The difficulty of audio description lies in fitting a substantial description into a tiny pause. So, as Demchuk put it, you have to find someone who can read a large chunk of text out loud in just three seconds.

You can watch films with audio description on Netflix. In the audio and subtitle settings, audio description is available in various languages. Unfortunately, this option isn't available for every film and show on the platform, but subtitles are available for all content.

For instance, the “Squid Game” intro, where guards in red uniforms walk through a maze of staircases, is voiced this way: 'A maze of stairs, walked by people in masks, forms a red letter N and unfolds into a spectrum of bright colors.'

The regular Netflix intro, meanwhile, is voiced like this: 'A red letter N unfolds into a spectrum of bright colors.'

The Squid Game intro. Photo: screenshot from the show

Induction Loops

For people with hearing impairments, induction systems exist. These systems are installed in spacious rooms and public venues, and make it easier for people with hearing aids to follow conversations. The system makes a speaker's voice and other sounds clearer, separating them from background noise.

In movie theaters, in particular, there's a sign that indicates when to switch a hearing aid into a special 'T' (telecoil) mode. This helps 'connect' a person's hearing aid to the induction system.

Barrier-Free Ukraine

In 2013, Ukrainian activists from the NGO 'Fight For Right' created the 'Accessible Cinema' initiative. Its goal was to ensure video content was accessible to people with disabilities. Platforms like Earcatch later emerged — offering audio description for people with visual impairments — and Subcatch — offering expanded subtitles for people with hearing impairments.

The Earcatch and Subcatch platforms. Photo: dostupnekino.com.ua

2014 also marked a step forward for accessibility. That year, YouTube released Ukraine's first short film adapted using audio description, by director Taras Dron. The film 'Touch and See' tells the story of a girl blind since childhood and her family, who are raising money for her treatment. And just when it seems there's no way out, the world reveals its kinder side.

During 2018, five more films were adapted for people with visual impairments in Ukraine, including 'Red,' 'The Nest of the Turtledove,' 'The Firecrosser,' 'Ivan Sila,' and 'Falling.' According to Oksana Potymko, head of the audio description project, more than 60 films with audio description had been created by that point, including three Discovery titles, seven narrative films, and 52 animated films.

What About Movie Theaters?

Ensuring accessibility in movie theaters turned out to be harder than on streaming platforms. Screenings for people with visual and hearing impairments were rare, without regularity or a set schedule.

The first-ever screenings for people with visual and hearing impairments were scheduled in 2019. Only three films were shown at the time, but even that step mattered.

The film 'Mr. Jones' became the first to be shown in theaters with audio description and subtitles developed by Accessible Cinema. The film, by Polish director Agnieszka Holland, is based on real events and tells the story of reporter Gareth Jones, who has already interviewed Hitler and is preparing to 'request' an interview with Stalin as well. Jones wants to question Stalin specifically about Ukraine, the famine, and mass repressions.

That same year, 2019, during the Odesa Film Festival, there were two inclusive film screenings. The film 'My Thoughts Are Silent' was screened with audio description, while the second film, 'The Man Who Bought the Moon,' was made accessible to people with hearing impairments through adapted on-screen subtitles.

The first film, by director Antonio Lukich, follows sound engineer Vadym as he chases the calls of rare animals in Zakarpattia. The second, a comedy by Italian director Paolo Zucca, tells the story of an ordinary fisherman's promise to buy his beloved the moon.

Posters for the films. Photo: film.ua, oiff.takflix.com

Examples from history show that work on inclusion is already underway, even if not as quickly as it could be. Something as simple as going to the movies should be accessible to everyone, since a society without barriers is a space of equal opportunity.