Why are deaf audiences still treated as an afterthought in theater and cinema?
In this article, deaf is used as an umbrella term to include Deaf, deaf, hard of hearing, hearing-impaired, deafened and people with hearing loss.
Despite statistics showing that approximately 14% of the population in the UK are deaf or have hearing loss, deaf audiences continue to be treated as an afterthought in theater and cinema. While many performances and films are not captioned or interpreted, when they are, theaters typically offer only one captioned or interpreted show in a run, regardless of the number of performances.
Most films are distributed with caption tracks, but movie theaters only caption 1% of all showings. This is not merely an add-on; it is exclusion and exclusion by design, often referred to as "deafwashing". The issue extends beyond the arts, as deaf people face disproportionately higher rates of mental health issues, social isolation and loneliness.
Restrictions on access are often justified by claims of distraction or aesthetic intrusion, despite a lack of evidence to support these assumptions. While some movie theaters have introduced captioning glasses, these solutions may still stigmatize deaf audiences. More broadly, captions can benefit a wide range of people, including neurodivergent individuals, older adults and non-native speakers.
The success of Craidd, a Welsh theater collaboration, in integrating various accessibility features demonstrates that accessibility can be seamlessly woven into the artistic fabric of a performance. The key is not whether accessibility is possible, but how it is approached from the outset. It should be integrated into universal design, not treated as an optional extra or an afterthought.
Written by urgent.news from Phys.org's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
