Paper: GS-I/II, Subject: Society and Social Justice, Topic: Welfare schemes, mechanisms, laws and institutions related to disabled, Issue: New Accessibility Norms for Persons with Disabilities
Context:
On March 15, 2024, the Ministry released the “Guidelines of Accessibility Standards in the Public Exhibition of Feature Films in Cinema Theatres for Persons with Hearing and Visual Impairment.
Key details:
- Cinema is a vital part of culture. However, for individuals with disabilities, particularly those with visual and hearing impairments, these experiences have often been inaccessible till now.
- Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act was enacted in 2017, laying the groundwork for accessibility in electronic media. Section 42 of the RPWD Act mandates that content must include accessibility features such as audio descriptions and captions.
- Despite the legal framework, compliance was minimal, and accessibility features were often absent in mainstream films.
- After some Judicial interventions, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting formulated the recently issued guidelines for enforcing accessibility standards across the film industry.
- Accessibility is already mandatory for multilingual films and those applying for National Awards.
- A key challenge is the delayed implementation for OTT platforms, with a 3-year phased timeline.
Overall, the reform promotes social inclusion, enabling persons with disabilities to participate in cultural and cinematic experiences.
Source: (The Indian Express)
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