17/06/2024 - According to the survey, 73% of disabled respondents experienced some form of inaccessibility during their film-festival experience, and 93% of reported-on festivals scored below the median

The latest Scorecard Report has unveiled the first 16 months’ worth of data from the Film Event Accessibility Scorecard. Between 22 July 2022 and 20 November 2023, 353 respondents provided feedback on 75 cinematic gatherings held worldwide. Among the European events surveyed were the Berlinale, the Berwick Film Festival and the International Film Festival Mannheim-Heidelberg.

In detail, the report aims to create guideposts for film-event organisers to enable them to provide equal access to these important gatherings for both disabled audiences and disabled industry members. The Scorecard organisers include FWD-Doc (Filmmakers with Disabilities), the Film Event Accessibility Working Group (FEAW) and the Film Festival Alliance (FFA).

First and foremost, 73% of disabled respondents experienced some form of inaccessibility during their film-festival experience, and 93% of reported-on festivals scored below the median. The respondents highlighted several critical areas. Among these, the participants mentioned the inaccuracy of venue accessibility on the official websites (41%); processes in place to ensure accessible seating (47%); volunteers trained on access features (47%); functional assistive listening devices available (79%); panels and Q&As moderated accessibly (60%); and live captions for virtual and in-person panels and Q&As (77%).

Overall, the five most accessible festivals were the Superfest Disability Film Festival (Superfest), the BlackStar Film Festival, the International Queer Women of Color Film Festival, the Access:Horror Film Festival and the New Orleans Film Festival. The scoring was based on ratings from five main sections: website accessibility, in-person venue accessibility, in-person session and film accessibility, virtual accessibility, and overall event accessibility.

The main recommendations provided by the report include the commitment to progress through measurable goals and budget allocation; implementing live captions for virtual and in-person panels and Q&As; making a separate low-sensory space available; incorporating closed captioning for films, panels and Q&As that are available, functional and high-quality; providing applicable sign-language interpreters; and ensuring content related to accessibility is easy to find on the website and event staff are knowledgeable about the access advertised.

You can access the full report by clicking here.