From:	{name withheld by request]
Sent:	Friday, 27 November 2009 2:24 PM
To:	disabdis
Subject:	Cinemas and the Disability Discrimination Act

 
Dear sir or madam, 
 
I am writing to you to voice my concern that four of Australia's major cinemas are seeking 
exemption from the Disability Discrimination Act for 2.5 years. It's troubling that anyone should 
seek such an exemption, and cinema access may seem trivial when compared to other things, but 
there's more to it than people may realise.  
 
Many of my closest friends are profoundly deaf, and it has been a pleasure to find myself 
amongst this community that many people simply aren't aware of, even though it's right here. The 
Deaf community is unique in that it is isolated from other groups due to a language barrier that 
cannot be overcome unless more hearing people learn to sign, and it has its own cultural nuances 
despite being local. A lot of deaf people feel excluded from the wider community they live 
amongst, from the local culture - and it is any wonder. Being unable to share in music or dancing 
in quite the same way as hearing people do, or simply struggling to communicate with the people 
around them, now my pals are concerned that the cinema is slipping away from them too.  
 
Cinema is a unique cultural activity that can be enjoyed by hearing and deaf people together. I 
don't see why our right to monitor access to this one facility should be taken away. If we don't 
demand more captioned films, we won't get them. This is one activity that deaf people can enjoy 
that isn't exclusively 'Deaf'; somewhere I can introduce my non-signing hearing friends to all of 
my deaf friends; somewhere for deaf folk to do something with everyone else, without feeling 
like they aren't really participating. Your culture and your community are a part of your identity. 
This is why it's not a trivial concern. 
 
I don't see any good reason for the cinemas to exclude themselves from the obligation to be fair. 
 
I hope my concern will make its way to the relevant parties. 
 
Kind regards,