Blind people enjoy movies too, in their own ways

Written by Hani Fauzia Ramadhani | Read in Indonesian

Many people raise their eyebrows when a blind person says they love films. Just like how Deaf people are often assumed to not be able to enjoy music, blind people are often not considered possible to be film enthusiasts. This assumption arises because most films combine inseparable audio and visual elements. So, how can blind people enjoy them? What can producers do to make their films more accessible? After delving into the accessibility of concerts and music festivals for the Deaf, this time TFR explores the accessibility of audio-visual based entertainment media for the blind.

Listening to films alone is not enough

Kadek Agus, a blind man from Bali, shares his experience of accessing and enjoying films. Unfortunately, his experience is often incomplete. "Blindness or visual impairment actually has various levels; there are those who have low-vision; with mild or moderate disability. Meanwhile, there are some with total blindness like me; I can't see anything. For me and friends with similar levels of disability, enjoying films means we only hear the sounds. But because I was not born with this disability - so I used to be able to see -, imagining scenes based on what I hear is quite easy. But I'm not sure how it is for those born with total blindness," said Kadek.

Kadek also said that he sometimes loses focus or finds it hard to follow the story perfectly because there are scenes in the film with no dialogue. "In addition, there are parts like fighting, for example, which is hard to be fully understood through listening. I can't imagine what part is being hit or kicked. Then, when two people suddenly talk in a whisper; I don't know what kind of atmosphere or situation makes them do so," he explained.

In addition to what Kadek stated, another obstacle also arises when blind people want to enjoy foreign films. Many of those films have been dubbed into Indonesian. However, it is not easy to understand the films to the fullest without any explanation of cultural context, unusual foreign situations and various other visual codes that often appear.

Technology as a solution

There are two best solutions currently available to provide accessibility for blind film enthusiasts: audio description and 3D sound. To better understand these solutions, TFR had a discussion with Rahma Utami, Knowledge and Accessibility Director of Suarise, an organisation that advocates for equal access and opportunities for blind people.

Rahma explained that the audio description feature is different from subtitles, captions, or dubbing. This feature provides a “narrator” sound on top of the dialogue between characters in a film. The narrator describes the activities on the screen, including physical actions, facial expressions, costumes and other physical appearances, the setting and time, as well as changes in the scenes. "So it's like reading a novel, every scene is described in detail," Rahma said.

Meanwhile, with 3D sound technology, every sound in a film is engineered to explain the situation and conditions present. Rahma explained, “This technology brings an ambiance that helps blind audiences understand the setting in which a scene takes place; like a beach, the middle of a city, etc. Then, if there is a scene where someone is running from left to right, the sound of footsteps, wind and the runner’s panting can be heard from the left speaker to the right – the speed matches the scene. These sounds can be constructed to give context to the dimension, explaining if there is a movement happening in front, behind, or to the side of one scene frame."

Availability of access is still minimal

But is the solution outlined above widely and evenly available, especially in Indonesia? Well, not quite. Various film streaming platforms like Netflix and Disney Plus have started to provide audio descriptions in Indonesian for selected films. But for TV programmes and cinema films, it is not yet available.

Another problem, in addition to inaccessible audio-visual content for blind people, is that the medium in which the content is located is also difficult to access. "A film or video might only be available on a certain website, and sometimes the website cannot be accessed with a screen reader. And yet, a screen reader is what helps blind people use gadgets. YouTube is now accessible, it meets the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) standards but there are still many videos on YouTube that don't have audio descriptions. It's still not perfect," Rahma further said.

Kadek added, "Limited access is also caused by inadequate infrastructure. For example, public facilities that are not easy for us to use; not just in cinemas or film festival venues, but even the streets and public transportation to get there are not accessible."

Although there are blind people who still like going to the cinema and enjoy films with all their access limitations, Kadek has other preferences. "I like radio dramas better; I even collect the digital files. Nowadays, there are many radio dramas available on YouTube, and even those from the 80s are available. I really enjoy listening to them because they are very descriptive, and also use detailed sound effects. In addition, podcasts are also an alternative form of entertainment for me," said the man, who works as a Project Officer in a disability jobs network.

The role of government and community initiatives

To encourage the availability of access for blind people, the role of the government is crucial. After all, both the producers and distributors of audio-visual works will be more likely to start making changes if there are clear regulations and standard operating procedures in place. The United States has the American Disability Act (ADA), a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability in all fields, including entertainment.

"Currently, the government is actually designing a ministerial regulation regarding digital accessibility and the guidelines were completed in 2022. This is under the Communications and Informatics Ministry, and Suarise is involved in the drafting process, particularly to correct various misunderstandings about providing access for the blind. Hopefully, after it is issued, the regulation can be a reference not only for government websites, applications, or audio-visual information media, but also for all private stakeholders," said Rahma.

Various community initiatives have also emerged to address these access limitations. There are programmes like Bioskop Bisik and Bioskop Harewos – both meaning “whisper cinema” – which are essentially similar in concept; they provide volunteers to accompany blind people when watching a film. These volunteers act like audio descriptions, helping explain what is on the screen to provide more complete context.

Unfortunately, such activities still have many limitations. Kadek, who has participated several times, expressed his opinion. "Actually, the intention is very good, but because the concept is a one-off event, the films are chosen by the committee and oftentimes they are not to my taste. Sometimes the number of volunteers is also insufficient, so one person accompanies and whispers to several visually impaired audiences – it is not very effective."

Entertainment is not a priority yet

Currently in Indonesia, according to Health Ministry data, there are approximately 4 million blind individuals. Although entertainment is universally proven important for the balance of human life, the issue of limited access for the blind is still not getting enough attention. This is caused by a lack of awareness of various parties.

"Many people are not aware of the importance and can’t imagine the impact of providing access for people with disabilities. Entertainment as an industry often focuses on strategies to gain profits; artists and creators do not understand the need for accessibility that should be fulfilled, and advocacy movements from disability organisations and communities are still focused on basic things that have not yet been resolved," Rahma said.

It is true, as Kadek stated, even access to education and job opportunities is still minimal for the blind. Hopefully, with the collective awareness and willingness to provide access for the blind in all aspects of life, the dream of living in an inclusive society can be realised. It’s only possible if everyone plays their part and commits to it, though!