Victory for Calum, 9, in movie subtitle row
A DEAF schoolboy's wish has been granted – after the city's cinema bosses agreed to start showing subtitled films for the first time.
A DEAF schoolboy's wish has been granted – after the city's cinema bosses agreed to start showing subtitled films for the first time.Like any movie mad-youngster, nine-year-old Calum Daly loves blockbusters, but because of his condition, struggles to follow the action unfolding on the big screen.
Despite hand-delivering a letter to the manager of Showcase, in Mallory Road, Peterborough, pleading for it to install specialist equipment and his mother Jill Medlock (47) mounting a three-year campaign, little headway was made.
But just before Christmas, an overjoyed Calum and his hearing classmates from William Hildyard School, Market Deeping, were invited to a special subtitled showing of Enchanted – after managers agreed to start screening them in the city first and then across the country.
The excited youngsters boarded a coach to take them to the cinema – and Calum's mum hailed their own journey a "victory" for the city's deaf community.
She said: "Calum and his class mates were really excited about visiting the cinema. His campaign has really made them aware of the needs of deaf children and adults.
"It all started in 2004. Every so often, I sent a letter to the manager of Showcase, but got no reply.
"He was nine this year and understands subtitles really well. I couldn't bear it any longer this summer, and when the big Harry Potter film came out, I decided to campaign in a big way.
"Although I did engage the services of a solicitor, it was the Equality and Human Rights Commission who organised the meeting between the Showcase my mother Joyce Banbridge, who is also deaf, and myself.
"At the meeting, which went very well, it was agreed that the Showcase would install the equipment to start showing subtitled screenings."
It means Calum and the one in seven people who have hearing disabilities will be saved a trip to Cambridge or London to see the latest release.
The Dolby subtitling system will also have audio descriptive technology to aid blind cinema-goers.
Although it is not yet known how many screenings will be subtitled, it is thought to be around the UK average of four a week.
Spokeswoman for Showcase owners National Amusements Wanda Whitson said: "We can confirm that we have selected and installed the latest film technology equipment in our Peterborough and other theatres and continue the roll out to other locations."
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