Free film club for the visually impaired up and running at Henshaws Greater Manchester

Henshaws - July 2010

A new free film club for blind and visually impaired citizens of Greater Manchester is now up and running and proving to be a popular attraction. The club, created by local charity Henshaws Society for Blind People, meets regularly at the Henshaws centre in Old Trafford, and is one of a number of social activities run by the Society, designed to broaden access into mainstream culture for blind and visually impaired people.

Mark Belcher, Community Services Manager at Henshaws told us: “Going to the pictures is something we all take for granted, its part of our everyday lives. We talk about the latest films with friends and colleagues all the time and there’s nothing wrong with that, but a visually impaired person can sometimes feel a bit excluded by the whole thing. For our country’s two million strong visually impaired community, including the 4% of who have no sight at all, technologies such as audio description are of enormous help in reducing that sense of isolation.”   

And volunteer group leader Mike Parsons said: “Henshaws film club uses the latest technology to provide superior sound quality for both the picture and the audio description service we use. We have a well stocked library drawn from a broad range of genres. The club has a relaxed and friendly atmosphere and it’s a place where like minded people can not only enjoy a good film, but a brew and a natter as well!”     

Film distributors and TV company’s are now legally obliged to ensure that at least 10% of their output comes with an audio description service, with Sky already pledging to improve on this target in the near future.

To find out more about Henshaws Film club call Henshaws Society for Blind People on 0161 872 1234.