Wheelchair-bound audience enjoys a film at a Shanghai cinema. [Photo/Shanghai Observer]

As Shanghai prepares to observe the National Day for Assisting Disabled Persons on May 19, the city has taken a significant step towards inclusivity by offering barrier-free film-watching experiences for wheelchair-bound audiences at 17 pilot cinemas.

Through ticket vendor Taopiaopiao's mini-program, moviegoers can easily identify wheelchair-friendly cinemas with the help of designated labels. When selecting seats, the system provides notifications about wheelchair-accessible spots, allowing wheelchair-bound individuals to choose seats that cater to their needs.

Shen Lihui, Taopiaopiao's cinema operations manager, highlighted the challenges faced by wheelchair users in traditional cinema settings. Due to the tiered seating arrangement, wheelchair users often end up confined to the first row, straining their necks just to watch the movie. Moreover, some cinemas have entrance stairs that are inaccessible to wheelchairs, leading to ticket refunds for disappointed movie enthusiasts.

The Alibaba Foundations' philanthropy team for assisting disabled persons initially identified these inconveniences while preparing to invite disabled individuals from 50 cities throughout China to attend complimentary movie screenings. After extensive deliberation, they discovered that certain cinemas feature seats in the middle or back rows that are wheelchair-accessible.

Shen and her team collaborated with cinemas to list and label eligible halls, while also ensuring that these halls provide ample space for wheelchair users to navigate and reach their seats comfortably.

An Yun, a wheelchair user and avid movie buff in Shanghai, wasted no time in utilizing the labeling function to enjoy a film at Wanda Cinema in Wujiaochang, Yangpu district. An praised the cinema for its wheelchair-accessible facilities, providing a barrier-free film-watching experience that is in line with the new initiative.

Shen also noted the significant improvements in wheelchair accessibility in Shanghai's newly constructed cinemas, citing Wanda Cinema as an example of the progress made in this regard.

Besides Shanghai, Beijing and Hangzhou, the capital city of Zhejiang province, have also launched this initiative of labeling wheel-chair friendly movie halls. Currently a total of 60 cinemas, including the 17 ones in Shanghai, have been identified and labelled.

Source: jfdaily.com