For cinema, media and broadcasters

Every viewer follows the story.

A Deaf viewer buys a ticket, or switches on the evening news. Captions run on the screen. For many Deaf viewers, the captions run faster than they can follow.

Talk to us How it works

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This page in sign language

For cinemas, broadcasters, streaming services and platforms. International Sign for the global site; your national sign language on your country page. Signed by a Deaf creator, credited by name.

International Sign Captions + transcript ship with the video. Read this instead

Captions are a start

Captions do not reach everyone.

In plain words

Accessibility laws now reach media. Captions are needed. They do not reach every viewer. Sign language and audio description reach the viewers that captions miss.

A film can have captions, and still not be understood.

The European Accessibility Act has been in force since June 2025.

Receipt: EU Directive 2019/882

Captions run at 140–230 words per minute; median Deaf comprehension is around 100–140 — and comprehension falls as caption rate rises.

Receipt: Jensema 1998; Burnham 2008; Tyler 2009

What you get

Three tracks, over your own player.

  • Sign language

    Recorded by a named Deaf creator, in the sign language your viewers use. It plays as a layer over your player.

  • Captions and transcript

    Checked by a person, in the written language of the market. They ship with the video, not after it.

  • Audio description

    A description track that carries the story for blind and low-vision viewers.

The tracks play over content your viewers already lawfully watch. We do not copy or re-host your files.

In the cinema

Sign language in the glasses.

In the cinema, a viewer wears augmented reality glasses. The viewer watches the film as usual. Sign language appears in the glasses at the same time.

Sign language in the cinema, using access.place's patent-pending in-cinema assistive technology.

Receipt: company fact; wording given by Roland, 4 October 2026

Moments for a viewer

Five moments in a viewer’s evening.

  1. The booking

    What happens. A page in writing.

    What changes. A plain-words version and a signed version.

  2. The trailer and the notices

    What happens. Spoken rules before the film.

    What changes. Text and sign language at the same time.

  3. The film or the show

    What happens. Sound, with captions.

    What changes. Captions, audio description and sign language, each one chosen by the viewer.

  4. The announcement

    What happens. A message over the speakers.

    What changes. Text on screen and a signed version.

  5. The news bulletin

    What happens. A presenter and a ticker.

    What changes. A signer in the corner, and captions at a pace people can follow.

See it

One film, three ways

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One film, three ways

A short demonstration is being made. It shows one film from the public domain with captions, audio description and sign language, one after another.

International Sign Captions + transcript ship with the video.

A quick self-check

Can your viewers follow?

Six questions. Answer for your main screen today.

1. Is the booking page also available in plain words?
2. Are house rules and notices available in sign language?
3. Are announcements shown as text?
4. Does the programme have a code for a signed version?
5. Are captions, audio description and sign language all offered at your main screen?
6. Does a Deaf viewer or a Deaf group check these once a year?

Count your yes answers. Not sure counts as no. Nothing you choose here is saved or sent.

0 to 2 yes: Mostly reading
Most moments still rely on reading or hearing. Start with one, and open it to everyone first.
3 to 4 yes: A good base
You have a base. Pick the weakest moment and open it to everyone first.
5 to 6 yes: Strong
You have most of it. We would like to learn from what works for you.

Next step

Choose one film. We will build it with you.

Talk to us

How this page is tested