At AMPLA, we do not believe in separate sessions or special days for people with disabilities or Deaf audiences — we believe in sharing the same space and the same programme.
With a strong commitment to promoting inclusion and equal access, we ensure that everyone can enjoy the cinematic experience under conditions of full accessibility.
Below, we present the accessibility resources that make this experience possible — tools that ensure everyone can see, hear, and participate in cinema on equal terms.
The Portuguese subtitles provided are descriptive, enabling individuals with hearing disabilities to enjoy the sessions. These subtitles include notes such as relevant sounds for the narrative or the identification of speakers who are off-screen.
More concise and adjusted for reading time, these subtitles are also useful for children learning to read and for foreigners with limited proficiency in Portuguese.
Audio Description is a resource that translates images into words, broadening access for blind or visually impaired individuals to audiovisual content. It consists of a narrator who, during dialogue pauses, describes actions, body language, facial expressions, settings and costumes in a clear and concise manner – limited to elements that are not perceivable through sound.
For films not spoken in Portuguese, a separate narrator reads the Portuguese subtitles. Audio description is pre-recorded and provided via headphones, which are distributed to those who request them 15 minutes before the start of each session upon presentation of an identification document.
Live subtitles are generated in real time through voice recognition technology, which automatically transcribes dialogue into text.
Their main purpose is to increase accessibility for Deaf and hard of hearing audiences, but they also benefit anyone who prefers to follow the content in written form.
Relaxed sessions take place in a more informal and welcoming atmosphere with more tolerant rules regarding movement and noise in the room. They are intended for all individuals and families who prefer or benefit from a more relaxed environment, including families with young children (aged 3+), children and adults with attention deficits, intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum conditions or sensory, social or communication disabilities.
Before the screening, it is recommended to provide a visual story, a document containing detailed information about the venue and the content of the session, designed to help the audience prepare for their visit and make the experience more comfortable and enjoyable.
The interior and exterior areas of the cinema venue must be prepared to accommodate people who use wheelchairs or have any type of physical limitation, whether temporary or permanent.