AMI partners with Hot Docs to present accessible series at 2016 festival

TORONTO, April 14, 2016 -- Accessible Media Inc. (AMI) announced today that it has partnered with Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival to ensure that this year's event is more accessible to the blind, low vision, deaf and hard of hearing community. For the first time, select feature film screenings at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, TIFF Bell Lightbox and Scotiabank Theatre will be available with described video and closed captioning.

"We're very excited to partner with Hot Docs on this worthwhile initiative," explains Peter Burke, Vice-President of Marketing and Communications for AMI. "Our research clearly indicates that the blind and low vision community enjoys thought-provoking, enlightening programming so the opportunity to provide these films to them in an accessible format is very rewarding and also fulfills AMI's mandate of making accessible media for all Canadians."

AMI's team of Described Video specialists was instrumental in providing the description for seven of the featured films. "It was imperative that AMI be involved in the DV process right from the start," continues Burke. "As advocates for accessible media, we had to be certain that the description was of the utmost quality. Having the expertise of our DV team spearheading the project guaranteed that."

The 23^rd edition of the Hot Docs festival takes place April 28 – May 8, 2016. A complete list of films available at this year's festival complete with Described Video and Closed Captioning is available at http://www.hotdocs.ca/news/introducing-closed-captioning-and-described-sound-for-select-screenings.
 
For further information on AMI and its programs and initiatives, please visit www.AMI.ca or www.AMItele.ca.
 
About Accessible Media Inc. 

Accessible Media Inc. (AMI) is a not-for-profit multimedia organization serving more than five million Canadians who are blind, partially sighted, deaf, hard of hearing, mobility or print restricted. Operating three broadcast services, AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French, AMI's mission is to make accessible media for all Canadians. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.

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