Autistic or disabled people will be able to benefit from a specific session at the Le Palace cinema thanks to the Rotary of Montluçon-Néris-les-Bains (Allier).
Defending numerous causes, the Montluçon-Néris-les-Bains Rotary Club has decided to invest in the inclusion of people suffering from autism spectrum disorder (ASD). With the Palace, the service club will set up cinema screenings dedicated to autistic or disabled people.
“The starting point for this operation dates back to May. We had been made aware of the subject of autism through the action of Christophe Baumann who had walked for twenty-four hours (March 3, Editor’s note.) to denounce the state’s lack of commitment to autism. We discussed with him on which areas we could move things forward,” recalls Frédéric Ferrandon, member of the Montluçon-Néris-les-Bains Rotary, who initiated the sessions.
A specific room
After interacting with establishments and associations, Frédéric Ferrandon meets Frédéric Dubourgnoux, the director of the Palace. “He was very open on the issue. It was mutually agreed that Wednesday at the beginning of the afternoon would be the right time,” points out the Rotarian.
Children and adults suffering from ASD will benefit from a 98-seat room entirely dedicated to them. The sound will be quieter than during a normal session. There will be no advertising and trailers. The room will not be completely dark either.
“An autistic person needs timetables to be respected, sound that does not irritate him, to be able to move around the room… In a traditional cinema session, most people would not tolerate it”
Frédéric Ferrandon (Member of the Montluçon-Néris-les-Bains Rotary)
Members of the Autisme mutualaide sans frontières association confirm the importance of schedules for autistic people. “An autistic child wants to see a film. He doesn’t want to see advertisements,” says Isabelle Galle, the president of the association.
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The first two will take place on Wednesday November 29 and Wednesday December 20, at 2:15 p.m. Families and establishments going to the Palace will just have to specify that they are coming for the specific session when purchasing their tickets. “We will then take stock to see how things are going and what needs to be adjusted. If it works, we will continue the sessions,” specifies Frédéric Ferrandon.
“Silent hours” in Commentry and Montluçon (Allier), to do your shopping with complete peace of mind
Following their discussions with Christophe Baumann, a second line of work emerged for the Rotary club: the installation of panels more suited to autistic people. “Christophe Baumann explained to us that the man and woman symbols on the toilet doors did not speak to his autistic son. We are thinking about the double paneling of public buildings but there is an artistic vagueness of the legislation on the subject. With a parliamentarian of Allier, we will try to be proactive on a text.”
Practical :
The first session will take place Wednesday November 29 at 2:15 p.m. with the screening of the new Disney, Wish – Asha and the lucky star. Information from Frédéric Ferrandon at 07.60.97.02.17.
Florence Farina
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