700 visually impaired in Douala to enjoy audio films

Enjoying a film may just be fun to the blind in today’s society. Constant development in technology has made it possible for visually impaired people to enjoy films as a measure of leisure and entertainment.

A local association called “Ici et Là-bas” has launched the project to recruit 10,000 blind people in the economic capital, within the goal of encouraging their integration into the social and professional life.

To begin with, the association presented its Blind Cine Tour 2015 concept to the press in Bali July 30. Blind Cine Tour 2015 is a film projection caravan by the “Ici et Là-bas” association, whose objective is to project films to the blind and the general public freely.

Audio described films enable the blind to listen to a description of the film while those without any impairment watch and listen. Some 700 audio described films has been secured with the help of some companies and individuals to be played during the one month tour which runs from August 5 to September 5, 2015 in Douala.

Such films will be projected on giant screens in council halls of the five municipal councils in Douala by the association which has a membership of 300 blind people.

The President of the association, Christian Kwessi, who is a visually impaired Cameroonian resident in Toulouse, France, told the press how valuable audio description has been for him in the enjoyment and complete appreciation of movies. Reporters viewed the five-minute segment of the audio described film called Casino Royale.

The Regional Chief of Service in Charge of Disabled Persons, Eboa Cecile, who represented the Regional Delegate for Social Affairs at the news event, said the out of all the movies to be played none is Cameroonian. She noted that the film industry in the country is a budding one and is yet to install the system to make audio described films available to people who need them.