App will narrate Finding Dory for blind cinemagoers

Accessibility remains an important issue for less able people around the world and new technology is helping to make more experiences open to all.

The latest innovation comes via the Disney Anywhere app which syncs to what users are watching at home to provide extra information. It has now been updated to interface with its first theatrical feature Finding Dory and it's bringing along full voice narration for the visually impaired.

The app listens to the film to know exactly where it is and provides audio information about what is going on in the scene during lulls between the dialogue. With a pair of earphones, whose with visual issues will be able to keep up with everything that's going on insted of just the voices.

It's a feature which has been working on home video with the Disney app for awhile now but the expansion to cinemas is a real watershed moment for accessibility. The only downside right now is that it only works for Finding Dory (for the moment) and it's also currently restricted to US audiences and iOS. Let's hope it rolls out globally soon.

Finding Dory is in Irish cinemas on the 29th of July, 2016.