If you’ve never heard of a CEA card before, its something that is certainly worth knowing about and seeing if it could help you or someone you know.

A CEA Card means that if need someone to accompany you to the cinema because of your disability, or you accompany someone over the age of five who has a disability the accompanying person can receive a free cinema ticket.

If you follow this link -> https://www.ceacard.co.uk/eligibility you can see what evidence is needed. At the bottom of that page you will then be able to apply either online or by post.

As part of the application you will need to provide a photo of the person the card is for along with a photo of the supporting evidence they are using. There is also a £6 fee for the card and it lasts for one year before needing renewed and paid again.

Approximetly 90% of cinemas across the UK accept the CEA card, so hopefully there is one near you. If you pop your postcode in to this link -> https://www.ceacard.co.uk/participating-cinemas you will be able to see which cinemas accept the card, how far away they are and find the one that is handiest for you.

We really enjoy visiting the Odeon for their sensory friendly screenings. They usually run once a day on Saturday & Sunday and most weekends there’s a different film showing.

We have always found everyone to be really understanding during these screenings. If someone needs to get up for a wander, gets excited during the film, makes a bit of noise or needs to regulate in their own way, it’s absolutely fine as that is exactly what those screenings are for. The atmosphere is much more relaxed than a standard screening, the lights are dimmed rather than turning them off completely and the volume is lowered slightly, which makes the whole experience much more enjoyable for us.

I hope you enjoy your next cinema trip!

Lou. x