2 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jul 14, 2026 05:44 PM IST
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has directed online movie ticket booking platforms to clearly show whether a film includes accessibility features such as audio description, closed caption and Indian Sign Language for users to book tickets.
The July 9 advisory follows the Delhi High Court’s February 19 order concerning accessibility of cinema exhibition for persons with disabilities. The petition was filed by a blind advocate, Rahul Bajaj, appearing in person.
The Delhi High Court had directed the Centre, Ministry of Electronics and InformationTechnology (MeitY), and the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to consider and implement measures suggested by Bajaj to ensure persons with disabilities can access information regarding accessibility features before booking tickets.
“Online ticketing platforms/ticket aggregators are advised to take appropriate steps for implementation of the above mechanism at the earliest, i.e., within 7 days so as to enhance accessibility and promote ease of access for persons with disabilities,” the Centre said.
The advisory has been issued with the approval of the competent authority, and a copy has been sent to the CEO of the CBFC for necessary action.
Advisory’s directions
The advisory aims to help persons with disabilities make informed decision booking movie tickets online. It directs all online ticketing platforms and aggregators to develop and implement an independent mechanism on their respective applications to enable users to verify, before booking tickets, whether a particular film is available with accessibility features.
The Ministry said that the booking apps interface should display the availability of accessibility features such as audio description, closed captions /same language captioning, Indian Sign Language (ISL), or any other feature. It also mentioned that if such features are available through an external application or platform, the booking page should also specify its name.
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It directed that the above information should be displayed in a clear, accurate and easily identifiable manner, and that the online ticketing platforms and aggregators should take appropriate steps for implementation of the above mechanism within 7 days to enhance accessibility and promote ease of access for persons with disabilities.
