Accessibility
CAPTIONS, AMPLIFICATION, AND LANGUAGE OPTIONS
OPEN CAPTIONS
VAFF presents films with open captions (dialogue and sound descriptions appear on the screen) when they are available. Live captions will be provided for panel discussions at Irving Theater at CODE.
CLOSED CAPTIONS
Closed captioning devices can be requested at Culbreth Theatre and Violet Crown Cinema and will be provided at film screenings where closed captions are available.
SUBTITLES
All foreign-language films are presented with English subtitles, but not all films with subtitles are fully captioned.
HEARING AMPLIFICATION
Assisted Listening Devices which amplify program sound through headphones or personal hearing aids are available by request for events at The Paramount Theater, Culbreth Theatre, and Violet Crown.
AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE
VAFF offers sign language at select festival events for introductions and discussions at screenings presented with Open Captions and where Closed Captions are available.
Information on films with available open captions, closed captions, or subtitles are noted on individual film pages. To find screenings that offer accessible options, please visit virginiafilmfestival.org/schedule-list/ and scroll to the ACCESSIBILITY section to select the appropriate filter. If you would like to make an accommodation request or inquire about what type of captioning is available for a specific film, please submit a request via the process below.
ACCOMMODATIONS
To request accommodations for a film, discussion, or event, please contact VAFFaccommodations@virginia.edu at least fourteen (14) business days before the event.
Provide the following information:
- Name
- Contact Information
- Requested reasonable accommodation(s)
- Event/Film(s) details including: title, date, time, and location
Examples of accommodations may include closed captioning assistive device, ASL-English interpreting services, and accessible seating. Advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accommodations.
Visit UVA Accessibility to learn about more resources and accommodations offered by UVA.
If you have questions, concerns, or would like to provide feedback on any of the VAFF accessibility measures, please contact Operations Director Rob Dunnenberger, rbd8k@virginia.edu.
PARKING & TRANSPORTATION
Grounds of the University of Virginia
The University of Virginia and the Department of Parking & Transportation are committed to providing accessible services for visitors of the University. ADA parking spaces are first come, first serve. If an ADA space is not available, vehicles with a DMV issued placard or license plate may park in a metered space for up to 4 hours. A map detailing the locations of reserved ADA spaces and accessible pathways for Culbreth Garage and the UVA Drama Building for Culbreth Theatre screenings can be found on the Emmett-Ivy Map provided by Geospatial Engineering. View UVA’s Emmett-Ivy Accessibility Map.
For information on Visitor Parking at the University, please visit UVA Parking & Transportation – Visitor Parking.
Downtown Charlottesville
Accessible Parking is available near downtown. ADA parking is available on Market and Water Streets which run parallel to the pedestrian downtown mall. Additional parking may be found on 2nd Street at the Downtown Mall.
There are four designated ADA parking spaces on the West 2nd Street parking lot located at the corner of West 2nd Street and West Water Street, nearest to Violet Crown Charlottesville. Parking in these spaces is free.
To see more information on downtown parking options, visit Charlottesville Parking.
CAT Trolley
All Charlottesville Area Transit (CAT) buses are accessible to persons with disabilities and are wheelchair lift-equipped. Ask your bus driver if you need help when boarding or disembarking the bus. All mobility devices are secured through the use of a four-point tie down system. For persons with disabilities who cannot use standard fixed-route service, paratransit service is provided through JAUNT. Visit Charlottesville’s ADA Transportation Services for more information.If you have questions, concerns, or would like to provide feedback on any of the VAFF accessibility measures, please contact Operations Director Rob Dunnenberger, rbd8k@virginia.edu.
Venue Access
The Virginia Film Festival is committed to ensuring that our programs are accessible to individuals with disabilities. All screening and event venues are accessible via ramp or elevators, offer wheelchair areas for viewing performances, and have accessible restrooms. View a list of our venues.
Sensory-Friendly ScreeningS
Sensory-friendly performances aim to provide a positive viewing experience for people with autism or other sensory-related disabilities and their families.
More information on our 2025 Sensory-Friendly Screening to come!
The Virginia Film Festival’s Accessibility is supported, in part, by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
