Earcatch was developed in 2015 because there was no well-working other way to offer audio description in Dutch cinemas. Some cinemas had hardware available but it was often limited to a few locations and it did not always work well. The Bartiméus Foundation and Soundfocus then created the Earcatch app, to make films in every cinema accessible to people with an impairment. They can now autonomously go to watch a film wherever and whenever they want, using Earcatch on their own personal device.
In 2019, Subcatch was created to offer an accessible film experience to people with an auditory impairment. They can now read SDH (subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing) on their smartphone or tablet, making it possible to understand films that do not have subtitles on screen.
In 2022, we launched Earcatch Theatre, making it possible to offer pre-recorded audio description through Earcatch for live theatre productions.
We are always looking for new ways to use technology for accessibility purposes.