How do we design a disability-inclusive event or festival? (the answer may shock you)
Table of contents
What can YOU do? p.8-9
Are you an events organiser or a venue coordinator who wants to learn more about making your events accessible and inclusive? We have just the thing for you!
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Identifying the problem
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Social model of disability sees systems as broken – they can be fixed by social intervention
That tells me that my access is inconvenient, while foreign ‘art films’ are not, actually, spoiled by subtitles
That tells me that my enjoyment is not profitable and you’d rather have an empty theatre than a handful of disabled people
…and its consequences By not thinking about access and making it part of your planning process, you let the world know you don’t care about disabled people. ‘When venues/events tell me they are a not a safe space for one or more of my identities, it puts me off engaging with arts and culture’
You are also hindering the development of grassroots projects and small bands. When your smaller venue is in an inaccessible up- or downstairs, these small acts will lose out on audience.
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Physical and mobility access Think about the building where the event is taking place. How do you get from the door to your seat? Are the corridors, toilets and seating wide enough? Are there any obstacles – stairs, narrower bits, cables, doorframes – in the way?
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If employees’ door is not step-free it means that we are already excluded at every stage of the structure of your organisation.
‘I need to memorise the layout of a new venue’ ‘The pre-recorded audio-description talks over dialogue’
Basic visual access needs to cover both venue and art. This can mean pre-show guidance as well as live audio description during the show/exhibition. Think about your pre-show media. Are you providing leaflets in alternative formats? Do you have familiarisation videos on your website? A tour or at least a description of the place, how dark it is, obstacles etc, lets people familiarise themselves with the space and prevents frustration on the day.
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Do you communicate with your audience only in formats made to be consumed with sound on? How do you make sure someone can enjoy an artwork regardless of lack of sound? ‘Live captioning is so helpful to rely on. Captions means enjoyment and inclusivity.’ There are many reasons to use captions - people might also need them if English is not their first language. Venues have induction loops only in specific places, and often not tested and not working. ‘At the local cinema induction loops only work in the expensive bit, so my carer needs to pay extra when we go out.’ Think about all the aspects of communication with your audience
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‘First time I saw advertising in BSL in a theatre was overwhelming. I have only seen captioned and audio-described ads online. It was nice to see that venue was also catering for me.’
Multiple and invisible disabilities ‘I always feel like I need to advertise my access needs, like a billboard above my head’
People with invisible disabilities often have to ‘prove’ themselves and their needs. Best practice is to just have thought about access without people needing to ASK for it. Endeavor to make everyone’s experience an equally stressfree one. ‘Going in physical spaces is odd because you need to come in with interpreters or audio describers; you can’t choose where you sit, when to leave if you need to, how you enjoy it. It’s all through a filter.’
Tell us what the access provisions are, not who they are for. Lack of visual accessibility might impact mobility, and neurodiverse people have audio and visual access 7 needs, as an example.
What ca for your
Guide-dog friendly venue Induction loops that work, clearly marked on seating plan
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n you do audience?
Be upfront – what does ‘accessible’ mean? Think about your advertising, ticketing systems, directions.
Live audio description and BSL interpretation (*) Relaxed performances, autism-friendly days
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JUST BECAUSE IT IS DIVERSE DOESN’T MEAN IT IS INCLUSIVE
‘At a job interview, I needed to out myself as disabled to access support, but also as queer, an ethnic minority etc’ ‘People ask me questions when they see me come in a space I am familiar with like a gay bar with a cane and then not use it’
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AND JUST BECAUSE IT IS ONLINE DOESN’T MEAN IT IS ACCESSIBLE
‘Disabled people are still left behind and not prioritised online’
The implications of video-calls on disabled and queer people: - Anxiety and fatigue because of mandatory eye contact - Poor integration of captions, BSL and audio-description - Video (body) and audio (voice) dysphoria - Intrusion in personal space
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Who can help implement access for your event/venue?
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Inclusion and access have been transformed into industry buzz-words that don’t mean anything, profiting off of the knowledge of disabled people. Nothing will change if the people in charge of access are not motivated for their own access. We know best what we need from a venue/event. ‘When the person in the team doesn’t have lived experience, access will be lacking’
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Created by @MxComan for SQIFF, Glasgow 2020 Workshop led by Luke Murphy
This guidance is the result of a virtual ‘town meeting’ with people at the intersection of multiple identities – queer and disabled, among others.