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This month we caught up with Accessible Events Ltd’s founder Harry (Angharad) Jones to discuss the challenges that the UK’s festival organisers are facing as they try to embed inclusivity and accessibility into their events.
“There needs to be more conversation around accessibility and sustainability. I was honoured to be asked to join Attitude is Everything and Julie’s Bicycle as they launched a new toolkit called No Climate Action Without Us at this year’s GEI16 organised by A Greener Future. The resource focuses on how to make disabled people’s access to live events environmentally sustainable and shines a light on the key barriers that disabled people experience when attending venues and events.
Like everything at the minute, the costs associated with organising an event are rising and we’ve seen suppliers’ prices increase. Sadly, for smaller events that often results in the accessibility budget being cut.
It would be great to work with a team of suppliers from different products and services and collate a blueprint for best practice. Even taking it a step further and creating prototypes and asking disabled people to try them out as, more often than not, one size doesn’t fit all. As an industry I don’t think we’re sharing enough information. I would love to know more about the products that are out there.
The regulations help to a certain extent as events do need to comply with the Equality Act 2010 but events still fall between dwellings and permanent public places, which can make it tricky to navigate as an event organiser. Viewing platforms and ramps should be compliant, but it’s not unusual to see dangerously built ramps due to permanent inclines that are too steep or missing kickboards.
There are numerous issues with suppliers. The largest of which is that demand far outstrips industry availability, with the added complication that often products that are available aren’t always fit for purpose.
For example, there are actually very few accessible toilets that allow for a full turning circle and are fitted with handrails, both of which are essential for independent wheelchair use. Accessible showers can be step-free but still have a small lip that can be difficult to navigate. It is good to see that Changing Places units are more widely available now as they have a much larger capacity, but there is a lot of work still to do. Not having fully running water or having it and then it not being warm with soap…the list of challenges around good accessible welfare facilities are endless.
That’s not to say that there aren’t some fantastic suppliers out there who are really trying to make a difference. For toilets and showers, we will often work with Compoost, GigLoo, Accessoloo, and Andy Loos. In addition, I’ve always been impressed by Acorn Event Structures’ viewing platforms.
Change is definitely coming and we’ve made so much progress thanks to people like Suzanne Bull from Attitude is Everything, who have taken a subject that people are often afraid to discuss and make it much easier for them to consider and understand. And it’s not just wheelchair users or people with other physical disabilities; there are a lot of people who are neurodivergent, deaf, visually impaired or have mental health issues that should be considered when organising an event. This means looking to provide BSL or Hearing Loops, Vision Enhancement equipment such as Give Vision or Sensory Calm Spaces such as Diverse UK.
As we continue to make progress, there is no doubt that sustainability should be at the heart of what we do.”