Access Toolkit case study
Making Outdoor Arts Events Accessible To All
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Throughout the summers of 2008 and 2009, Attitude is Everything worked in partnership with ISAN (the Independent Street Arts Network) to make Outdoor Arts Events accessible to Deaf and disabled people. In March 2010, we produced all our research in one FREE Access Toolkit which is available in a range of formats.
Project aims and achievements
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- The Access Toolkit is based on case studies at 4 outdoor arts festivals at which we undertook Access Audits and completed Disability Equality Training.
- We sent the infamous “Attitude is Everything Mystery Shoppers” to these festivals in order to access the progress of these festivals.
- The Toolkit identifies practical means of providing access across the wide range of work on offer at Outdoor Arts Events where enormously varied styles and scales of work take place in all manner of spaces.
- It gives practical advice on how to market events to Deaf and disabled audiences, and programme work by Deaf and disabled performers.
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Outcomes and impact
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- The Toolkit has been awarded a London 2012 Inspire Mark because it has been judged to have the potential to make real and lasting impact on nation wide celebrations leading up to the Games.
- Since publication, 693 Access Toolkits have been sent out to Local Authorities, Music Festivals and Event Organisers across the UK
- At one festival there was a 600% increase of the uptake of Blue Badge parking spaces
- “The fact that the ‘thinking’ was done for us meant that access became part of the planning of my festival from beginning to end.”
- “I really liked the ‘access gone wrong photos’ – I’m sure that every Event Organiser could identify with them!”
- In May 2009, we created a Disability Equality Training, ‘Making Outdoor Arts Events Accessible’, course based on the Toolkit. 86 people from 68 organisations across the South East region attended this course.
Next steps
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To incorporate our learning into the Our View Project
To host our ‘Making Outdoor Arts Events Accessible’ training sessions in every region before summer 2012
Personal experience
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“At first I thought ‘What’s the problem? It’s in the street, everyone can see it!’ but it was a real eye opener working on the Access Audit with Attitude is Everything. We found straight away that there were a number of simple steps we could undertake without much cost. Now we have completed our second year of improving access I view the festival very differently, and there are noticeably more disabled attendees at the festival than before.”
Sian Thomas, former Director of Winchester Hat Fair
“When I spoke to Sian, she said there were a lot of things she would've liked to have in place were it not for cost restrictions. She mentioned Induction Loops, and BSL at performances, as well as improving the signage. I found the programme sufficient for helping me get around the Fair. It was helpful to have the times and venues of the performances printed, so I could plan things. Certainly, this would be of help to someone who found it difficult dealing with crowds, and who may need assistance from the stewards to get a good view of the shows. This was one of the Hat Fair's Disability Equality Training Action Points.”
Attitude is Everything’s Mystery Shopper verdict after attending the 2009 festival
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Contact
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The Access Toolkit can be downloaded for free from the ISAN website:
http://isanuk.org/
For more information about the project, please contact:
suzanne@attitudeiseverything.org.uk or 020 7383 7979
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