From Dan:
Recently I went to my first ever comedy performance in Hull. Tim Minchin’s Back Encore performance and I absolutely loved it. Why?
I contacted the promoters back in May asking if there was a BSL Interpreter present and whether they’d be interested in booking one as it was a new service that Elephant in The Room Disability Services do. To my surprise they said “Yes!” so we spent a few weeks even months organising this.
The result? Something glorious and many people have complimented the work that the BSL Interpreter did. Not many people know the hard work he did in behind the scenes and the work that I put in to ensuring this happened.
Sadly, this is not always the case. Access can be fraught with difficulties due to the venues, lack of communication from the promoters or the access is not advertised at all.
We need to move away from the attitude of access:
- is expensive.
- provided is not used so money is wasted.
- should only be organised on request.
- access is an inconvenience.
Creating access by design, you will be providing access for the many not just the few. It can also add to the experience.
Until access put in place by design, you won’t see me going to many events at short notice. I have to plan months in advance.
Photo by Felix Mooneeram (https://unsplash.com/photos/evlkOfkQ5rE)