Accessibility to the Scenic Arts

Is your show accessible? When we ask about accessibility to shows, most people think about access for wheel chairs: the sitting arrangements and where their WC is accessible. When we ask for more details, people usually think about producing a show where persons with disabilities are performing, for example producing a show where there is some dancing with people on wheel chairs. Accessiblity for us is a comprehensive concept that goes from purchasing a ticket through an accessible website to catching the bus back home after the performance on accessible public transport. Accessible webs, accessible web content, accessible transport, subtitling, audio description... the possiblities are endless. Why is this course useful? To make the venue and the production accessible to all citizens, and specially to persons with disablities. The course will go through the many accessible services you can offer, and how to implement them in your venue or your production. The final aim is to mainstream accessibility so all people have equal access to culture.

• INTRODUCTION
• GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO INCLUSION
• In this unit the participants learn about three essential concepts: First they will learn more about the different audiences at which accessibility may be aimed and the different types of access support they might need. Second, the concepts of ‘inclusion’ and ‘accessibility’ will be introduced and, more in particular, they will learn how these can be defined. Finally, this unit looks at legislation on inclusion and accessibility. More in particular, the participants will learn about the various types of international and European legislation on inclusion and accessibility.
• VENUE ACCESSIBILITY
• Unit 3 “Venue Accessibility” addresses barriers to access to cultural venues and how to remove them. Buildings such as theatres or opera houses or open-air venues used for festival purposes should be as accessible as possible. Based on a distinction between different venue types, this unit covers the accessibility chain, the FFZ principle, the accessibility of indoor and outdoor locations as well as temporary locations. Furthermore, it addresses forms of wayfinding, signs, maps and accessibility information as well as adaptations of the venue and assistance animals. Finally, it provides recommendations for assessing and improving venue accessibility.
• ACCESS SERVICES - CONCEPTS
• IMPLEMENTING ACCESS FACILITIES AT ARTS EVENTS TO ENSURE INCLUSION FOR ALL
• This unit is about putting the knowledge about the access facilities presented in Unit 3a into practice, and covers the general and specific practical steps involved in implementing the access facilities in advance of the event, on the day of the event and after the event.
• COMMUNICATION AND DISSEMINATION
• In this unit you will learn about communicating and promoting accessibility, some may say “accessibility PR”. More in particular, you will learn to identify the relevant stakeholders and suggest strategies to involve them. You will learn what an accessibility policy for a cultural event or venue is and how to implement it. You will learn how to promote accessibility for a cultural event or venue, using both traditional and online media in an accessible way.
• MANAGEMENT
• In this unit, the participants learn about managing accessibility in a cultural venue or on a cultural event. They learn to plan and coordinate, they learn to communicate about accessibility and gather user feedback to be able to look into some aftercare. While managing these things they also think about solving conflicts and managing a team of coworkers. In the different learning materials of which the unit is composed, the participant is presented with charts to help managing the accessibility and with tips and tricks to do so via reading materials and video lessons.
• Final Assessment & Debriefing (optional activity)