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‘A Festivals Guide to Accessible Events’

First created in 2020, A Festivals Guide to Accessible Events was published as an initiative of Eastern Riverina Arts Australia in collaboration with IDEAS (Information on Disability Education and Awareness Services). Eastern Riverina Arts (ERA) is an organization providing big opportunities to artists and creative people; it supports creative practitioners, stimulates creative activity and enterprise, and increases participation in the arts. The guide was released as part of their project PLATFORM. Its goal is to make it easier for people with disabilities to attend festivals. 

The guide assists festivals in becoming more inclusive and accessible to people with disabilities, who may wish to be involved in events as attendees, entertainers, presenters and/or participants. Although written for an Australian audience, many parts of the guide are applicable to European festivals as well. Understanding accessibility, planning and then promoting your event as being accessible will attract people with disabilities. Previously, people with disabilities might not have attended because there was not enough information on how to travel to and move around on the festival site, and because there was no access to event facilities and activities. Great customer service is the foundation of any successful event. 

The guide includes a short training course for festival committees and events staff aimed at breaking down attitudinal barriers. Its goal is to help attendees, audiences, volunteers and staff feel more informed and comfortable assisting and interacting with people with disabilities. It explains that people with disabilities rarely decide spontaneously to travel and attend events. Many spend significant amounts of time researching and making enquiries to ensure the event is accessible for them before deciding to attend. Additionally, the guide includes a table with terms that are inappropriate to describe people with disabilities and their more appropriate counterparts.

This guide also discusses the importance of promoting accessible formats and how to promote them. People with disabilities can face barriers when attending and participating in public events and activities in a variety of ways. Incorporating strategies into the planning phase of an event, whether it is a workshop, consultation or concert, will help event organizers to create a memorable experience that will likely attract more customers. The guide offers a useful checklist of things to consider when planning an accessible event, including preparations, travelling to the site and on-site support.

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