Five First Steps for Making Your Events More Accessible

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Five First Steps for Making Your Events More Accessible

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Edited at 2020-09-24 08:09:27

Ashley

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Five First Steps for Making Your Events More Accessible

Ashley

Recent works View more works>>

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Five First Steps for Making Your Events More Accessible

source: https://current.nyfa.org/post/178762949318/business-of-art-five-first-steps-for-making-your

Many barriers prevent arts lovers from experiencing the work they love, and these barriers aren't always physical.

The best practices shared below are also relevant to cultural institutions such as NYFA.

1. Recognize that Access is an Asset

It's time to think of access as an asset – if you make your work accessible, you open it up to new audiences.

Opportunities to innovate with your work, ensuring it resonates with a greater number of individuals, with a wide range of lived experience.

2. Broaden Your Understanding of “Disability”

In the minds of many people, “disability” refers to a visible physical impairment.

But there are many “invisible disabilities,” defined as a “physical, mental, or neurological condition that limits a person’s movements, senses, or activities that is invisible to the onlooker.”

These can include fatigue, chronic pain, and hearing and vision impairments that are not apparent to others.

3. Think Beyond Your Lived Experience

Take time to assess how the format, staging, and physical layout of your event may be limiting.

As Thom observes: “In my experience, lots of exclusion happens accidentally because people don’t see the barriers that others might experience."

By thinking about difference at the start of a process we can make less disabling spaces, systems, and attitudes.

4. Embrace the "Relaxed" Mindset

As you evaluate your event’s accessibility during the early planning stages, ask yourself questions such as: “Are audience members expected to sit still and quietly for several hours in chairs?”

In the theater world, this approach is known as the “Relaxed Performance Mindset.”

These kinds of performances “take a laid-back approach to noises or movement coming from the audience.

They give everyone permission to relax and respond naturally.

Many people feel that relaxed performances offer a more dynamic theatrical experience, which benefits everyone.”

5. Educate Yourself, Always

More and more resources and perspectives are now available to help cultural practitioners create more accessible programming.

You may feel there's a steep learning curve for you in creating accessible events.

If you're worried about missteps as you learn more, remember: it's better to begin and make progress, rather than allowing fear or anxiety to prevent you from acting at all.