Festivals and venues fail disabled music fans, says report

More than half of venues and festivals provide either poor or no access information on their websites, according to a new report into accessibility by Attitude is Everything.

The report found that 1 in 3 live music events provide no access information and only a quarter provide information that is sufficient for disabled music fans – who make up over 15% of audiences for live music – to make an informed choice before booking.

These findings are based on 280 ‘mystery shopping’ reports from venue and festival visits, collected between April 2013 and March 2015, and research among 251 venues and 125 festivals.

The festivals and venues surveyed were categorised as either ‘high-profile, large scale and commercial’ or ‘smaller, independent and grassroots’. The amount and quality of their access information was assessed using a basic rating system.

The 26% of websites rated ‘good’ offered detailed information about disabled facilities, access routes and personal assistant ticket schemes. Those rated ‘poor’ provided only limited and general information, often mentioning nothing more than wheelchair access – an issue that is relevant to less than 8% of the UK’s disabled population.

Earlier research by Attitude is Everything indicates the impact of this on ticket sales: 60% of disabled music fans surveyed in the North East in 2015 said they had been put off buying tickets because of a lack of access information.

The report concludes that “there is clearly a need for straightforward universal guidance” on access information. To help venues and festivals to improve, access information guides and templates have been drawn up as part of the Access Starts Online campaign for better website access information. The authors have also pledged to offer disability training sessions for live music professionals.

Attitude is Everything Chief Executive Suzanne Bull MBE said: “Evidence suggests that many will not risk attending an event if they are unsure about access facilities. We should not be letting these online failures hold back the tide of progress, especially when they are so easy to fix.

“Signing up to Attitude is Everything’s Access Starts Online initiative is something all live music businesses can do. Not only does it cost nothing, but it represents a vital first step towards greater inclusivity and improved customer service that help these venues and festivals to reach new audiences.”

The report has been published with support from Glastonbury Festival, the Association of Independent Festivals, Colston Hall, Independent Venue Week and law firm Irwin Mitchell.