Inaccessibility remains commonplace for disabled people attending festivals and industry showcases. Rosie Heafford has compiled key access considerations for before, during, and after events.
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Taking Care: Supporting Delegates with Invisible Disabilities at Festivals and Showcases (HowlRound Theatre Commons)
Festivals, showcases, and other industry events are incredibly valuable, but they are often impossible to attend as a disabled person. Part of my role as the artistic director of Second Hand Dance is to travel to festivals and showcases, which offer the opportunity to see work by other artists, network and discuss with peers, and present our own shows. In 2019, however, I had to pull out of presenting my work at a festival due to last minute changes in scheduling and activity that did not accommodate my invisible disability.
The tricky thing with invisible disabilities is that they seem hidden. However, the Parliament of the United Kindgom estimates that 70-80 percent of the billion people worldwide living with disabilities do not have a visible impairment that immediately identifies them as disabled. Institutions need to better support people with invisible disabilities by asking about individual access needs. Above all, I’d ask that anyone running a festival or showcase avoid makings assumptions and approach their event from the standpoint that everyone’s experience is unique...Keep reading on HowlRound Theatre Commons.