Access Scheme Frequently asked Questions
Here are some FAQs regarding our Access Scheme.
Why are you developing this scheme?
Who and what
As the national development agency for creativity and culture, we are committed to opening up access and opportunity to promote fairness in the sector.
D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent audience members often encounter barriers to access and engagement for creative and cultural events and venues. While some Sector Support Organisations, venues, creative and cultural organisations, and ticketing providers already offer access support, there is currently a fragmented and inconsistent approach to access throughout the UK.
Our research has identified a desire from D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent audience members for a more consistent system that addresses all their access needs. This includes clear information on access for creative and cultural events and venues, easy booking for and access to creative and cultural experiences, and removing the burden on audience members to repeatedly state and prove their disabled status and access needs to ticketing providers, event organisers and venues. We aim to create a scheme that addresses all these aspects and more.
For Arts Council England, this scheme is a commitment from the Delivery Plan of our 2020-30 strategy, Let’s Create.
Who is the scheme for?
The scheme aims to support all disabled, D/deaf and neurodivergent people wishing to buy tickets for, attend, or visit creative and cultural events and venues throughout the UK.
The scheme also plans to support all creative and cultural organisations, events, ticketing providers and venues, including cultural venues like museums, galleries and libraries. The proposed scheme will be available to all.
What will the scheme include for audience members and visitors?
Our aim is to create a scheme which provides clear information for disabled, D/deaf and neurodivergent audience members, and where one membership allows them to visit venues and book accessible tickets easily without having to repeatedly state and prove their disabled status and access needs.
To achieve this ambition, plans for the new scheme include a website with interactive listing of accessible spaces, events and performances.
We also aim to make a digital membership scheme where members can choose to provide details of their access needs. Our intention is that these details can then be automatically shared with venues, ticketing providers, and creative and cultural organisations. This will mean audience members will only need to provide their access details once, and not be required to register their information every time they visit or buy tickets for a new event or venue. Members will be able to choose how their access information is shared, and with whichever venues, ticketing providers and organisations they wish.
We intend that the scheme will also provide ticketing providers, venues, and creative and cultural organisations with support, guidance, resources and training to facilitate improvements to their buildings and services that will enhance access and improve the experience of disabled, D/deaf and neurodivergent audience members.
What will the scheme include for venues, ticketing providers, and creative and cultural organisations?
The scheme’s new website, with its interactive listing of accessible spaces, events and performances, aims to direct disabled, D/deaf and neurodivergent audience members to accessible venues and performances, growing audience numbers.
Plans for the scheme include a newly-developed set of best practice standards that outline what good accessibility looks like within creativity and culture. These standards will also include what organisations, venues and ticketing providers should aim to offer their audiences and visitors when delivering accessible programming, events and spaces. We aim for these standards to cover all areas where audiences interact with the creative and cultural sector, including built environment, digital access and communications, events and programming, and customer service.
To help venues, providers and organisations meet these standards, the intention is for the scheme to offer a training and support programme, including guidance and resources.
The scheme also proposes a new membership scheme for venues, ticketing providers and organisations. The ambition is for this scheme to be able to integrate with existing ticket booking systems, automatically sharing audience members’ access needs (if they choose).
The intention is for the scheme to assist with data analysis on engagement trends for disabled, D/deaf and neurodivergent audience members. This data will help to inform the creative and cultural sector, grow audiences, and drive improved access provision.
Accessibility
What progress has been made in developing the scheme so far?
We are committed to ensuring any scheme developed addresses a wide range of the needs of disabled, D/deaf and neurodivergent audience members. That’s why our first action was to focus on learning about the experiences and needs of audience members through research. We are also asking the creative and cultural sector for feedback at every stage to ensure any scheme developed supports and enhances existing access provision.
So far, our research has included studies, consultation and focus groups, including research into how access provision has changed due to Covid-19. We have also completed technical studies to learn how a scheme might work with existing box office systems to make sure booking is easy for disabled, D/deaf and neurodivergent audience members.
As part of our commitment that the scheme is directed by people with lived experiences, we have also recruited an Advisory Group of disabled, D/deaf and neurodivergent members.
What’s next for the scheme? When will it be launched?
Throughout Autumn 2022, we will carry out further research. This includes a consultative survey of ticketed venues. This will be followed-up with further sessions with selected organisations to examine some of the responses more deeply.
We are working toward piloting the scheme with the creative and cultural sector by early 2024 ahead of a full public launch.
How are we making sure the scheme is informed by the experiences of disabled, D/deaf and neurodivergent audience members?
We are committed to ensuring the scheme addresses all access needs. That’s why we’re being guided by an Advisory Group of disabled, D/deaf and neurodivergent members that is independently chaired by Sam Tatlow MBE.
We are also developing the scheme in consultation with people who will use it. So far, we have learned about current access support and how it could be improved from people with lived experience through consultations and focus groups. We will continue to ask for feedback from disabled, D/deaf and neurodivergent audience members throughout the development of the scheme.
Costing and other schemes
What will membership of the scheme cost?
Any scheme developed will be free to join for audience members and visitors. We will continue to consult the creative and cultural sector as we develop the scheme to ensure membership is cost effective for ticketing providers, venues, and organisations.
How will the scheme work with other access schemes?
We aim for our proposed scheme to complement and enhance existing access provision. Our aim is to work with the entire creative and cultural sector, including existing access card and accreditation schemes, to ensure that any new scheme developed is fair for all.
How will the scheme impact organisations, ticketing providers and venues that already offer access support?
We know that some organisations, venues and ticketing providers offer good support and access provision for D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent audience members. That’s why we’re listening to the creative and cultural sector through research and consultations as we develop the scheme. We will continue to work with organisations, ticketing providers and venues to ensure that any scheme developed supports and enhances existing access provision.
How will the scheme work across different countries within the United Kingdom?
We are carrying out research and working with our Steering Group partners to learn how the scheme can best support D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent audience members in every country of the UK. We are also asking for feedback from the creative and cultural sector of each country as we create the scheme.