“Accessibility!”
This is a word that Dani Rose, Managing Director of Art-Reach, encourages everyone to shout loudly, proudly and in unison whenever she has an opportunity. Rose did just that when she and colleague Adrienne Beckham, Associate Director of Leadership Initiatives, shared their expertise on strategic accessibility planning in a session at INTIX 2024 in Las Vegas.
“Accessibility!”
“Disability!”
These words could be heard repeatedly and enthusiastically ringing through the room (and likely beyond!) in the early moments of Rose and Beckham’s talk as they educated attendees on language and the importance of word choices.
Adrienne Beckham
“If you do not identify as having a disability, our recommendation is that you use ‘person first’ language to honor and respect the humanity of each individual and their experiences,” Beckham said. “Using person-first language, we say ‘person with a disability’ rather than ‘disabled person.’ We would say a group and their family member who is ‘using a wheelchair’ rather than a ‘wheelchair person.’ You would say ‘an audience member who is blind’ or a ‘patron who is deaf,’ etc.”
While Rose and Beckham used person-first language throughout their presentation when referring to other people, they did acknowledge that there has been a movement advocating for identity-first language. Beckham, for example, uses identity-first language to describe herself. “When in doubt, we find it best to default to person-first and let others guide us in how they prefer to identify,” Beckham shared.
“Accessible” can replace the “H-word,” which Rose says is derogatory and discriminatory.
Dani Rose
“The word accessible is a perfectly acceptable word to use in every situation,” Rose emphasized, adding that disability, wheelchair, access needs or services, and accommodations are also OK.
“What is not OK to say are awkward euphemisms like ‘differently abled.’ What makes me uncomfortable is the label ‘high functioning.’ Or [to] mention that someone is ‘somewhere on the spectrum.’ And we definitely do not use the word ‘special,’” Rose said.
Service First
Service-first language is precisely what it sounds like. It emphasizes the services a live event or entertainment organization can provide versus focusing on the person.
“If I am selling an accessible seat to a person using a wheelchair, I could ask a question using person-first language,” Beckham said. “Or I could say, ‘Our wheelchair-accessible seating is flexible, open seating, and we can either leave open space for a wheelchair, or we can provide a chair. Which would you prefer?’ That is service first. I am talking about the chair, not the person, because that is the service that I provide in my venue, and it is actually the information that I really need to know to prepare for the guest’s visit.”
Word choices. See how important they are when you are communicating with people with disabilities. The words you choose are the foundation of providing a welcoming experience for all attendees.
Do not refer to a person with an apparent physical disability as an “ADA person” or to the accessible seats as “ADA seats,” Rose said.
She added, “The word ‘accessible’ and the phrase ‘people with disabilities’ can be a mouthful. I say it about 100 times in this presentation, so I know, but it is preferred. Even ‘access’ would be fine. ‘Access seating.’ That is great. Using ‘ADA’ as a shorthand just does not sit well with me. A person using the wheelchair may be an individual who is protected under the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) from discrimination, but they are a person, not a law, and the very law referenced gives this person the right to be treated equally. Language is powerful. Take some time to evaluate the words you use, but also don’t be afraid. ‘Person with a disability’ is always an OK thing to say.”
Then, the enthusiastic participation continued as Rose asked everyone in the session room to shout aloud again.
“Disability!”
Adrienne Beckham and Dani Rose at their INTIX 2024 workshop on strategic accessibility planning.
Obligations in the ADA
Understanding obligations under the ADA is essential, but Rose brought home an important point.
“I sometimes feel that we get bogged down in door widths, seat types, proportional pricing ratios and the technicalities,” she said. “When we do that, we fail to focus on the fact that the ADA was written to protect people, not door widths. Access work or accessibility is about people and ensuring that people are accommodated, not that compliance is met.”
Live events and entertainment are all about people. And with that in mind, it is easy to see the importance of a human-centered approach to strategic access work.
The ADA is built on the principles of equal opportunity, full participation, independent living and economic self-sufficiency. Rose said it “reflects the disability community’s determination to participate like all American citizens and to direct their own futures. As folks with disabilities make up the largest minority group in the U.S., and [it is] the only group that anyone can join at any time, temporarily or permanently, the ADA generalizes disability in order to be inclusive of the greatest number of individuals.”
At its core, the ADA asks businesses to follow standards and regulations because anything less is considered discrimination. Yet following these standards is just the bare minimum.
Instead, said Rose, we should honor and welcome every guest equally.
“Strategic accessibility work is honoring human beings who deserve the right to equal participation. To independence of choice. And that following these ideals comes far closer to compliance than any ramp ratio or counter height ever could,” she said.
Rose continued, “Rather than thinking of the ADA as a metric of compliance, it is time to start thinking of the regulations as a guide for how we best welcome our community. How can we be active in the accommodations required to adapt our space, to communicate a sense of welcome with the language that we use, and how can we be active in the ways to create equitable experiences for anyone and everyone?”
Human-Centered Prioritization
Rose and Beckham’s presentation was not about the law. It did not emphasize how your venue or organization could update its physical space to be more accessible.
It was about humanity. Empathy. People.
These two accessibility experts, both as people with disabilities themselves, want you to show up for them and their community. This starts, they said, with four letters.
D, E, I and A.
You have probably heard about diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility before. Your organization or venue likely has a program and/or committee dedicated to this critical work. And that is a great start. But it is only that, Rose and Beckham say.
The presenters reiterated that DEIA initiatives must include access.
Beckham said, “Art-Reach’s Director of Communications Julian Harper used a phrase in a conversation we had, which rings in my ear constantly. I would like to share [it] with you all, and that is the aesthetic of justice. Organizations will say the buzzwords and craft the perfect pitch to marginalized communities, but the work then stops at the marketing and PR department, and the concerns raised by those communities never get addressed. As a result, they receive the benefits of wearing the public aesthetic of an inclusive and justice-oriented space without truly earning it. Often in today’s world, an organization has the luxury of deciding when to put on the cloak of social responsibility and justice.”
She continued, “Your theater has a DEIA statement on its website for the public to see, the cloak is on. But your theater will not install extra handrails on the stairs because it is too difficult or costs more than shareholders would like to spend, and the cloak comes off. I do not have that luxury. I do not have the luxury of transforming into the able-bodied neurotypical patron a venue creates its policies for on command. In every space I enter, I get to be the beautiful, black, disabled woman that I am, and every space I enter shows me through its policies, practices and procedures whether or not it cares that I exist in this world and in their audience.”
So, where does the work toward more accessible and welcoming spaces begin?
It begins with the disability community.
You may have heard the disability rights phrase, “Nothing about us without us.” This phrase should guide every access initiative at your organization. Talking to the people who your access work will serve is exactly how you do human-centered DEIA work, Rose and Beckham said. It is as simple as actively engaging and listening to the disability community.
Be Brave
While Rose and Beckham emphasized that it is simple, they did not say doing strategic access work would be easy. You will make mistakes. You will be unable to find the right words at times. You will get things wrong. It will be uncomfortable.
Put your comfort aside and think of how uncomfortable attending live events can be for a person with a disability.
They have entered crowded rooms and asked for help from strangers just to see a concert.
They have had near accidents when their accessible seats were on the opposite side of the venue from the accessible bathroom.
Sometimes, there isn’t enough room in that accessible bathroom for their personal care attendant to assist them.
They have gone before people in positions of authority and advocated for what they need.
Yes, access work can be scary and uncomfortable, but Rose and Beckham said if they can be brave, they know you can, too.
Training
The next step, said Rose, is to thoroughly evaluate all areas of your organization to outline your access assets and deficits. It is, she says, impossible to know where to begin until everything is documented.
There are many ways to manage it. This is how Art-Reach approaches a four-part self-assessment survey:
The staff at Art-Reach uses the resulting points per question to highlight areas of focus and to help create a roadmap.
To guide the process, Art-Reach recommends forming a committee or employee resource group. These individuals are responsible for conducting the self-assessment, analyzing the results, creating action steps and guiding the plan through to completion.
Art-Reach recommends that this group should include representation from:
- Marketing
- Community outreach
- Facilities
- Security
- Human resources
- Leadership
- Guest services
- And more!
Site Surveys
When Art-Reach surveys a site, they break the evaluation areas into four core disability types:
- Mobility
- Vision
- Deaf/hard of hearing
- Neurodivergence
"It is important to note that the core four disability areas we focus on do not encapsulate every disability type or disability identity, but we have found through our experience that addressing these core four areas fosters an inclusive environment that can benefit the greatest number of individuals,” Beckham said.
The four areas can include various considerations:
Art-Reach also investigates each site using two themes — universal or inclusive design and safe space/belonging:
Additionally, Art-Reach evaluates visual branding and communication guides using the web content accessibility guidelines or WCAG.
The organization’s consulting process also gathers data to prove the need for greater access. This is done using surveys, experiential data focus groups, prototype programs and attendee/visitor feedback.
Upgrading Access
“Once you have collected the data, it is time to sift through and find areas where improvements may be necessary,” Rose said. “Once you have highlighted an area of improvement, think about how you can upgrade.”
Rose added, “Without ever entering your venue, we can tell you that there are three upgrades you can make to upgrade the access you are providing your audiences.”
They are:
- Provide proactive (not reactive) access services. This can include assistive listening devices, captions, American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters, audio description, large print materials and more.
“Typically, access services are provided once a guest requests some form of accommodation. An easy upgrade to make is to begin to provide accessible accommodations as a routine practice,” Rose said.
- Upgrade your budget. Ensure adequate resources for access as part of your daily business operations — because it is part of your daily business operations.
“If you are not budgeting for access, you are allowing any accommodation to exist as an additional expense rather than the cost of doing business,” Rose said. “This has a massive impact on the bottom line because it was an unplanned expense. Is it smart business to always operate access at a deficit because you simply didn't plan for it?”
- Upgrade your information. Pre-visit information builds trust with attendees before they arrive. Guests likely think about many things before they come to an event, including available seats, pricing, venue location, parking, the cost of parking versus public transit, whether or not to go for dinner before the show, concessions, door time, if there will be an intermission and more.
“For a person with a disability, this list grows ten-fold,” Beckham said. “Where are the seats, and will they accommodate me? How long will I have to walk from the parking lot to my seat? How many stairs? What is the view, and will someone stand up and block me? Where is the venue, and do they have accessible parking? Oh, only two spaces that are first-come, first-served. OK, better get there early. Probably should have dinner before so we can get there early. Will they have gluten-free concessions? How far is my seat from the bathroom? How long is the intermission? OK, 15 minutes to get across the venue to the elevator, then down the elevator to the only accessible restroom, wait my turn, do my thing, get back to the elevator, then get back to my seat, all in 15 minutes? Never mind. Don’t eat or drink before the show.”
With comprehensive plan-your-visit information, all guests can make informed choices. People with disabilities are very likely to read pre-attendance emails and anything they can find on your website because it helps create a positive experience for them and their party.
“In many cases, we ask guests to request accommodations in advance of the performance. This is another place where information equals trust,” Beckham said. “Are you detailing the pathways a guest can follow to make their accommodation requests? Be sure that it is very clear and shown in the places guests are looking. If you are not sure how much information to put, start by collecting a list of common questions from your ticketing office and guest-facing staff. They know what information the guests are looking for.”
Beckham added, “Information is the key to independent choice and equal participation. Share as much information as you can. Be proud of the access you do have available and be honest about the barriers in your location.”
Planning for Access
Once you have completed an internal assessment, site survey, data collection and list of upgrades, it is time to get strategic.
“Strategic accessibility planning becomes the process of transitioning your organization from lacking access to creating access,” Beckham said. “It is strategic because it will touch every single part of your organization, and the transition has to be a holistic one. It must start with a mission, vision or values statement. It is a commitment to hold yourself accountable. It is a statement to gain support from stakeholders. It guides our expectations as we work.”
Rose recommends setting high-level goals after developing your mission or value statement. They should address internal practice, external policy, redesigning procedures and the creation of new programs. From there, break each goal down into strategies and the tactics needed to achieve them.
To conclude their session, Rose and Beckham offered time for quiet reflection. Their ideas to guide this moment of pause also apply to readers of this article. Think about an access success at your organization or venue. What wins can you celebrate? Is there an immediate change you can make? How can you connect with the disability community in your area?
Ultimately, the most important step in strategic accessibility planning is the first one, which gets you started.
Here are some additional resources from Rose and Beckham to help on your access journey:
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