Disabled music fans to MPs: tell venues & festivals in your constituency to support Access Starts Online
08 March 2016 - Press releaseMP’s have been encouraged to join a new campaign supporting greater access to gigs and festivals for millions of Deaf and disabled music fans.
The call follows a meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Music, and a presentation by music charity Attitude is Everything of their recent State of Access Report.
This reveals that more than 1/3 of UK venues and festivals are failing to provide any access information on their websites.
In total, of 386 live music businesses surveyed by the charity, less than 1/5 provided online access information rated as “good” - with the problem particularly pronounced at small venues.
Such information, covering everything from ticketing to toilets, is vital for the 3.6m disabled people who annually attend live music events in the UK.
For full details of the State of Access Report, please go to:
www.attitudeiseverything.org.uk/soar
Aiming to bring about positive change, Attitude is Everything have launched the Access Starts Online campaign - making it easy for live music businesses to add a comprehensive access information page to their website.
To help accelerate the campaign’s impact, Attitude is Everything’s CEO, Suzanne Bull MBE, called on MPs to take three specific actions:
To contact music venues and festivals in their constituencies and raise awareness about Access Starts Online
To encourage live music businesses nominated for the Best Venue Award at the Parliamentary “Rock The House” competition to sign up to Attitude is Everything’s Charter of Best Practice
To champion the theme of “Access Generates Custom” and highlight the commercial benefits to businesses of making live music accessible
Speaking at the APPG meeting, which was hosted by industry body UK Music at Portcullis House, Suzanne Bull MBE said:
“Attitude is Everything’s State of Access Report offers an extensive snapshot of how well live music businesses in the UK are serving their disabled customers. A growing number are improving their access facilities and reaping the commercial benefits, but there is still a major problem with venue and festival websites not providing comprehensive access information. Music should be for everyone, but without these essential detail many disabled fans will be dissuaded from buying tickets in the first place - which is why we are calling on MP’s to support Access Starts Online and help get our message out into their constituencies.”
The call to action was joined by Attitude is Everything’s Parliamentary patrons Lord Tim Clement-Jones CBE and Paul Maynard MP, as well as UK Music Chief Executive Jo Dipple.
Lord Tim Clement-Jones CBE said:
“It is really important that MPs and policy-makers can get behind Attitude is Everything’s Access Starts Online campaign, and ensure venues and festivals in their constituencies are providing detailed access information to disabled fans. Live music in the UK is already a billion pound business but, as was demonstrated at today’s APPG meeting, making these small changes could help increase audience numbers and make it an even greater success story.”
Paul Maynard MP said:
“Attitude is Everything’s 'can-do' approach has helped massively increase the numbers of Deaf and disabled people attending live music events. However, as the charity's recent State of Access Report pinpoints, there are still areas where more can be done, and especially when it comes festival and venue websites providing detailed access information. Rectifying this situation is extremely cost effective and would, at one stroke, obliterate a major barrier faced by disabled audiences - which is why we calling on all UK live music businesses to support the Access Starts Online campaign."
Jo Dipple said:
"UK Music has consistently championed the vital role of venues and festivals which generate £3.1 billion in music tourism. Live music events need to be accessible to all. Attitude is Everything do tremendous work in this regard as the recent State of Access Report demonstrates. We encourage MPs to work with live music events in their constituencies to eliminate barriers to access."
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