Guide >
Access for Audiences
This section details our recommended provisions for audiences attending various types of general events, across hybrid, online and in-person.
It’s pretty simple: by being accessible, you will achieve an increase in your audience outreach and engagement.
You’re also increasing the demand for books by disabled authors which in turn supports disabled authors to create more books, and you’re contributing to a wider conversation around disability and inclusion. You are an active facilitator of positive change!
In the UK, it is thought that some seven million people of working age [are disabled], which all adds up to an awful lot of spending power. This is known as the ‘purple pound’ and [in 2017] is reckoned to be worth around £249bn to the economy.
(BBC Business, 2017)
1 in 5 – More than 1 in 5 potential UK consumers have a disability.
£2 billion – Businesses lose approximately £2 billion a month by ignoring the needs of disabled people.
£274 billion – The spending power of disabled people and their household continues to increase and is currently (2020) estimated to be worth £274 billion per year to UK business.
73% of potential disabled customers experience barriers on more than a quarter of websites they visited.
Source: Purple Pound
“I do feel nervous or have some trepidation about going to events as a disabled person just because I know that there are almost always gaps in access. I feel like people just don’t give it enough thought. That can be a real emotional burden for disabled people, and I definitely think it will be discouraging people from going to events.”
“There’s a fundamental failing: the pressure is placed on disabled people to outline their requirements, when the Equality Act puts the anticipatory duty to make reasonable adjustments onto the event, the building, the space, rather than on the disabled person to ask. The obligation is for the event organisers to say what they can and can’t do. ”
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All Events
Information applicable to all formats of event (in-person, online, and hybrid).
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In-Person
Extra information applicable to in-person events.
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Online & Hybrid
Extra information applicable to online and hybrid events.