Disability
One in four people in the UK are either disabled themselves, or close to someone who is, and their combined spending power has been estimated at £45 billion per annum.
We advocate equal opportunities of all people, with or without a disability, to participate across all the arts and creative industries.
All art forms must be supported and recognise that every 'body' not only has the right to act, sing and dance but also to manage, innovate and direct.
It makes commercial and ethical sense to include talented individuals who may have previously been excluded through prejudice and ignorance. Inclusion is an investment in our cultural heritage and creative economy.
Arts Council England has produced a number of publications including a handbook of good practice for employing disabled people, based on the Arts Council Apprenticeship Scheme Programme, and a guide on the Disability Rights Commission and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and what they mean for arts organisations.
Arts Council England has awarded large increases for a number of organisations involving disabled artists, including Graeae, Heart n' Soul and CandoCo, which exemplify that excellence need not be compromised.
Arts Council England aims to ensure that disability issues are mainstreamed and that arts organisations integrate disability issues in all their areas of activity.
This work includes Disability Arts Online – a website for disability arts, and Action for Access – which will provide arts organisations with practical information about making their venues, products and services more accessible.
The Disability Discrimination Act came into force on October 4th 2004. The Disability Discrimination Act requires all venues to make reasonable physical adjustments to their premises to make them accessible for all members of the community,
The National Disability Arts Forum is a useful resource. Also, Artsline is a charity which provides access information but primarily for the London region. If you want to find information on the accessibility specifically for London Theatres, the Society of London Theatre has worked with Artsline to produce a comprehensive access guide
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