Disabled Artists’
Guide To Creating an Access Rider

Image description - a green slide with dressing room mirror lights around the edge with the words Access This Way and an arrow pointing right written on it

 ​An acknowledgement
 
We are indebted to our peers in the disability arts movement for their work in the creation of access riders. This is our take on it, which is completely informed by such work and our own experiences. It is essential that we create an accessible world especially as the sands shift again and all Covid safety measures are removed in society. 

Purpose of this guide

In times of such monumental change to our world we need to ensure that organisations and venues are held to account about their accessibility. Little Cog is calling for an end to ableism which in the arts will involve an examination and reconstruction of our existing structures and systems, and an end to inaccessible activities in inaccessible venues led by inaccessible people with inaccessible attitudes. Policies and systems must change to ensure disabled people are equal in cultural settings.
 
We see a regression in accessibility in our current times and so our aim to continue to keep these matters visible. We hope this guide will give you information about how to create an Artist’s Access Statement for you to use in your work. Disabled people often have access requirements that there aren’t existing routes to communicate and share with employers, commissioners, companies and collaborators. This is a way to take control of ensuring your access requirements are shared, acknowledged and met.
 
Whether or not you choose to use the term disabled, if you have a condition or impairment which means you're at risk of discrimination and exclusion, where both unintentional and intentional barriers keep you out or make your practice difficult - you have RIGHTS. They are solid and enshrined in law. We hope that by introducing this into our own practice that organisation and partners will begin to use it in theirs, and really positive working environments and relationships are created. We want organisations to embed disability equality ethos into their identities and practices. There is more information on that here.
 
We must be clear that having our access requirements met is NOT our responsibility - organisations must be proactive in their approach too and understand their responsibilities. And just because we provide information about our own access requirements, it doesn't mean that we will provide free disability or access education to the organisations we are working with, unless that is a separately contracted and paid for arrangement. An access statement is a tool providing a clear set of access 'terms and conditions'.
 
What is an Access Rider for?

• Disabled artists are taking control of their own working environments. Touring artists - musicians, actors and comedians - have used use ‘access’ statements for a long time and call them ‘riders’. They are often a list of requests to make everything run smoothly with some essential to make them comfortable. We’ll ignore people who ask for all the blue M&Ms to be removed, even if they do have a point about e-numbers. As we mentioned above, when disabled people use this approach for their access requirements, they are stating their terms and conditions - which are a right in this case. 
• You’re putting down on paper, without apology your access requirements, being really clear about the the things you require to be in place for your employment and collaboration to run smoothly for you and anyone working alongside you.
• The most effective Access Statements generally consist of an opening paragraph, possibly with some information for context and a series of bullet points, which may be covered by a number of headings if there are various things to cover. There are a number of templates available on the internet. We've created one for you to use below but do look at others and adapt what you need for yourself. 
• Creating the document will hopefully make you feel more confident about making your access requests, especially when they are all down in one place.
• It is a really important time to focus on accessibility and online use – in the first instance we need access requirements met to fully participate just like in society, but also screen fatigue and overwhelm need to be factored into our use of the digital world as a workplace. We hope this guide to accessible online meetings might assist in thinking about your own access.

 
What to Include
 
The most important thing is that whoever is reading your access statement has a clear picture of your requirements, however, as this is still new to some people, giving broader context can often be helpful. You might want to consider writing a quick explanation of supporting information, such as including a link to the social model of disability.
 
It’s good to ask yourself some questions about the barriers and obstacles you experience in your work which have an impact on you. It might be an idea to just get them on paper or into a voice recording and then start to group and prioritise.
 
We have found that thinking about the barriers we regularly experience is a good way to describe to other people what needs both removing, and what the alternative is that needs to be in place.  It can feel like a big muddle at first if there are a number of things to think about. And we might instinctively go towards wanting to explain our symptoms - that is not the purpose of the access statement. It is a solutions focussed document with clear instructions and no space for 'guesswork' on the part of the people you are working with. Some things to think about:

• What are the ideal conditions for me to work effectively, happily and accessibly?
• What access barriers do I often experience, how can they be removed and what needs to be in their place?

• Factor in the different stages and places a project might happen in - does this change the access requirements you have?
• Working cultures in the arts can be unhelpful, unhealthy and inaccessible - what can be put in pace to make these processes work better for you? Are there time frames, specific activities and key supports which can be put in place?  
• Your work might take different forms - workshops, panel talks, exhibitions, productions, installations, outdoor work, indoor work - again what might change depending on what you're delivering? 

• It is a requirement in law to have access requirements met, but there sometimes may need to be compromises agreed, depending on the nature of the project and the scale of the organisation you are working with and for. Work out if the compromise will work with you and if not, be really clear about the obstacles and how they stop you working. 

 
What to Leave Out
 
You do not need to go into any medical detail about a condition you have – meeting access requirements is about finding solutions that relate to the working environment. It is also not appropriate if people ask you for medical information (other than on a confidential emergency contact document for very specific reasons).
 
You don't have to explain why you have an access requirement, it is simply a statement of fact. 
 
When to use it
 
Deciding at what point you introduce your access statement can feel tricky if you're using it for the first time or if you don't know the person you're giving it to very well. Please remember though that like millions of other disabled people in the UK, this is about your right to have an accessible working environment. It can also be really well received as it removes uncertainties. We would say that the earlier you can introduce it the better for everyone. 
 
Confidentiality is essential - not because access is a secret but you need to be able to trust the recipient of the access statement and discuss together who needs the information from it. As you become more familiar with using it, you'll become familiar with eg what the technicians need to know, what the building manager should be aware of, what the director of a show needs to provide etc.
 
As your confidence grows when using access statements, keep conversations about them on the agenda and ensure it is not brushed over but is a tangible point of conversation. 
 
Artist’s Access Rider Template

We've drafted a template of what an artist's access statement could look like in written form. You may need to use a format that is accessible to you such as a video or audio. And of course, this is just a starting point. Tweak it to something that works for you.
You may also decide to use slightly different versions for different aspects of your work - as a facilitator, as an artist, as a panellist etc
There is a download version here along with the advice on this webpage.

Your Name  
Disability Access Rider
 
A paragraph for context
 
I have created an access statement to ensure that as a disabled person my working environment and the processes and practices I encounter are accessible and barrier free. Please let me know if you need further clarification on any of the information I'm sharing with you. Please note that it is not appropriate to ask questions about medical conditions, symptoms or why I have included a particular requirements. Questions can relate to more details about the specific requirements I have and how to achieve them.  Please do also let me know about any potential problems (eg the layout of a building) that you can see may present a barrier so that we can discuss it further. Please keep the information confidential until we have discussed who we think it will need to be shared with. Here is a link to the social model of disability which may help explain why this is important. [It is up to you how much information you wish to include, and whether you think there is other reading that will help the recipient have more context and therefore a better understanding]
 
My requirements
 
You could give a general overview of yourself and some of the barriers you have experienced, or the requirements that you have. 
 
Travel and Accommodation

• My mobility means that I require a taxi to get from place to place
• First class train travel is required
• Depending on the time frame of an event, I may need to travel the day before and stay in an accessible hotel to be properly rested and prepared for the event.
• I require wheelchair accessible accommodation with completely level access, a lift and describe the kind of bathroom that is accessible for you.

 
Meetings

• I require a clear agenda at least two days in advance
• BSL interpreter
• Captioning on zoom

Communication and Information

• I require written documents in large print / easy read / audio
• My preferred method of communication is email and zoom rather than telephone or texts
• Please don't send me emails with ambiguous content which may be triggering
• Please don't send problem solving requests at the end of a business day, and especially not on a Friday evening

Digital Options and 'hybrid' practices

• If you are someone who has been shielding, or who may need to shield during the project, be clear about requiring digital options for delivery and involvement, eg through video conferencing
• Think about what else this might mean for you and any other barriers which may be in place as all covid restrictions are removed.

 
Installation of exhibitions

• My access assistant will be with me or you need to provide an access assistant
• Agreements in advance

 
Events

• Information of expectations well in advance
• Step free access to the venue

 
Time Frames

• Regular working hours – I require regular working hours and am unable to stay late or work longer hours during production week
• I need regular breaks in a quiet space

 
Working practices

• No last minute changes
• No ambiguity of communications
• Clear agreements and timeframes
• Avoid overwhelming information or events

 
Online Working

• Time limited meetings with rest breaks
• Clear meetings agenda in advance
• Captions for meetings

Budgets

• If we are fundraising together, we will need to include access costs
• You can mention here if you are in receipt of access to work support (many people are not so don't be put off by that)

Making the work accessible

• You might wish to talk about, or insist upon, the work created, being accessible to audiences with BSL, captions, audio, audio description etc.
• You might want to talk about how audience and participants engage accessibly with the organisation without becoming their free educator.

Contracts and Accountability

• Our contract will need to be discussed with my access requirements included, clearly stating who will cover the costs and what accountability process is in place
• I require a contract in plain English
• I recommend having a named person to be available to review with me whether my access requirements are being met.
• We need to agree payment levels in the case of cancellation and postponement

 
Additional notes
 
If you think these are useful to include – use your experience to guide you and remember this is about other people meeting your access requirements (it is empowering and not a sign of weakness)

• There can be some variations in my condition you should be aware of and which we need to factor in.

 

• My energy levels can fluctuate day to day / week to week so it is essential to have a balanced and well planned workload, with plans in place should things change.

• You may wish to include other useful links here.