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For Deaf/deaf and hard of hearing people:

1. Sign language interpreters. This would only be helpful for people who know sign language (not all deaf or hard of hearing people do) but very highly desirable and often preferred by many who do.

2. Consider some system of captioning. Check into Rear Window captioning technology as one example. (This has captions in reverse letters projected from the back of the auditorium; deaf people in the theater are loaned a transparent reflector that reflects the captions -- which show up on their screen the right way around). This is imperfect. In really large auditoriums, there might only be a certain cluster of seats from which it is possible to capture the captions with the reflector. And some deaf people find it annoying to manipulate the reflector so that the captions appear in such a manner so that it's easy for them to both read the captions and follow the action. And the current technological set-up doesn't allow for LIVE captioning for any unscripted content. BUT, for heavily scripted events, it would allow for non-intrusive access at all performances.

3. Other forms of captioning. Not sure what would be feasible, but associations of signing Deaf people, of non-signing deaf people, and hard of hearing people may well have suggestions to offer if consulted. (If the UK is like the US there will likely be separate organizations for all three. It would be very well worth consulting ALL these major groups of Deaf/deaf/HOH people because accommodations that work perfectly for one group may have disadvantages for another).

3. Audio loop. Primarily helpful for people with a MILD hearing loss, though I gather they find it VERY helpful.

If you offer portable loop devices, be sure to obtain BOTH the variety that works for hard of hearing people (mild hearing loss) AND ALSO the much louder variety for Deaf/deaf people. Personally I have long since given up asking for assistive hearing devices in theaters because they NEVER seem to have adequate volume for my level of hearing loss (severe to profound) -- most theaters only seem to bother with devices helpful for hard of hearing people. The devices that may work stupendously for someone with a MILD hearing loss may be utterly useless for someone with a more severe hearing loss. (And of course if your hearing loss is even more profound, then none of these devices will do much good at all.)

4. If you're announcing time for the intermission to be over, flash the lights in the areas where people have gathered for their break. Deaf people can't hear the announcement but will see and understand the lights.

5. Be prepared to provide tactile sign language interpreters on request for deaf-blind people. Consult the UK organization of deaf-blind people for further ideas.

6. When deciding where to place sign language interpreters, PLEASE bear in mind, that deaf people put VERY high value on SEEING as much as possible. Granted, any deaf person at a MUSIC event probably must either hear some or feel the vibrations very strongly (as for loud music)--but they're still inherently going to miss out on certain content that hearing people get. That tends to make us value visual content even more. It can be frustrating for deaf people to be placed somewhere where they can only see a fragment of the stage, or ESPECIALLY to be placed somewhere where they would have to turn their head nearly 180 degrees in order to look back and forth between the interpreter and the action on the screen (you REALLY miss a LOT of information when you spend that much time just swinging your head back and forth). Consider inviting a group of local deaf and hard of hearing people to come to your theater and advise you on the best placement.

7. Please bear in mind the needs of deaf people who also happen to use wheelchairs. In one theater I was at, the only place where wheelchairs could fit in was way at the back of one of the upper balconies, whereas the interpreter was a good 15 or 20 meters or so away in another balcony to the side away from the stage. It was pretty much impossible to actually read the interpreter without a pair of binoculars. (I don't use a wheelchair but a friend of mine does, so this affected me also.)

Try to select a placement for interpreters that would be compatible for deaf wheelchair users -- if not for every performance, then at least on request when a deaf wheelchair user announces their need for both an interpreter and wheelchair access. Make sure you have a process in place for making this happen, with appropriate training for people who take ticket reservations, or else they'll slip through the cracks.

8. Deaf people like to plan ahead just as much as everyone else. If you're not going to have interpreters or captions for every performance, then make sure that ALL your publicity FROM DAY ONE makes clear which performances will be accessible. Every time you post your schedule of performances, there should be a footnote clearly indicating which performances are captioned, interpreted, audio described, whatever. Don't make deaf people have to make 10 phone calls to 10 different people before they find someone who even understands their question much less knows the answer. This is HIGHLY ANNOYING.

Also, if you have already started selling tickets, then you should already know EXACTLY on what dates interpreters or captions etc will be available. If a deaf person calls to buy tickets on the first day they go on sale, then they should NOT be told, "Oh we haven't set up the interpreters yet. Call us back in 10 weeks after all the tickets are sold out, or after you've gone ahead and made vacation plans for the one and only date on which we bother to make our performance accessible to you." (Yes, I've had pretty much this happen to me.)

9. Have multiple accessible dates available to choose among. Or, better, keep pushing the boundaries of technology to find ways to make EVERY performance accessible.

10. If a deaf person indicates that none of teh available dates or times will work, then (with adequate notice) ADD ANOTHER DATE (and publicize it, at least on your web site, so other deaf people can take advantage). A deaf person should not have to miss a performance altogether simply because the range of dates available to him/her is so much more restricted than it is for hearing people.

11. Price tickets fairly. If the best place to put the interpreter just happens to be in the most expensive seats so be it--but in that case, you shouldn't be charging deaf people any more than the cheapeast (or at least AMONG the cheapest) seats in the house. If the cheap seats are not even accessible to deaf people (or wheelchair users for that matter) then what, exactly, makes it reasonable that disabled people pay full price for the only seats that ARE accessible for them?

12. Interpreting songs can be immensely challenging--but when done well, ideally by interpreters who specialize specifically in interpreting musical or theaterical or artistic performances, then it can highly enhance the experience for Deaf people in the audience.

THEREFORE, Sign language interpreters should have the opportunity to attend a few rehearshals prior to the performance and be given a full agenda. Or, alternately, given recorded CDs of the music group's most popular songs or some other manner of anticipating performance content in as much detail as possible. Interpreters will need plenty of time to prepare in order to do even a decent job, and even more time to do well.

13. Only Deaf people themselves can evaluate the quality of interpreters. Consider gathering feedback from Deaf people who attend on the quality of the interpretation and ask for their opinion on whether you should hire the same interpreting team again.

For those who use walking sticks, crutches etc or have other invisible pain or mobility problems, *seating* is so important. I'm prevented from going to so many music venues because I know that no matter how early I arrive, the five stools at the bar (which aren't usually suitable anyway) will already be taken, and I will therefore be able to stand for a grand total of about ten minutes before I either have to collapse on the floor (seeing nothing for the rest of the evening) or go home and spend the rest of the evening at home, in pain. In my fantasy full-of-accessible-music-venues world, there is priority seating for those who need it, and it's properly supervised by bar staff who have had enough disability equality training to tell people to MOVE if someone requests the seat for impairment-related reasons. The venue will also, of course, be fully wheelchair accessible (including lowered counter areas at the bar), with decent, clean accessible toilets (locked with a RADAR key, but with one of these available behind the bar on request). There will also be (free) filtered water on hand, and if the venue serves food, versions of this will be available in gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free etc varieties. Oh, and a good range of alcohol-free drinks would be available. Um... it's a world that I'm not sure will ever exist, as it might be a little bit *too* perfect. But I am within my rights to live in hope. :D

Food of the vegan variety would also be available, served by servers and food preparation staff who actually UNDERSTAND that, no, vegetable soup made with chicken broth is NOT vegetarian, and that although their grilled veggie sandwhich made with mayo and cheese may well be perfectly vegetarian it is NOT vegan (cheese = dairy = NOT vegan. Mayo = most brands contain egg = NOT vegan)

Also: for people with non-visible mobility issues who use regular (non-accessible) bathrooms but who find it hard to stand a long time: consider putting a few chairs against the wall so people have a place to wait if all the stalls are taken. I wouldn't need this type of accommodation today, but I've needed it in the past and it's conceivable that I might need it again in the future.

And if there is a long line to get into the event, PLEASE keep in mind the needs of people who cannot stand for long periods of time. If you're in line for a long time, then that's an awful lot of standing. I admit I'm not sure what the best solution is (loan out wheelchairs? But then you would have to find a way to alert people to their existence, and you would have to figure out a way that people waiting in line can ask for and actually obtain a wheelchair very QUICKLY. Or have a few chairs -- light and portable, plastic will do -- available as a matter of course, clearly labeled as being specifically for people whose impairments make it difficult or painful to stand for prolonged periods of time. And have staff who are prepared to enforce that.

Unfortunately, I have NEVER seen an event (a place with long lines; or job fairs which also require a lot of walking around then standing at the various employer booths waiting to talk to them; etc) that seemed to adequately accommodate the needs of people who find it hard to stand who aren't already in a wheelchair. So even though I can see a BIG need, I'm kind of at a loss how to accommodate this. Anyone else have ideas?

Right where to start:

1. Viewing platforms in ALL venues. Or at least an area that is set aside for crip music fans who wish to use it. The Cambridge Corn Exchange in er, Cambridge is a fine example. They a have a box overlooking the stage that has access by lift. The Barbican in London is good too, once you actually get there that is.

2. Venues that are upstairs or in basements to be accessible. I've seen to many venues that many disabled pop-pickers could never get into because of shocking access. There are exceptions of course. The Spitz in London, which is danger of closure, is excellent. Although the venue is upstairs there is access via lift.

3. If it is a primarily standing venue, access to some seating for those, like me who, like today, can hardly move because I have had to stand at two gigs in two days, would be nice.

4. Venue staff and security to have some kind of disability awareness training. Attitude Is Everything do a lot of work in this area.

5. Some concert goers having more awareness and manners. Some venues, like The Astoria in London, do provide seating for disabled people (and their carers). I tend to get a bit annoyed if non-disabled decide to either, stand directly in front of you or think that they shoiuld be sitting there instead of you. Luckily that particular venue has very good, well trained staff who
stamp this out quickly.

7. Related the above are those idiots who when they are refused entry to a disable veiwing platform at a festival then pretend that they have some kind of impairment (usually by adopting a 'comedy' limp and screaming in pain). I would like this to stop. It makes stewarding a real pain.

There is still a lot of work that needs doing by music venues to make their venues more accessible. However, things are improving slowly. There are venues, like the ones mention above that do offer something for the disabled gig-goer. For instance the aforementioned Astoria ensures that disabled punters do not have to queue up. Twice recently I've been pulled out of the queue at this venue and taken to the very front and let in before anyone else. This is extremely rare, but very welcome.

Like wow man. I am humbled and like freaked out by the happening here. Good karma to all you who honoured the good Lady B and graced her pages with these responses. I've spoken to the cat in control and some of these goodies are already on the architect's board,so all is cool.
I'm now looking forward to the reincarnation of this groovy joint in Rainy City.
Muchas gracias Lady B - You rock!
Catch ya later.
Zoot

hello.

I run the save the Astoria campaign, i'd like to link to this post if that's ok with you.

I'm not actually deaf myself, yet.. just i am aware that live gigs, drumming and using in-ear headphones [given these up now] have wrecked my ears.

i had loads of ear infections when i was younger, and when i realised i was giving myself tinnitus in january 06, i started being nice to my ears to try and help them heal*

- i mean, i'm young, i'm not meant to have a permanent ringing in my ears. it's stupid of me, and i don't think the rest of my generation realise what the decibel levels are gonna do to us if we're not careful.

when you first start going to gigs the ringing in your ears after is kind of fun. it's when it doesn't STOP that you know it's stupid.

* getting musician's earplugs, not playing music loud into my ears, not using in-ear headphones. not being happy if i return from a concert somewhere with the ringing more noticeable than it was.

with this in mind, i think venues have a responsiblity to offer good earplugs to all members of the crowd, and make sure they know what happpens when you listen to 120db+ for over an hour.

Jade,

Yes, do feel free to link to this blog entry, if you think it'll help :-)

LBE