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I go to events because I enjoy the whole experience: the vibes of an excited crowd, the fact that I'm going to see something completely live, and the engagement. Every one is a memorable event in one way or another. And obviously, for me, they're also school days. There's always something done differently that gives me food for thought about the day job.
Over the past few weeks I've had the pleasure of attending two very different events. I wanted to balance my archive by sharing my own experience of attending as a parent with early teenage kids.
The contrast between the two was instructive. Not because one failed and one succeeded in the conventional sense, but because of what separated them in terms of how every customer, not just disabled customers, experienced the event.
When accessibility is designed in from the start, the whole experience improves. When it's bolted on as an afterthought, everyone can feel it — not just the people it was bolted on for.
The first event had queuing systems that flowed. Entry was calm. Staff were visible and proactive rather than reactive. Accessible features were integrated into the general experience rather than hidden around the side. The whole thing moved.
The second event was different. And the contrast didn't just affect disabled customers. It affected the experience for everyone who was there.
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Chris Fry
Accessibility specialist and legal professional. Postgraduate legal qualifications, CEDR mediation accreditation. Contributor to House of Lords and Commons Select Committee proceedings, and Court of Appeal cases. Founder, Strategic Access Advisory Limited.