Emphasizing Accessibility in Community Events

To me, the best thing about doing something super fun one year is being able to plan the next year. I love the planning phase of an adventure. Laying it all out and seeing all the fun stuff you get to do with how hard you worked to get to that point is priceless. It really is my favorite thing about going on adventures.

Join our community

Reflecting on accessibility

After reflecting upon my experience at a local festival in Washington, I believe it's essential to continue to have my voice heard. Organizers of these large-scale events should raise the standard for accessibility.

It really breaks my heart to think that there are events that people can't attend because of the conditions of the grounds or the need for more communication about conditions and accommodations.

Inclusion is the way forward

Moving forward, I would love to get involved to make a change. Folks often get excluded from these events, which should never be the case. I am still looking forward to attending many more music festivals in the future for as long as I can.

Since last year's event was my partner's first festival, she wants to attend more! This is great for me because, before the pandemic, I attended many music festivals. I've been looking into different larger events across the U.S. and Canada, and it's pretty interesting to see how other festivals hold up to accessibility standards.

The pros of music festivals

One aspect I really enjoy about music festivals is the overall feeling of everyone being welcome. I love it when they stand by what they say, and the venue workers and volunteers come together to ensure that everyone is safe and having a good time.

I love it when there is an organized website for an event. The information is easily accessible and readily available for anyone to find answers to their burning questions. I've always noticed a lot of good information throughout a website and on the FAQ (frequently asked questions) page, which is always suitable for at least one general question. One thing I've been getting more familiar with is the accessibility section of a website hosting an event I am looking to attend.

Cons of music festivals

The accessibility section of an event's website offers so much helpful information. A well-planned website will offer festival maps, phone numbers for further questions, and service information.

However, when the event or festival's website has little information, it can pose another challenge for interested attendees, especially those needing accommodations. Reaching out to someone through this avenue can be a lot of pressure because even finding this information in the first place can be a little tricky. Then, not only do you have to find the information you're looking for, but you have to reach out to someone else entirely and wait for a response.

Jumping through hoops to find accessibility information can deter many folks, in my opinion. I clearly don't know for sure, but at least for me, I used to give up at that point.

It's common to think, "Oh, well, I'm not doing that," when I see that I need to call or email a stranger. I've come a long way with my anxiety regarding that, but some people haven't, and event hosts do not commonly consider that.

Make your voice heard

Getting involved and having your voice heard in your community is important. I love advocacy work for that exact reason. Not only do you get to meet new and like-minded people, but you can also learn and teach each other new things.