Forward Together reflections: Access for makers with Ash Cox

Access is different for everyone, and from the get-go there are always clashes when you bring people in a room.

So whenever we consider access we need to begin with learning from each other, progressing and moving forward together.

The biggest question for Ash Cox in their Access for Makers workshop was: how do we ensure we take care of ourselves and each other as well as our audiences and participants?

Here are some things to remember:

1. Making work fully accessible for everybody isn’t possible. There will always be access clashes.
2. We live in an abelist, capitalist world where everyone feels guilt for resting.
3. We’re working against outdated and broken systems.
4. Making work is hard, and making it accessible on top of that can be really overwhelming.

 There are several solutions. We have to lead with respect, care and curiosity towards each other.

Accountability

1. Make it clear from the beginning of a project that everyone is responsible for access and inclusion – including the building, visitor experience team etc.
2. Producers should lead by example and have enhanced access knowledge, making it easier to collaborate with access consultants.
3. BSL interpreters and audio describers are people – not pieces of equipment – and should be included as such.
4. Write realistic deadlines in contracts.
5. Create an access agreement as a collective at the beginning of a project and embed it into the project as a strategy.
6. Avoid the blame game and remember everyone is human.

The following strategic steps can help you to manage access better:

• Do less and be better
• Ensure your project has contingency time as well as money
• Make time to process and evaluate afterwards
• Develop a sustainable toolkit to make access your standard practice
• Include an administration fee to your budgets