By John Carnwath, Associate Principal
In recent years, the term “accessibility” has increasingly permeated discussions in the arts and culture sector, spurring reflection, innovation, and change. At WolfBrown, we’ve spent decades studying audiences, and we find ourselves at a pivotal moment in this ongoing conversation—one that challenges us to rethink and expand our understanding of accessibility.
This year we’ve initiated a multi-pronged study of accessibility in the performing arts, part of a larger examination of audience attitudes about inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility (i.e., The IDEA Study). The 2024-25 research has three components:
- A survey of US and Canadian arts organizations about their current and aspirational accessibility programs and services
- A survey of ticket buyers to better understand their accessibility needs and preferences
- Qualitative research on audience members’ experiences with accessibility services
In approaching this work, we’ve had the privilege of consulting with some of the most knowledgeable and experienced voices in the field, who’ve generously shared their insights, including an Advisory Committee; leaders of several arts groups that are disability inclusive, or have a strong commitment to accessibility; and the Office of Accessibility at the National Endowment for the Arts. We’re also delighted to have established a partnership with the Kennedy Center’s Office of Accessibility and VSA around this work, and look forward to engaging more deeply with the Kennedy Center’s team.
Approaching Accessibility
For us, this exploration has in part been inspired by our broad-based surveying of arts audiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. For a period of time, almost all audience members started wresting with questions similar to those that peers with certain chronic conditions or other accessibility needs might consider when deciding to go to a performance. Are the health safety measures I need to feel comfortable going to be available? How much of an inconvenience will I face at the venue? After several years of surveying, we realized that some people who first started considering health concerns during the pandemic will carry those concerns into the future, perhaps indefinitely. Was this a tectonic shift in the landscape of accessibility?
When access to live events was restricted during the pandemic, many organizations experimented with new ways of sharing their work online. For audience members with some disabilities and especially those living in rural areas or across the globe, the new forms of remote access allowed them to enjoy cultural life in ways that hadn’t previously been possible. But when in-person attendance resumed, priorities shifted once again, and those who were previously unable to attend in person were once again shut out.
As we’ve begun exploring the vast topic of accessibility—which many artists, advocates, and researchers have been dedicated to for decades—with greater intentionality, we’ve come to understand that…:
- “Disability” can be defined in several ways; whether it’s framed as a social construct, a personal identity, or a medical condition, it is best understood as diverse, complex, and changing.
- “Accessibility” is much broader than just accommodating individuals with disabilities, and can encompass considerations such as economic, cultural, physical, language, and cognitive access.
- Equity requires inclusion (including disability inclusion), which goes beyond merely having “access.”
- There are no “right” or “wrong” ways to experience art – everyone’s experience of art is different and equally valid.
Since we are relatively new to the ongoing conversations about accessibility and disability justice, we enter this investigation with the humble question: How can we, as audience researchers, support a more inclusive and equitable landscape in the arts?
The Need for Fresh Insights
In certain ways, the accommodations needed to support audience members with disabilities are well understood. We don’t need surveys to tell us that wheelchair users need ramps or elevators to bypass stairs, or that captions can help hearing impaired individuals follow dialog spoken on stage. However, there is much to learn about the range of people who may benefit from access accommodations, including many who don’t identify as having a disability.
If our ambitions for accessibility include supporting individuals who don’t identify as having a disability, we encounter a range of issues that need to be explored more fully. People who don’t identify as having a disability, for example, may not know that accommodations are available that could help them more deeply enjoy a performance, and they may not seek out or pay attention to information about accommodations that are presented as services for people with disabilities. What information do we communicate to audience members, and how can we encourage people to try out services that might enhance their experience?
We’ve also learned that simply announcing the availability of accessibility programs and services doesn’t necessarily mean that people will use them. In some instances, audience members may know exactly what their access needs are and know that services are available to accommodate people in their situation, but don’t request those services because doing so is too onerous, makes them feel like they’re being a burden, or because they fear being judged. Such audience members may only request services if they truly feel welcome, appreciated, and understood by the organization. In such instances, accessibility has more to do with organizational culture and the overall atmosphere than the “on-request” availability of specific services.
These and other considerations guided our decision to design a study that compares what organizations are actually offering in terms of accessibility services (and what they aspire to offer) with what audience members articulate as their needs. In reconciling the two, we hope to provide actionable insights to organizations across the sector.
How to Participate in the IDEA Study, Phase 2: Focus on Accessibility
1. The free Survey of Accessibility Practices of Performing Arts Organizations allows arts institutions to see how their accessibility practices compare to other performing arts organizations across the US and Canada. All organizations who take the survey will have access to aggregated results through the WolfBrown Dashboard. Information on how to participate in this free survey can be found here.
2. We’ve extended the registration deadline to January 3rd, 2025 for the paid Focus on Accessibility – Ticket Buyer Survey to ensure that all interested organizations can participate. All registered organizations will become part of a cohort that collectively deploys the survey to a sample of their recent ticket buyers on January 28. Findings from the Focus on Accessibility – Ticket Buyer Survey will be made available to cohort members through the WolfBrown Dashboard and discussed in a series of cohort learning sessions limited to cohort members. Learn more about the Ticket Buyer Survey here.
3. We will continue to share aggregated results through the Audience Outlook Monitor community. If you are not subscribed to the AOM newsletter, join the community for announcements of free, public community learning sessions.
4. We keep an archive of community learning sessions for you to view for free at your convenience. You can explore our Town Hall recording from August, where we share preliminary data on accessibility from the Survey of Accessibility Practices of Performing Arts Organizations. You can also watch our initial Town Hall on Accessibility, where arts and culture organizations voiced questions and shared challenges they’ve faced in expanding accessibility in their organizations.