Nicola MacdonaldDisability charity Attitude is Everything has released new statistics demonstrating a significant rise in the number of deaf and disabled fans attending live music events in the UK.
After compiling sales from festivals and venues on its Charter of Best Practice the charity found that almost 144,000 disabled tickets were sold in 2015, compared t 114,000 in 2014 (a rise of 26 per cent). The economic impact of these sales (including food, drink and spend by personal assistants) is estimated at around £7.5m.
“The Charter of Best Practice is at the core of Attitude is Everything’s activities,” said the charity’s CEO Suzanne Bull. “As well as encouraging innovation and best practice, this practical and straightforward process sends out an important message of inclusivity to deaf and disabled fans across the UK, who are attending live music events in ever increasing numbers.”
Attitude is Everything patron Jon Drape, MD of Ground Control, added:
“Ground Control is extremely proud of our long association with Attitude is Everything, and the fact that Parklife, Kendal Calling and Festival Number 6 have all reached Silver Status on the Charter of Best Practice.
“Suzanne and her team take a very pragmatic approach to their work, enabling us to tailor access facilities around each individual event and make improvements and innovations each year. The success of this approach is born out by today’s figures, which also highlight the growing demand for Deaf and disabled fans to attend live music events.”