The three minute video from Instagram below is a speedy run-through of the site features that make the place accessible and inclusive. No rocket science here, but some good products. Ability Fest is for everyone – it is not a “Disability Fest”. That is the one problem of using the term “ability” when really meaning inclusive.
Dylan Alcott loves music festivals but they make it almost impossible for people with disability to enjoy them. Hence his Ability Fest project.
The following videos are an education for all major event managers. Alcott showcases all the different features that make events accessible and inclusive.
In the next video, Alcott explains the background to making an accessible festival.
In the following video, the event manager explains the planning and the features required.
A longer interview with Dylan Alcott where he provides his personal motivation for the events, and covers how they cater for different disabilities. He makes a good point when addressing access and inclusion. He says that accessibility and inclusion are two different things, but you need both – one is no good without the other. The video is 17 minutes but you can cut to the chase at 4 minutes.
The detail provided in these videos makes it easy for event and festival managers to make all their events inclusive and accessible. Ability Fest is not a “special” disability event – it is for everyone. At last you can take your friend with a disability with you to a festival. Alcott hopes to make his job redundant because all festivals will be accessible and inclusive.
See also the section on inclusive and accessible events on this website.
Universal design at a food festival
This research has a paywall but the abstract is available. The title of the paper is, Constraints and Facilitators, Universal Design and Event Experience: Accessibility of Facilities at a Food Festival.
Accessibility barriers in festivals inhibit engaging festival experiences for the general public. This study aimed to examine the accessibility of facilities at the Macau Food Festival (MFF) by applying the theories of leisure constraints and facilitators, leisure negotiation and universal design principles.
Participant observation and qualitative semi-structured interviews with 25 festival participants were conducted. Findings revealed mixed perceptions of the facilities. Several aspects such as unclear festival layout and insufficient toilets were contrary to universal design principles and constrained visitors’ engagement. However, online payment devices and shuttle buses facilitated festival engagement.
Accessibility played an important role in influencing visitors’ experiences and behavioural outcomes such as revisit intention, word-of-mouth, and leisure negotiation strategies. This study provides a new approach for evaluating the accessibility of facilities in food festivals. Practical implications regarding accessibility of festival and event facilities are suggested along with numerous avenues for future research.