FEATURE aCcEsS ALl AReAs
Mixed
messages
on disability
WORDS: CHANTELLE DIETZ
A recent case involving a
Little Mix concert highlights
a need for better clarity
surrounding accessibility for
Deaf fans
THE issue of accessibility for Deaf fans at music events came
under the spotlight following a dispute over the provision
of an interpreter at a Little Mix concert on 1 September
last year. Sally Reynolds, who is Deaf, is suing promoter
LHG Live for not supplying a British Sign Language (BSL)
interpreter for the entirety of the show at the South of England
Event Centre in Sussex.
Th e details of the case are complex, but in short, Ms
Reynolds isn’t satisfi ed LHG Live met its legal obligation
to make the event fully accessible for her party of six, which
included herself, two Deaf friends and their three daughters.
Prior to the concert, Ms Reynolds approached LHG
Live to provide an interpreter. She alleges her request was
repeatedly rebuff ed, only being met after she applied for a court
injunction.
When the night of the show came round, she was
disappointed to fi nd LHG Live had only supplied an
interpreter for the Little Mix set, not for the two
supporting acts. She told the BBC: “I felt that we were
really part of the Little Mix experience […] but because it
was so good I realised that we had missed out on the fi rst
two acts.”
“Th is case highlights the need for greater empathy
for – and awareness of – the barriers facing Deaf
people, and legal recognition of signed languages
to ensure that organisations are clear about
their obligations,” said the British Deaf
Association (BDA) in a statement.
Attitude is Everything, a charity working
to improve Deaf and disabled people’s
access to live music, said it would continue
its consultation with Deaf audiences,
artists and the industry in light of the
news to establish some best practice
guidance in the area, which we can expect
ACCESSAA.CO.UK
to see published by April next year.
Under the Equality Act 2010, any organisation providing
a service to the public is compelled to make reasonable
adjustments for those with disabilities. But it is the lack of
clarity surrounding the term ‘reasonable adjustments’ that
opens up signifi cant scope for dispute, and is why LHG Live is
now facing legal action.
LHG Live maintains it “takes accessibility to all its events
seriously” and said the support acts for the Little Mix show
were only confi rmed 10 days prior to the concert (on 22
August), leaving “insuffi cient” and “unreasonable” time for the
interpreter to learn the lyrics.
It remains to be seen whether the courts will fi nd its
handling of the case a worthy attempt to make the necessary
‘reasonable adjustments’.
When taking into account what ‘reasonable adjustments’
venues and organisers can make to ensure music events are
more inclusive, there has to be some consideration given to the
organisations’ size and its resources.
Had the event Ms Reynolds attended been an intimate gig
produced by a small promoter, would it still be reasonable to
expect the organiser to supply an interpreter?
Th e BDA has been busy lobbying for policy change to make
things clearer for everyone. Th ere is now a BSL Act in Scotland
and a framework in Northern Ireland, but overall, progress
across the whole of the UK has been slow.
“Th ere is a lack of mention or transparency in legislation as
to what these requirements are when it comes to sign language
interpretation so the provision is inconsistent,” the BDA’s
research and policy offi cer, Aine Jackson, told us. “In several
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