ROA Accessibility Pledge 2025
Redbridge Outdoor Arts is committed to reviewing and developing our accessibility offer across the programme.
We want everyone to be able to enjoy our events and have taken the following steps to welcome wider audience participation:
- We collaborate with artists and local specialist organisations to provide pre-show relaxed tours to enable familiarisation for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), as well as neurodiverse adults.
- We partner with Barkingside Art Club who provide inclusive audience engagement sessions and support children with Autism.
- We programme artists and performers who integrate BSL and Touch Tours into their shows, disabled-led artists, and theatre companies.
- Our performance spaces are wheelchair accessible, and Assistance Dogs are welcome. We reserve priority viewing areas, where our friendly festival stewards are on hand to assist.
- At our Barkingside location we provide an outdoor respite pod for children who may need it, and inside Fullwell Cross Library there’s specialist sensory equipment.
- We offer Easy-Read documents for all shows and distribute them ahead of time to organisations and schools.
- We are developing relationships with local disabled people’s organisations and groups and will continue to collaborate with them to provide relevant, inclusive, and enjoyable experiences.
How we grew our accessibility offer in 2024:
- Having BSL interpreted performances at selected shows.
- Welcoming adults with learning disabilities to our team of volunteers. We are now looking forward to developing this pilot scheme further.
- Meeting and listening to many more families with access needs at disability focused local events.
- We recorded audio descriptions, offered familiarisation sessions, touch tours, and even adapted a children’s book performance for children with SEND.
- Our team completed Disability Awareness training.
Our goals for 2025:
- Providing information on accessible toilets and quiet spaces at performance locations.
- Creating a directory of local accessible choices of shops and businesses for our artists and audience.
- Providing clear and accessible signage at our events.
- Having a dedicated access information point at our events.
Feedback from our audiences in 2024:
- “Very helpful for disabled access”
- “Disabled friendly”
- “SEN friendly, staff empathy which is very important for me”
If you have specific accessibility requests, suggestions, or concerns, please contact us at culture@visionrcl.org.uk so that we can work together to meet your needs.