This course gives learners a complete, practical grounding in what it means to lead on accessibility within festivals, live events, cultural settings, and screen environments. It introduces the role of the Accessibility Coordinator or Accessibility Champion as a strategic position rather than a reactive support function. Throughout the course, learners explore how accessibility is embedded into planning, design, communication, staffing, production, and organisational culture.
Learners will see how accessibility affects every stage of an attendee’s or participant’s journey, from discovery and booking to on-the-day experience, evaluation, and long-term trust. They will learn how to make defensible decisions, work ethically with lived experience, manage specialist access services, and influence colleagues at all levels.
By the end of the course, learners will understand not only the legal and ethical foundations of accessibility, but also the practical skills needed to commission, deliver, troubleshoot, and continuously improve access provision across any event or festival environment.
What learners will gain
By completing this course, learners will be able to:
- Understand the strategic responsibilities of an Accessibility Coordinator and how the role fits within wider governance, safety, and operational structures
- Navigate the legal frameworks that shape accessibility practice, including the anticipatory duty and reasonable adjustments
- Work confidently with lived experience as professional expertise and build approaches that avoid tokenism or harm
- Design accessible experiences end to end, using journey-based thinking to identify barriers at every stage
- Recognise, commission, and quality manage a wide range of access arrangements and specialist access services
- Integrate accessibility into production, staffing, procurement, training, and communication systems
- Communicate clearly, transparently, and accessibly with audiences, staff, and stakeholders
- Evaluate accessibility effectively and use feedback to demonstrate impact, manage risk, and build long-term organisational legacy
- Respond to access failures ethically and professionally, ensuring dignity and trust are prioritised
- Champion accessibility across teams through leadership, cultural change, and evidence-based decision-making
Who this course is for
This course is suitable for anyone involved in planning, delivering, or overseeing festivals, events, cultural programmes, or screen productions. It is especially relevant for:
- New or aspiring Accessibility Coordinators and Champions
- Event managers, producers, and programmers
- Front-of-house managers and visitor experience teams
- HR teams, volunteer coordinators, and workforce leads
- Communications, marketing, and digital staff
- Access providers, access consultants, and access stewards
- Organisations seeking to embed accessibility as a core professional standard
The course assumes no prior technical knowledge, making it appropriate for beginners.
