Home of Metal needs to know how it promotes itself to disabled people
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Man can conquer air + space but BA can’t offer subtitled films
Man can conquer air + space but BA can’t offer subtitled films
I came across your post yesterday and it really concerned me. You’re doing important work in an important area but the manner in which you’re doing it pisses me off.
Home of Metal may look like a massive thing with a huge budget, but it’s not. It’s put together by Capsule, a small team of music promoters who also do the Supersonic Festival. Much of the promised funding has been withdrawn thanks to the bullshit economic climate we’re enduring but they’re still managed to pull off what looks to be a quite audacious and impressive range of events. Even more so given they’ve spent the last 3-4 years pushing for this to happen against initial apathetic indifference from our delightful city leaders.
So when someone out of the blue threatens what little financial support they have from the Arts Council (who, as it happens, rejected Capsule’s application to be a National Portfolio Org) by pointing out in a public forum that they’ve potentially broken the law, one week before the launch of the event when time is short and tempers no doubt a bit frayed, and having done this expects an immediate measured response, well, it’s a bit much.
Knowing Lisa, one of the two women who run Capsule, a bit I expect the reason she didn’t reply is because she’s not given to the sort of empty platitudes folk normally dish out to complaints like these – those given after the Hello Digital debacle of a couple of years ago. She’s more likely to get defensive about someone sabotaging her baby and say something regrettable, so she says nothing.
Yes, the Home of Metal booklet should be available in large print, braille, etc.
Yes, the facilities for deaf and other disabilities at the venues should be listed.
Yes, yes, yes. All these things should be done. Making this a priority is a worthy and important aim and I respect it. But doing it by pissing off people and threatening the viability of their projects and, effectively, livelihoods, is utterly the wrong way to go about it.
I’ve publicly complained about stuff on my blog and on Twitter and I know I’ve fucked up on occasion. It’s an easy medium to shoot from the hip without thinking it through. That doesn’t make it right.
My main concern is that your actions will contribute to the “chilling effect” on people who want to do things without the resources of a large organisation behind them. The sort of DIY activities that make the world exciting and vibrant. I see people not having live music at their public events because they’re worried the need for a license, or simply thinking they can’t do something because they’re not “professionals”. What I see you heading towards here is a situation where if a thing is not as accessible as possible, it should not take place.
I hope you appreciate that it took a lot to write this. Criticising someone for getting upset about being discriminated against for their disability is not something that comes easily to me. I am not attacking your motives or your goals, merely your tactics.
(Conflict of interest note: I’ve worked with Capsule, been on their Steering Group and am an active fan of their activities. This is why I care about this as opposed to you attacking some org I don’t have a personal connection to, but the point still stands, I hope. I’m also no speaking for Capsule and have had no contact with them at all this week.)
Thank you Pete, I appreciate that it took a lot to write that. I am glad that you accept that the disability access side of the programme should have been addressed.
I have been working in disability arts and mainstream arts nearly 20 years. I am PASSIONATE about the arts, it is my life.
I want as many Deaf and Disabled people (and their families and friends) as possible to visit and be involved and that includes attending Home of Metal events and activities.
I am very upset to be viewed to be jeopardising anyone’s funding – far from it.
In all my conversations with Arts Council over the years they have been what is happening strategically to help arts organisations improve their access, gain audiences and increase opportunities for Disabled people it is about finding positive solutions to address such issues. A situation where everyone wins.
Arts Council has a really good guide Disability Arts a Good practice for the Arts that helps arts organisations make their events etc. more accessible. It doesn’t have to cost money: http://bit.ly/lBdCco
The Disability Discrimination Act came into force in 1996 and The Equalities Act 2010 (on 1 October last year) – both acts clearly outline that any service must make reasonable adjustments to make their service accessible and The Equalities Act also says that any service must anticipate what those needs might be.
There is no access information anywhere on Home of Metal Website or in the brochure – I picked up the brochure at Wolverhampton train station. It is not unreasonable for anyone who has access needs to want to know that information and find it in the main source in their hands?
All that is required by Home of Metal was to either include:
* an additional page in the brochure outlining general access information – even a summary on each page listing (who to contact, email/phone/url web link etc)
* a page on Home of Metal Website to list all the accessible events such as Audio Described tours, BSL interpreted talks, etc. as well as the access info or links to each venue’s website (especially as there are 13 venues being used)
That information wouldn’t just be useful to Disabled people but also families with children and pushchairs and older people.
It is why Go Genie is being developed to help find a creative way of finding access information more easily so that Disabled and Deaf people themselves become part of the solution rather (as we always are) seen as the problem.
The point to me is that access gets completely forgotten – not that people can’t afford it, but that they don’t even think of it. I think the “chilling” effect isn’t going to happen as people will continue to – best case – have no awareness – worse case – not give a damn. I think this post helps raise awareness – I don’t see how anyone can be offended by it. “Oh yeah access is important but not as important as us and our organisation…” – nice, makes me feel sooo welcome (yes I am disabled).
It isn’t just physical barriers that stop people from getting to events, but economic barriers – disabled people are more likely not to have a job, to have a low income, not to have a computer or web access. Having no venue access information in the booklet seems a stupid mistake to me, means I have to go off and look up each venue to find out (luckily for me I do have web access so I don’t have to give up – but it does make me think “do they want me there?”). Apology accepted. Oh sorry – there hasn’t been one has there? That’s okay. I’ll just wait for it to come.
Hmmm On the one hand Pesky People doing an awesome job fighting for the rights of the often overlooked deaf and disabled community. On the other hand a small group of folks doing a great job of presenting their musical fair/fare to all who care to listen. Both putting full heart and soul into what they are doing. Hopefully now that 1st contact has been made a better understanding will arise, peace will ensue and more disabled people will get to take part in the musical fun and games. Sometimes a nudge does more good than a SHOUT. But we can’t only follow the laws we like and ignore the ones we don’t. God bless Pesky People for the continuing fight against the tide. God bless Home of Metal for the music. Just my own views as a HOH metal lover.
He starts with a good (if strongly worded) point. A stream of public invective on Twitter (‘NO’, ‘#fail’ and copying in ACE and Screen West Midlands reps) is surely not a good way to start a constructive dialogue and bring people on side. Twitter may well have been the quickest and easiest way for you to ask for a response but you must know that it also causes public embarrassment and the contact form on the HoM website is simple enough to find. You didn’t ask for any contact details until the 5th tweet of your rant.
You’re clearly passionate about this, but it may be worth taking a breath before acting. A look back at the posts on this blog reveals an almost constant stream of ‘name and shame’ when talking about the actions of others. I’m all for highlighting the problems we face but how about lightening the load and praising people for what they’ve done well?
I like what you’re trying to do and I folllow you on Twitter because I’m interested in Go Genie and think that this whole area is very important. For all our sakes, please try to bring people together under this cause rather than making them want to avoid you.
I’ve gone through the messages and Tweets. I can’t see anything where Home of Metal have said they are now putting the access information online for the venues, or committing to getting printed info in large print etc.
I think Alison was right to use a blog and to use Twitter to highlight the problem, thats exactly how they’re being used by countless others around countless other issues. Twittering gives you your voice, without being contained or censored. Its great for that. And especially for us disabled people.
Being upset with Alison isn’t helping things. What would help is showing that you are putting effort into producing accessible information, and information about access, which Pete himself says should have been done at the outset. I can’t see that happening yet? The argument has shifted to Alison’s methods, bypassing the issues at hand.
Please don’t think I’m diminishing the issue Alison is campaigning about. I am not and, if anything, want to help her in that. I do think HoM should be doing the things she says and I do believe they would want to had it occurred to them or been brought to their attention by those whose job it is to advise them on these matters (presumably the venues they’re partnering with, but I am not an expert.)
I do not think it is reasonable, a week before their programme of events goes live, to expect reasonably significant changes, or commitments and so on. It would be nice, but I’d imagine they’re already working 18 hour days on the things they’d already anticipated.
The point I’m making has nothing to do with Home of Metal and whether or not Capsule care about disabled people. It is about Alison’s shoot-first, ask questions later methodology. I also have concerns about those in the “social media” world who champion and encourage Alison without thinking through the implications of this sort of behaviour.
It is great that Twitter and blogs give you power. This is a fantastic thing, especially for those who lack power in the offline world. But, as Uncle Ben said to Peter Parker, with great power comes great responsibility.
In essence, don’t be a dick.
I’m reading the above with interest, as a disabled person and a guest blogger here at Pesky People.
While I take the point being made, it’s clearly not Alison’s fault that pointing out a breach of the law could jeopardise someone’s funding. In fact, I think it’s appropriate that breaching disability discrimination legislation *should* jeopardise such funding, when the funding comes from a public purse. I know that won’t be a popular view.
I appreciate that the event is being run by a small team, but this does not exempt them from their legal obligations regarding accessibility. The term used is “reasonable adjustment”- what is “reasonable” in the circumstances allows the law to take into account the size and funding of an organisation. What is reasonable for Glastonbury is not the same as what is reasonable under these circumstances. So I’m afraid that citing the size of the organisation really doesn’t remove the legal and moral obligations.
I also find it interesting that it is apparently not reasonable for Alison to “expect a measured response” from the organisers when “tempers are frayed”, but Alison’s communications are expected to be measured at all times.
Of course it is upsetting when your project is criticised, but Alison, myself, and other disabled people face these battles every day of our lives. Accessing any event is so much harder.
Is it unreasonable of us then, to expect someone to have considered our needs and go a little way to making that experience easier, by listing the accessibility information? The law doesn’t think so, and nor do I.
The oft used trope of the martyred disabled person, smiling benignly while they bravely bear all that life and society throws, is utter rubbish I’m afraid. Just like the organisers of the event, disabled people get pissed off too, and have every right to express those feelings. The difference is, once this event is over, disabled people will still be having to fight those battles, day in, day out. Sometimes our patience wears thin. Sorry about that.
Alison is caring enough to take on not only her own battles, but to help other disabled people with theirs too, to give them a voice and to help improve accessibility, through Pesky People and through the Go Genie project.
On the point of “naming and shaming”, unfortunately, it works! Recent blog posts on Pesky People, and my own experience on twitter and in other forums, is that often, bad publicity works to effect change, much better than a personal complaint. It’s a shame that it is necessary, but it’s one of the most powerful tools we have to help improve accessibility.
And Pesky People *does* highlight what people do right- the positive resolutions to recent blog posts have been posted and widely publicised by Alison and Pesky People, she’s tried to ensure as much positive publicity is gained as negative publicity was generated. I doubt those resolutions would have been as positive without the publicity generated by Pesky People. I’d like to think they would have, but I don’t believe that, at all.
Alison has personally asked me to write several blog posts, two of which are positive in nature about companies getting it right, and a further one demonstrating a positive response from a company who got it wrong. This site *is* about showing what works as well as what doesn’t.
It’s a real shame that this has turned from a discussion about accessibility into a discussion about appropriate communication and campaigning methods, it detracts from the issue at hand.
But for the record, as far as I am concerned, twitter *is* an appropriate forum. Twitter is an interactive tool, it is a social networking site, network implies communication both ways. If you can’t interact, stick to a website as your online presence, and leave twitter alone.
I apologise if this comment seems terse, I’m in a terse mood, and my temper is also “a little frayed” today
Samantha, I have to agree with you. I think what Pesky People is doing is really important and empowering to our community. I don’t think any of my issues would have been resolved without it.
I applaud the initiative shown by Pesky People.
I suffer from extremely sensitive hearing. Loud, even moderate noises, can cause acute physical pain. This condition is intermittent, but can be brought on with no warning.
Being local, I am keen to attend some of the Home Of Metal events, but am concerned that there may be loud noises (either spoken, or music, can set this off). I am therefore keen, in respect to accessibility, to seek reassurance that no noise above a low level will occur at any of the events I attend.
I emailed the organisers through the website at 7pm (there is, at least, a form there). Now, 30 minutes later – still no reply, which is unacceptable. Obviously, communication is not their forte.
I’ll give them another 15 or so minutes. If there is no response, then I will tweet their failings in this respect. After all, that’s one of the many useful uses of twitter.
Sincerely,
Andrew
Andrew, its the evening. I’d suggest giving them until tomorrow to be fair.
Just chanced across all this, and read all the above. I’ve also looked at Home of Metal’s twitter stream, Pesky People’s twitter stream and the Home of Metal website. I think the work of both organizations have extraordinary merit, and agree that the above discussion veered off the point slightly. Home of Metal have tweeted the online version of their brochure (here) so I’ve read that too. I found a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it mention of access on page 8 of the brochure, and they clearly could have done more to draw attention to that and other access needs within the brochure, although I’m not sure where (Alison’s suggestion of another page is perhaps simplistic). Also, how carefully was the Home of Metal website perused? On many of the events pages I’ve just looked over there does appear to be several links on the Home of Metal website to the Access pages of the venues. Admittedly there is no big ‘Access information here’ sign I could find, but saying there is no information online and in the brochure doesn’t feel quite right. Website addresses and contact numbers for every venue are detailed in the brochure as well as online, so Pesky People’s request for even that most basic of information appears to have already been met. That would surely encourage anyone with any enquiry not answered by the printed brochure or website to directly contact the venue they are most interested in visiting regarding access. That is what I’ve always done.
“Don’t be a dick”.
Well thats us told!
Interesting that the accessible information, or information on access still isn’t being talked about instead.
Sorry Peter, but I do think you’re escalating things, instead of helping. You’ve said yourself we’re only asking for stuff that should have been provided, and planned for in advance.
Pete
Hmm. I have worked with Arts Council England on disability equality and accessibility projects aimed at the organisations they fund, so I know how committed they are to ensuring good equality practice right across the board. If it was a grant condition that House of Metal had to adhere to (it certainly was when my project was awarded ACE funding a while back), then I’m afraid that you don’t really have an excuse.
And as for the tactical question? Whoa. This blog is called Pesky People. It’s clearly designed to be a platform for deaf and disabled people to air their frustrations about accessibility, or lack of. In using the word ‘tactics’, you imply that Alison is addressing the issue in an underhand way, when in fact, going by the title of @peskypeople alone, it’s really obvious what she’s doing.
OK, Twitter is probably not the most appropriate forum for her to air her concerns, but if I was a House of Metal fan wanting to attend one of their events a week before their launch and I couldn’t find information on accessibility anywhere in print or online – never mind a catch-all email address representing all 13 venues – I’d seek out alternative ways of getting a quick answer too.
I’m afraid, Pete, that by posting your comments here, you’ve played right into Alison’s hands. Not only have you shown up your own ignorance of disability access issues, you’ve also unwittingly proven how irritatingly right Pesky People are too.
Thanks for all the replies. I’ve said what I wanted to say so am personally drawing a line.
Good luck with the campaigning.
Pete, I hope you read all the replies…particularly Samantha, who offers a very reasonable and well measured arguement.
You probably won’t be back here to read any more, having drawn a line under it all…but then you clearly don’t ‘need’ to think about access, do you? Neither do I, but your posts upset me. Do you not see that what you are accussing Alison of, is exactly what you yourself are doing? I think that you probably don’t…you write in a very arrogant manner.
Yes, I read them. I agree with everything that has been said about disability access.
Pete.
Oops … You were doing quite well until you told Alison not to be a Dick. Sort of doing what you’d accused her of doing at the beginning.
I still don’t think that you’ve cottoned on to what descrimination against Disabled people is really all about and just how frustrating it is to keep coming up against the sort of access issues that are being faced here.
Ever since we were released from our institutions and ‘allowed’ to mix with the general public, we have been continually confronted by barriers to our full inclusion. Some barriers are centred around physical access, others around people’s attitudes or the inflexibility of institutions, and some, like we have here, around information provision. Legislation has been passed to challenge these barriers but on the whole it is down to a disabled individual to prove that such a barrier exists and that they are being discriminated against. This is what Alison was doing.
And the result of her doing this is what usually happens: that an assertive disabled person who breaks out of the mould of being ‘grateful’ for any little crumbs that are dropped from the table, gets attacked.
The bottom line is that Alison is simply looking to be able to participate in the kind of activities that most non-disabled people take for granted. In doing that she is also championing the rights of disabled people with different access needs to her own. By sticking her head above the parapet in this way, she is being shot at once again.
Surely in 2011 it’s not too much to ask people to be more inclusive in the events that they set up. It’s not rocket science, it just takes a bit of forward planning, generousity of spirit, consultation and willingness to ensure that everyone is able to have a good time.
Yours inclusively,
Dave Lupton
aka Crippen – disabled cartoonist
http://www.crippencartoons.co.uk
“Don’t be a dick” is general advice. It wasn’t targeted at Alison. And yes, I’m aware I can be a dick online.
I have some knowledge about disability issues. I have worked with Alison in the past though Talk About Local (see http://ash10.com/2009/10/website-makeover-with-talk-about-local/ ) and have disabled friends who hit these walls. Obviously I don’t think that is the same as experiencing that frustration first hand but I do try to understand it.
My concern is with the manner of the action and the cheerleading of that action (including myself in the past).
Forgive my ignorance, but surely if you are an Events Organiser you should be aware of your legal obligations with reference to the Disability Discrimination & Equality Acts without needing to be reminded of them? And does that not also include information about disabled access to events?
We need access to the arts – it makes people whole and is both fun and educational. Many deaf people (and deafblind too) are excluded through lack of communication support / subtitles / marketing. No point in providing it if we’re not told about it, simply because we don’t go as we know from experience we’ll get bored of watching something and not following. Keep up the good work Alison!
Pete: Able-bodied privilege at all? How dare you suggest disabled campaigners should be *polite* in the face of repeated discrimination!
Thank you to everyone for your comments. It’s time to draw a close to this for now.
I will update if there is anything new to say.
Obviously this won’t stop you blogging about this if you would like to.
I would appreciate it if you DIDN’T make abusive or personal comments about Pete Ashton because although we disagree about this he is a good person and helped to set up the first Pesky People website.
Thank you.