Accessibility

Accessibility is about creating an environment where everyone can take part with dignity, independence, and ease.

While meeting legal obligations is essential, successful festivals look beyond basic physical compliance. The focus must be on equitable and dignified participation, ensuring that patrons, crew, and artists with disability share in the exact same festival experience, atmosphere, and excitement as everyone else.

Accessibility obligations apply to every music festival in NSW, regardless of size or budget.

Proactive Inclusion Framework: The Disability Inclusion Act 2014 (NSW) serves as a guiding framework for inclusive participation, particularly for events held on public land or delivered in partnership with local councils and state agencies. This framework encourages organisers to build proactive inclusion into event design from the start, rather than treating accessibility as a reactive compliance check.

This chapter covers accessibility across all stages of your festival. It applies to everyone on site, including audiences, workers, volunteers, artists, and contractors.

Access Domains Covered

Accessibility is broader than physical ramps and toilets. This chapter addresses:

• Physical: Entry points, paths, ramps, viewing platforms, parking, and toilets.
• Sensory: Lighting, sound levels, flashing content, and quiet spaces.
• Communication: Web accessibility, signage, ticketing, and Auslan interpretation.
• Cognitive & Neurodivergent: Information clarity, site maps, and sensory overload management.
• Social & Attitudinal: Staff attitudes, customer service, gate policies, and removing social barriers that exclude people with disability.

Event Lifecycle Phases

Accessibility must be integrated across every phase of delivery:

1. Planning & Design: Setting budgets, consulting specialists, and selecting accessible sites.
2. Procurement: Contracting accessible suppliers (toilets, matting, ticketing platforms).
3. Live Operations: Maintaining clear routes, operating quiet spaces, and managing query channels.
4. Post-Event Evaluation & Afterlife: Debriefing, reviewing patron feedback, and transferring lessons into the next planning cycle

For chapters that work alongside this one, see Section 2.4 Integration with Other Chapters.

• Access & Inclusion Statement: Develop a written policy published pre-sale detailing accessibility commitments, scope, and dedicated contacts for patron access queries. Include disability co-design, commitment continuous improvement goals.
• Access Coordinator: Appoint an Access Coordinator with clear authority and accountability across all accessibility domains
• Pre-event access review: Audit planning against checklists and document findings and actions prior to tickets going live.
• Multi-channel communication: Provide multiple access query channels, including email, online forms, and SMS/text capabilities for Deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons. Avoid phone-only or email-only systems. Published on event website pre-sale.

Start with a site walk focused on accessibility before any infrastructure is contracted. Map every patron route, entry, stages, food, toilets, exit, and identify anything that would stop a wheelchair or mobility aid user from getting through.

• Continuous accessible paths of travel: Conduct pre-procurement site walkthroughs to ensure unbroken accessible routes link all key areas (entry, stages, food, facilities, exits) rather than providing isolated accessible features.
• Route comfort & safety: Provide regular rest points/seating, shade along primary routes, consistent lighting at night, and safe cable management across accessible paths.
• Viewing & service areas: Provide accessible viewing platforms with companion space, weather protection, and clear sightlines. Provide lowered service counters and registration points to accommodate a seated user.
• Temporary ramps on open ground: Ensure surface materials meet AS 4586 slip resistance ratings. For Class 9b enclosed structures, document ramp compliance against NCC 2022 Table D1V3 in your safety management plan.
• Barriers: Install barriers at all level changes of 1m or more
• Temporary structure requirements: NSW-specific flammability, emergency lighting, and exit signage requirements apply to all temporary structures.See: NCC 2022 NSW Part I5

Ticketing and arrival are frequently the largest barriers patrons with disability face when deciding whether to attend an event. Publishing comprehensive access details before tickets go on sale, rather than shortly before the event opens, allows patrons to evaluate site layout, walking distances, and support options before making a financial commitment. Early, transparent communication removes uncertainty and ensures a smooth experience from ticket purchase through to site entry.

• Pre-sale access publication: Publish detailed site information—including terrain types, walking distances, and accessible public transport options—before tickets go on sale.
• Ticketing platform compliance: Audit ticketing systems for WCAG 2.1 AA compliance before general sale, ensure screen reader compatibility, enable companion tickets and accessible seating selection at purchase.
• Parking & drop-off: Provide accessible parking and kerb-cut drop-off zones separated from main traffic flows
• Dedicated entry & re-entry: Operate dedicated, wide accessible entry lanes with clear, flexible re-entry policies for patrons needing to access off-site support or medication.

• Strategic distribution: Distribute accessible toilets evenly across all site zones (stages, bars, camping, entry); broad distribution is as critical as total quantity.
• Accessible unisex toilets: Provide in sufficient number and on accessible routes. No uniform standard prescribes quantities for greenfield events — use the guidance below to determine provision. See: NSW Event Starter Guide (Health) See: Safe and Healthy Mass Gatherings — Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience
• Facility operations: Ensure all facilities feature clear night lighting, regular cleaning/servicing schedules, queue management, and protected path access during wet weather.

• Quiet / sensory spaces: Provide a dedicated low-stimulation sensory space away from noise, staffed by trained personnel, with privacy measures and a clear operational purpose to prevent repurposing as medical/welfare overflow. Recommended best practice where reasonable.
• Cognitive supports: Publish sensory site maps, predictable lighting environments, visual signage with pictograms, communication boards, and low-sensory waiting areas. Easy Read / Easy English documentation should be standard practice for large-scale events. Publish it on your website before the event.
• Pre-event disclosure: Disclose pyrotechnics, strobes, haze, and sudden loud effects on websites, ticketing pages, screens, and entry signage before tickets go on sale and during the event.
• Flashing Limits: Ensure no screens or lighting rigs produce flashing content faster than three flashes per second. Where unavoidable, disclose strobing before the performance begins on screen and in pre-event communications. See: WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.3.1
• Recognising non-visible disability: Explicitly support neurodivergent patrons and those with non-visible disabilities (e.g. participating in the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower lanyard scheme).

• Broad recognition: Recognise accredited assistance dogs (including mobility, seizure alert, and psychiatric support dogs), not solely seeing eye guide dogs.
• Site Provisions: Water points and grassed relief areas accessible from main patron routes
• Staff briefings: Brief gate, security, and front-of-house staff on handler rights to prevent unnecessary questioning or access disputes.
• Legislation: Companion Animals Act 1998 (NSW); Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth)

• Infrastructure & proximity: Position accessible camping close to accessible amenities with hard-standing routes (matting/boarding) and a dedicated camp host.
• Essential utilities: Provide accessible charging points for mobility devices, secure refrigeration for medication, overnight safety lighting, quiet camping zones, and emergency evacuation support.

• Backstage facilities: Backstage and artist areas should meet the same accessible pathway and facilities standards as public areas. Ensure step-free production pathways, accessible dressing rooms, accessible catering/service areas, and accessible communication formats for crew briefings.
• Artist support: Accommodate accessibility requirements including fatigue, sensory, or psychosocial needs in artist riders and production scheduling.
• Equal application: Along with patrons, accessibility and inclusion duties should apply equally to workers, artists, crew, and volunteers under WHS obligations and disability inclusion principals.
• Crew Briefings: Brief production crew on accessible backstage routes prior to load-in

• Auslan interpreting: Book accredited interpreters 8–12 weeks in advance where possible due to high demand. Position interpreters with clear sightlines and dedicated lighting, ensuring crowd barriers or camera platforms do not obstruct patron views.
• Captions & Audio Description: Provide screen captioning for announcements and performances where feasible. Provide Audio Description for visual performance elements, publishing interpreted/captioned performance schedules in advance.
• Early production integration: Build Auslan, captioning, and Audio Description requirements into stage and production designs early, rather than retrofitting after programming is locked. Provide live captioning on large screens, MC announcements, and emergency broadcasts where technically feasible.
• Schedule publication: Publish interpreted and captioned performance schedules well before the event.

Legislative or regulatory requirement. Non-compliance carries legal risk.

🔴 Beyond minimum compliance: Meeting technical standards alone may not fulfil duties under the DDA or expectations under the Disability Inclusion Act 2014 (NSW) if foreseeable and avoidable barriers remain. Accessibility and inclusion must offer equitable and dignified participation across all areas of the event, rather than being treated as a physical compliance checklist.

🔴 Non-discrimination: You cannot refuse access, or provide a lesser standard of access, to a person because of disability. This applies to tickets, entry, services, and all areas of the site. Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) ss.23–24

🔴 Safe entry, exit, and movement: You must ensure people can get in, move around, and leave safely. Accessible paths, ramps, and exits are part of this obligation.

🔴 Accessible facilities: You must provide accessible facilities for everyone at your event — including accessible toilets and means of entry and exit.

🔴 Responsibility stays with the organiser: You cannot pass it on. Hiring an access consultant or contractor to deliver accessibility, does not transfer legal duties.

🔴 Duty to consult workers: You must consult with workers and volunteers on health and safety matters, including accessibility. This means sharing information, allowing input, and telling people the outcome.

These are the standards that government agencies and the sector expect operators to meet. Regulators, courts, and insurers reference them when assessing your practice.

🟡 Accessible paths and ramps: Design temporary site infrastructure covering paths, ramp gradients, handrails, and signage to match AS 1428.1:2021 Design for Access and Mobility dimensional standards

🟡 Ramp and surface slip resistance: For temporary matting or boarding on open ground, products should meet AS 4586 slip resistance ratings. For Class 9b enclosed structures, document ramp compliance against NCC 2022 Table D1V3 in your safety management plan.

See: NCC 2022 Volume One

🟡 Digital and social media accessibility: Websites, ticketing platforms, and online emergency updates should meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards before going live (screen reader compatibility, accessible colour contrast, video captions).

Social media channels must use alt text, captioned video, and accessible design. Provide Easy Read and Easy English materials alongside WCAG compliance to support cognitive accessibility in line with NSW inclusion frameworks.

See: WCAG 2.1 AA Quick Reference

🟡 Emergency communications: Emergency broadcast systems must use multi-format communications—including visual, audio, tactile, plain language, and real-time text or captioning—so information is immediately accessible to Deaf, hard-of-hearing, and neurodivergent patrons.

See: AHRC Guidelines and Standards on Digital Accessibility

🟡 NSW Government Toolkit: Use the NSW Government Toolkit for Accessible and Inclusive Events (2023) for practical state-specific guidance. The toolkit directly aligns with the intent of the Disability Inclusion Act 2014 (NSW) and Disability Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP) principles.

See: NSW Government Toolkit for Accessible and Inclusive Events (2023)

Practices that distinguish leading festival operators. These leading practices that go beyond regulatory minimums to enhance patron experience, improve safety, and remove barriers to participation.

🟢 Disability-led access consultation: Involve people with lived experience of disability from the initial planning and design phases, rather than relying solely on a final audit or compliance check.

🟢 Companion and carer policies: Publish clear online guidance explaining Companion Card eligibility, booking timeframes, ticketing processes, and seating arrangements. Ensure internal ticketing systems and venue staff recognise these policies consistently. Establish a flexible policy to assess requests for more than one companion on a case-by-case basis.

🟢 Pre-event access information packs: Publish a detailed access guide at least 2 months before the event. Cover site maps, step-free routes, transport options, quiet spaces, sensory considerations, toilet locations, communication aids, and access contact details to help patrons plan with certainty.

🟢 Auslan interpreter: Engage a Deaf-led consultancy to confirm interpreter placement, sightlines, and lighting before production is locked. Book at least 6 weeks out — accredited interpreters fill quickly.

🟢 Sensory information and maps: Publish site maps detailing loud zones, crowd-heavy areas, fragrance policies, and special effects (such as strobing) before tickets go on sale. Provide low-sensory schedule information and schedule quiet arrival periods to support neurodivergent attendees. See APS Neurodivergent-inclusive event guidelines.

🟢 Accessible camping: Designate accessible camping zones with hard-standing routes (matting or boarding) close to accessible facilities, and assign a dedicated camp host. Provide accessible charging stations for mobility devices and secure refrigeration for medication.

RACI key: R = Responsible (does the work) | A = Accountable (owns the outcome) | C = Consulted (input required) | I = Informed (notified of outcome)

Escalation: If roles conflict or accountability is unclear, escalate to the Event Organiser. Final authority rests with the Event Organiser as the person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU). Duties are non-delegable under WHS Act s.14. Document disputed decisions in writing.

Use these criteria when hiring contractors to ensure they can deliver on your legal obligations. Under WHS Act s.14, safety and accessibility duties are non-delegable—the organiser retains ultimate legal responsibility for equipment and services provided on site. Where available, apply preference weighting to disability-led suppliers and consultants during procurement.

Delaying accessibility planning creates a cascading failure across site design, procurement, staffing, and patron safety. When access is treated as a late addition rather than a core design requirement, the following operational breakdowns can occur:

Live event metrics track real-time operational delivery and patron usage on site to ensure accessibility commitments are maintained continuously throughout event operations.

A formal post-event access debrief evaluates operational performance, quantifies patron satisfaction, and identifies critical gaps before planning the next event cycle. These questions should be reviewed by the Access Coordinator, site managers, operations teams, and key suppliers post-event where applicable.

Clear Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) establish measurable benchmarks for accessibility delivery. They ensure event operations move beyond subjective opinions and deliver concrete safety, operational, and patron outcomes.

Post-event reporting are used to ensure identified access barriers are formally integrated into future planning cycles.

• Access Coordinator documents debrief findings in a standing access improvement register after each event
• Findings are reviewed at the start of the next event planning cycle and incorporated into the site design brief
• Patron, staff, and artist feedback on accessibility is collated and reported to event leadership. Disability Inclusion Act 2014 (NSW)
• External auditing frameworks may be used to benchmark access performance across event cycles [VERIFICATION NEEDED: confirm current status and applicability of Accessible Arts NSW auditing framework]
• Access and Inclusion Statement is updated each event cycle to reflect changes to site, scale, or obligations
• Continuous improvement findings feed into overall event planning; see Planning, Management & Safeguards

• Publish the Access and Inclusion Statement on your event website before tickets go on sale
• Make accessible ticketing and your companion ticket policy live before general sale opens
• Publish a pre-event access information pack at least 4 weeks before the event; include accessible routes, facility locations, transport options, sensory map, and access contact details
• Keep the access contact (phone, email, online form) monitored from ticket sale open through to event close
• Publish the Auslan interpreter schedule in the event program and on the website
• Install on-site access signage before public access opens; include directional wayfinding to accessible toilets, adult change facility, quiet/sensory space, viewing platforms, and first aid
• Ensure emergency communications are in accessible formats; real-time text or captioning active for all emergency broadcasts
• Keep a post-event accessibility feedback channel open for at least 2 weeks after the event

• Assuming responsibility transfers when you contract out — engaging an access consultant or supplier does not pass legal liability to them. Your duties under WHS Act s.14 are non-delegable.
• Accessible ticketing configured after general sale opens — WCAG 2.1 AA compliance, companion ticket setup, and accessible seating must be in place before tickets go on sale. Retrofitting mid-sale is not practicable and creates DDA exposure.
• Auslan interpreter booked too late — accredited interpreters are in limited supply. Bookings inside 3 weeks frequently cannot be filled. Production lighting adjustments for interpreter placement also need advance coordination.