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Don’t just leave it to disabled authors to fight for their rights.
I’ve had the privilege of being invited to various book festivals this year and I’m excited for what’s still to come. I always look forward to attending and meeting other authors. However, in some instances there’s been a lot of back and forth about access provision and it’s exhausting.
I realise the ‘www.inklusionguide.org/download">Inklusion Guide: A kickass guide to making literature events accessible to disabled people’ hasn’t been out long and festivals are still finding their feet during an ongoing pandemic; I don’t expect change to happen overnight. But I still feel the very easy to implement basics are being missed, the most basic being access to information.
To save the time consuming (for all involved) back and forth, book festivals can do the following:
Authors may still have some questions and need to confirm things with you, but having that information from the very beginning should minimise the back and forth and make it much less onerous for disabled authors.
Festivals can also be good allies by providing Covid-19 safety. It’s not necessary to take precautions, but this is an access issue and festivals can at the very least request that authors and audience members wear masks and to LFT if they’re able. Obviously, festivals can’t guarantee people will comply, but it at least normalises precautions. This request should be in the festival info, on all individual event listings, and mentioned on socials.
Far too many festivals are no longer providing hybrid events (for both authors and audience). This is an access issue for many disabled authors and audience members who might not be able to attend in person.
An author shouldn’t lose out on the opportunity of taking part in an event because joining online isn’t offered as an option.
Offering hybrid also helps non-disabled authors and audience members who might not be able to attend in person for various reasons including location, finances and childcare.
The Inklusion Guide has a lot of helpful information on how festivals can provide this important access and CRIPtic Arts and Spread the Word have put together a fantastic guide for putting on hybrid events: ‘Being Hybrid - A Cheap and Easy Guide to Hybrid Events for the Literature Sector.’ You can also follow and support the #KeepFestivalsHybrid campaign on Twitter, instigated by author Penny Batchelor.
I have an access rider which lists the things I need as a disabled author to be able to take part in events. Part of the rider is dedicated to provisions I don’t necessarily need myself, but that I want to see available for fellow disabled authors and audience members (it doesn’t currently include access for residencies; I may compose a separate rider for this).
Campaigning for good event access in the industry falls primarily on the shoulders of disabled authors. This takes up a lot of time and energy and affects the creative work we should be doing. To help alleviate this burden, non-disabled authors can do the following:
This is extremely useful allyship in action (not just lip service) and will help take the burden off disabled authors and audience members.
Having good access in place will also one day help you. It’s highly likely that at some point in your life you will be disabled or chronically ill, so by helping make the industry accessible, you will one day benefit too. It will also help you reach a wider audience if your disabled fans are able to attend your events.
Good access also helps non-disabled people now – for example, hybrid access means those who can’t afford to travel or have childcare responsibilities can still take part in or attend an event. There are numerous instances of good access helping everyone.
I look forward to the day my own experience of publishing events access and that of my fellow disabled authors and audience members isn’t exhaustion and disappointment. By acting now, you can help make good access the norm across the industry.