Learning from disabled audiences

Access isn't just about ramps and doorways, it's also a new way of thinking about audiences that has ramifications for the way artists work.
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Participants at Siblings in Sync, part of Arts Centre Melbourne’s accessible music program. Photo by Sasha Bradbury.

Tactile tours and audio descriptions for the vision-impaired; Auslan-interpreted performances for the deaf and hard of hearing; relaxed performances for children with autism spectrum disorder and sensory and communication disorders; and access-friendly performances – the arts are increasingly welcoming of and aware of diversity.

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Richard Watts is ArtsHub's National Performing Arts Editor; he also presents the weekly program SmartArts on Three Triple R FM, and serves as the Chair of La Mama Theatre's volunteer Committee of Management. Richard is a life member of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, and was awarded the status of Melbourne Fringe Living Legend in 2017. In 2020 he was awarded the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards' Facilitator's Prize. Most recently, Richard was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Green Room Awards Association in June 2021. Follow him on Twitter: @richardthewatts