As we introduced you to the issues that are important for venue accessibility, we now will focus a bit more on how to check if an event or location is accessible. We will explain some methods that you can use to detect barriers and points of improvement. It is important to know that a good assessment is not something you can do completely on your own. It includes different processes. It will take time, require knowledge and some professional insight. But, we provide some tips. First of all, we have to address the context of a venue. Do we intend to build a new one, do we have to assess and improve an existing venue or do we organise an outdoor event? These three situations require different approaches. First, new buildings should meet state-of-the-art architectural requirements. Accessibility is one of these requirements. In almost every country in Europe, accessible buildings are part of legislation or building regulations. Besides, there are many good practices to increase the usability and accessibility of buildings. Here are some general recommendations: It is important that you make sure that architects consider accessibility requirements already in the project design. A project leader may take care that these requirements are actually met. You should check building plans and permits. You may join forces with actual users and relevant communities to cater for their needs. You may also cooperate with special service providers. Addressing issues of accessibility does not end with construction, but is an ongoing process. For older buildings, we need to bear in mind that the standards applicable some decades ago are often not comparable to today's standards. This means that an old building might have different bottlenecks for disabled people. However, some venues for the scenic arts, for example, theatres are willing to make some adaptations and add services, for example, assistive technologies, to their portfolio to meet the needs of disabled people. Measures to achieve better accessibility include a long-term plan of action that might consist of a self-check, a user test and expert assessment. It is a good idea to start with a self-check and a user test. Do you remember the four accessibility principles: Reach, access, use and understand? When you assess the accessibility of a venue's architecture, you should keep this accessibility chain in mind. Even one weak link in the accessibility chain or one small barrier might mean that it is impossible for a person to participate in an event. As mentioned before, a user test can also be very helpful. These checks involve users. They might reveal bottlenecks you might have never thought of, but also good issues you have not known before. Before you carry out alterations or renovations, try to involve regular users and use their feedback as valuable information. Keep them posted on the future steps. Be aware that it is not easy to set up a user group that includes a wide range of people and reflects the entire range of needs. In addition, not everyone is able to voice their own needs. Therefore, a professional accessibility advisor or architect can do an accessibility check for you. They might not only reveal major barriers, but they can also suggest easy or more technical solutions. When the situation is very complex and when the building is listed (protected), accessibility advisors can provide a good overview of the situation, the impact of certain barriers and suggestions for improvement. To sum up, each venue or location should be assessed individually. New buildings should be designed in an accessible way from scratch. Existing venues might have minor or major issues that can be assessed and tackled in different ways. Assessing the accessibility of temporary venues might need more customised solutions. With all the information we provided in this unit you can start to do a first self-check of the accessibility chain in your venue. This check can give you some insight into your venue's level of accessibility. The answer to those questions can help you to prepare a checklist for assessing the accessibility of a venue. Let's get you on the way. Please take the questionnaire from the assignment and use it to formulate your own 'how to...'
