Information for event organisers to consider when planning an event.
When you run an event on public land, you have a duty of care towards all people on your event site: workers, volunteers, attendees etc.
Requirements that must be part of your written Health and Safety Management Plan to align with the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015(external link):
For more information and advice, please visit the WorkSafe New Zealand website(external link).
Employers, principals and self-employed persons must notify WorkSafe(external link) as soon as possible of accidents and occurrences of serious harm.
If you have choice of venue, consider accessibility as part of the decision making process for where to hold the event.
Many access issues can be overcome, but some venues are easier than others to make accessible.
The resources below are available to consult in the early stages of planning.
Resource | Comments |
Arts Access Aotearoa(external link): Arts for All: Opening doors to disabled people (2009) / Arts for All: Increasing access to the arts for disabled people (2014) | Provides a wealth of information about access and inclusion from an arts perspective, much of which is applicable for other types of events |
Christchurch City Council community workshops(external link) | Get Set Go Guide and Planning Sheets give a general guide to event planning |
Independent Street Arts Network (ISAN)(external link) and Attitude is Everything(external link) (UK), Access Toolkit: Making outdoor arts events accessible to all | Comprehensive information relevant to outdoor events, but with good information across all types of events |
Barrier Free New Zealand Trust(external link) | Guidelines and resources on a range of relevant topics |
Selwyn District Council(external link) Event Planning Guide and Event Planning Resources | A general guide to event planning – checklists, examples and forms |
Blind Low Vision Foundation(external link). Accessible signage guidelines | Advice on signage features that will make it most easily read |
Equal Access Pty Ltd Australia(external link) | Overview of events access issues / Checklist |
Be Accessible(external link) | Access information particularly relevant to venues, access accreditation scheme and a self-assessment option |
Information about an event is essential to both the organisers and the attendees and communicating effectively with people with disabilities is fundamental. If a potential attendee has a disability or would go to the event with a disabled person, this information is even more important.
From the attendee perspective, there are three key stages when information makes a difference: deciding whether to attend, putting in place any necessary arrangements and participating fully and positively in the event.
Resource | Comments |
Christchurch City Council events planning workshops(external link) | General promotion and publicity ideas and examples |
Independent Street Arts Network (ISAN):(external link) Making outdoor arts events accessible to all | Comprehensive information relevant to outdoor events, but with good information across all types of events. Checklists, examples, discussion of marketing events |
Blind Low Vision Foundation(external link). Advice on making your website accessible | Free resources and consultancy service and resources |
Arts Access Aotearoa: Arts for All(external link): Opening doors to disabled people (2009) / Arts for All: Increasing access to the arts for disabled people (2014) | Excellent information on communication with people with disabilities. There is an online Q&A template “Marketing to the disabled community checklist” |
Attitude is Everything(external link): Improving deaf and disabled people’s access to live music | Information on what information is needed on your website |
The current terrain in Christchurch poses particular challenges for people with disabilities.
Resource | Comments |
Arts Access Aotearoa(external link) Arts for All: Opening doors to disabled people (2009) |
Excellent information on issues of travel to and from events |
An event that is easy to move around is more enjoyable for everyone.
Resource |
Comments |
Arts Access Aotearoa: Arts for All(external link): Opening doors to disabled people (2009) / Arts for All: Increasing access to the arts for disabled people (2014) |
Excellent ideas to address access issues |
Independent Street Arts Network (ISAN):(external link) Making outdoor arts events accessible to all. |
Comprehensive information relevant to outdoor events, but with good information across all types of events. |
Attitude is Everything:(external link) Improving deaf and disabled people’s access to live music |
Information on viewing areas to improve the experience of a disabled audience |
Information on ramp and toilet standards |
The confidence of staff and event personnel is fundamental to access. Investing in improving the knowledge and skills of event staff and volunteers can have a positive payback.
Accessibility and inclusion are more likely if you have experienced staff and volunteers assisting disabled people, who understand their requirements and have the right skills and attitudes.
Audio description makes performances more accessible to people with visual impairments. It is an additional narration track intended primarily for blind and visually impaired consumers of visual media (including television and film, dance, opera, and visual art).
Resource |
Comments |
Includes sections on working with volunteers |
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Arts Access Aotearoa: Arts for All:(external link) Opening doors to disabled people (2009) / Increasing access to the arts for disabled people (2014) |
Excellent ideas to welcome all people and understand disability. Also includes information about audio description |
Independent Street Arts Network (ISAN)(external link) and Attitude is Everything (UK)(external link), Access Toolkit: Making outdoor arts events accessible to all. |
Comprehensive information relevant to outdoor events, but with good information across all types of events. |
Upper Hutt City Council(external link): DIScover: Serving customers with disabilities and associated Training Guide |
Useful guide regarding customer service and disability issues |
A major goal of any event is for the participants to have their expectations met or exceeded.
We encourage you to identify whether there are any access and inclusion issues in your evaluation. You may find that funding is increasingly dependent on the evaluation of previous events, and being able to take a disability focus shows you take accessibility and inclusion seriously.
Note that the Be Welcome programme includes events – you can engage them to work with you to improve access and inclusion – contact details are below.
Evaluation approaches often include only those who participated in an event. However, it may be that people with disabilities did not attend your event for some reason that you could have addressed. Did they miss out on event information? Were they unable to find out who to ask for information? Not get good answers to their questions? Was travel too difficult or the venue inaccessible or a lack of interpreters?
Consider finding a way to meet with non-attendees and/or organisations that understand the access needs of people with disabilities who would have attended if something was different. This can be part of ongoing relationship-building and improvement for future events.
Document / Resource |
Comments |
Selwyn District Council Event Planning Guide(external link), Evaluation chapter |
General discussion on evaluation after the event |
Selwyn District Council Event Planning Resources(external link), Resource No 27 |
One page post-event survey |
Process for making a complaint |
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Arts Access Aotearoa: Arts for All(external link): Opening doors to disabled people (2009) / Arts for All: Increasing access to the arts for disabled people (2014) |
Excellent information. |
Organisation | Who to contact and how they can help |
Christchurch City Council Events team |
Specialists in running medium to large events in the city such as Summertimes and Sparks. Provides an events training programme(external link) and can offer advice on funding. |
Christchurch City Council Community Recreation Advisors(external link) |
Phone 03 941 8899 Specialists in running small to medium size events based in local communities/wards. Also support for funding requests. |
Christchurch City Council |
Rachel Mullins Advice on recreation inclusion for disabled people |
CCS Disability Action |
BJ Clark, Barrier Free Trust (NZ)(external link) Advisor Advice on meeting disability needs in buildings and external environments such as car parks. CCS Disability Action is a national organisation that advocates for all disabled people in New Zealand. |
Blind Foundation |
Carina Duke Advice on meeting the needs of people with vision impairments in buildings and external environments. The Blind Foundation is a national organisation that advocates for all people with vision impairments in New Zealand. |
Deaf Aotearoa |
Advice on meeting the needs of people who are deaf. Deaf Aotearoa is a national organisation that advocates for all people who are Deaf in New Zealand.
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Arts Access Aotearoa(external link) |
Advice on the accessibility of arts events. Arts Access Aotearoa advocates for people in New Zealand who experience barriers to participation in the arts, as both creators and audience members. |