Press release
Department drive to make Ireland’s nightlife inclusive for people with disabilities
From Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Published on
Last updated on
• New Night-Time Economy Accessibility Survey launched to find solutions on how make nightlife more accessible for people with disabilities
• People with a disability, an artist with a disability working in the Night Time Economy, or an organisation working with persons’ with a disability, are encouraged to participate in this research
The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin TD, today announced the launch of a new Night-Time Economy accessibility survey. This is in support of Action 7 in the Report of the Night-Time Economy Taskforce which highlighted the need for awareness raising about the challenges people with disabilities face when socialising or working at night.
The survey was developed by the Department in conjunction with Ireland Thinks and was informed by consultation with Disabled Persons’ Organisations, artists and other stakeholders across the disability community.
The purpose of the survey is to examine the challenges for patrons and artists with disabilities accessing the Night Time Economy. If the Night-Time Economy is to be truly inclusive and diverse, it is important to examine what barriers exist for people with disabilities when socialising at night in order to find practical solutions in consultation with those affected on how to deliver an inclusive accessible Night-Time Economy.
Questions include how accessible are night time activities such as a concert, the cinema, the theatre, a gallery, a restaurant, sporting venue or a nightclub. However, the survey also drills down into where difficulties might lie with accessibility, finding out about that online, getting transport to a venue and the role of staff too.
Announcing the launch of the survey today, Minister Martin said:
“The Night-Time Economy is where we meet friends, enjoy what our cities and towns have to offer and where we create and express ourselves. However, if we want our nightlife to be truly inclusive and diverse, we need to first understand the lived experiences that people with disabilities face when performing or socialising at night. I want to encourage people to participate in this survey so we can begin to understand the type of interventions needed to ensure we make nightlife accessible for all. I am looking forward to seeing the report from this survey and the set of actions needed to improve our nightlife for everyone.”
The survey results will be collated into a report by Ireland Thinks and will contain a set of actions to further the Night-Time Economy Taskforce objective of an inclusive, accessible nightlife. These actions will be considered by the Minister who will support and work with the relevant Government Departments, agencies and the Night-Time Sector to progress the recommendations.
Speaking about the survey today, DJ and activist Louise Bruton said:
“This survey is a great opportunity for disabled people to point out all the ways in which the Night-Time Economy can become more inclusive. It will be a huge learning curve for everyone working in the arts and entertainment sectors in Ireland - possibly even a shock - but we cannot continue to exclude so many people from living fully enriched social lives any longer.”
If you are a person with a disability, an artist with a disability working in the Night Time Economy or an organisation working with persons’ with a disability, you are invited to participate in this research by completing an online survey.
Also commenting on the survey, artist Emilie Conway said:
"As a disabled artist myself, I am passionate that more disabled people engage in arts and culture as both artists and audiences. But accessibility is a huge barrier. For example, some places are physically inaccessible, while some booking websites are inaccessible or very difficult to use for disabled people."
"That is why it is so important that as many disabled people as possible, respond to this survey. If you are disabled, please have your voice heard: respond to the survey as its findings will be used to lead to improving accessibility to arts & culture."
For more information on the survey, including a short presentation from DJ, Author and disability rights activist Louise Bruton, please visit our website here .
For the main survey please click here
For organisations who represent persons with disabilities please click here
If you are person with an intellectual disability, or someone assisting a person with an intellectual disability, please click here for the easy to read survey
The survey will close on Monday 10th June 2024.
ENDS
Note to Editors
During the course of the work of the Night-Time Economy (NTE) Taskforce, the issue of accessibility in the Night-Time Economy was raised on a number of occasions. People with disabilities should not feel restricted or excluded from enjoying a night out or from working in the NTE. This is also true for Artists with disabilities, we need to ensure that they can also engage fully in the cultural life of Ireland at all levels.
In this context, the NTE Taskforce recommended Action 7
“Those operating in the NTE sector or a representative body to engage with Arts and Disability Ireland or another relevant agency to devise and roll out training and awareness raising.”
The Department sought advice from a number of stakeholders to determine on how to proceed with this action which included the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, National Disability Authority, DADA (Disabled Artists Disabled Academics), Arts Disability Ireland, Disability Participation and Consultation Network and Night-Time Business representatives and Give Us the Night.
During the course of that work, the clear message from the Disabled Persons Organisations (DPOs) and the advocacy groups was “Nothing about us without us”, which is why the Department decided to commission this survey.
The purpose of the survey launched today is to examine the current challenges for patrons and Artists with disabilities accessing the Night Time Economy and to find solutions together.
The Department commissioned Ireland Thinks who developed the survey questions collaboratively with the Department following consultation with Disabled Persons’ Organisations and other stakeholders across the disability community.
Once the survey closes, the results will be analysed by Ireland Thinks. The research gathered will be collated into a Report which will contain a set of practical actions which will be considered by the Minister and the Night-Time Economy Implementation Group which is made up of key Government Departments, Agencies and Stakeholders.
The Night-Time Economy Implementation Group has responsibility for the progression and completion of the actions contained in the Report of the Night-Time Economy Taskforce.
Louise Bruton
Louise Bruton is an arts journalist, playwright, disability rights activist, DJ and author. Her writing has appeared in the Irish Times, the Irish Independent, the Business Post, the Sunday Times, Vogue Online and Lonely Planet. She made her theatre debut in 2017’s Dublin Fringe Festival with a sold-out run of Why Won’t You Have Sex With Me? in the Project Arts Centre. She received funding from Screen Ireland in 2019 to develop this work into a dramedy television series.
Louise is writing a nonfiction book. Currently using the title Identity Theft, these personal stories present the idea that the preconceptions of disability are more disabling than disability itself.
Emilie Conway
Emilie Conway is an award winning jazz singer, composer, lyricist and founding artist of DADA - Disabled Artists and Disabled Academics’ Campaign for Human and Cultural Rights.
Ireland Thinks
Ireland Thinks is a statistical analysis firm who conduct public opinion polls. https://www.irelandthinks.ie/