Ahead of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we spoke to friends of Leeds Heritage Theatres and reviewers Lauren Fordham and Lindsay Sykes about their experience of living with disabilities and accessing arts and culture venues.
Written by Lauren Fordham and Lindsay Sykes (edited by Kelly Scotney)
International Day of Persons with Disabilities
The annual observance of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) on 3 December was started in 1992 by the United Nations General Assembly resolution 47/3. The observance of the Day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilise support for the dignity, rights, and well-being of persons with disabilities.
Name: Lauren Fordham
Favourite show: Depends on my mood, but Les Misérables is the GOAT (greatest of all time) in my book
Access needs: Wheelchair user, caption user (Deaf)
Fun fact: I play Powerchair Football, despite being terrified of football as a child! I was frightened of getting hit by the ball and knocked over, and now I chase it down. To misquote Elphaba from Wicked: ‘”It’s the ball that should be afraid of me.”
Name: Lindsay Sykes
Favourite show: Titanic the Musical and any show by Mischief
Access needs: Due to chronic arthritis and other health implications, Lindsay’s mobility is impaired and she requires a crutch to walk
Fun fact: In 2018/19 I was a judge for the Olivier Awards. Over a year I saw every new show that opened in the West End. That’s over 100 shows!
What does International Day of Persons with Disabilities mean to you?
Lauren: I believe in the Social Model of Disability which states that disability is not caused by individual impairment, but is socially constructed and created by physical, social, and attitudinal barriers. I see myself as a disabled person, not someone with a disability. I, like many disabled people, get asked variations of “What is your disability?” daily, from taxi drivers I’ve just met to anyone, so when it comes to awareness days, I’d rather not be a ‘self-narrating zoo exhibit’ and get on with navigating and enjoying my life.
I think awareness days are whatever individuals and organisations make of them. If inclusive statements are backed by physical access, then I support them. Actions speak louder than words; I’d rather go to a theatre or venue that gives me full and equal access and doesn’t talk about IPWDD, than one that does but patronises or excludes me. Fortunately, Leeds Heritage Theatres talks the talk AND walks the walk on access, which is my priority.
Lindsay: I’m going to be honest, I didn’t know there was such a day, which is shocking and makes me wonder how many others are (un)aware. I would only hope an International Day gives people without disabilities an idea of what people with disabilities go through every day.
Lauren Fordham at Leeds Grand Theatre
How important do you think it is to raise awareness of the needs of disabled people?
Lauren: I think it’s important to recognise that not all impairments are visible or mobility-related and to recognise the needs of, for example, D/deaf people. As a wheelchair user, I can easily access most theatres’ access schemes, but this is harder for my Deaf friend who often accompanies me and has had her disability eligibility and need for assistance questioned. Also, there needs to be more awareness that people can have multiple impairments. For example, Deaf wheelchair users may need a captioned performance but also need to sit in a wheelchair space which may affect whether you can see the captions. And/or they must wait for a captioned performance to be released, by which time no wheelchair spaces may be available (looking at you, Hamilton at Victoria Palace London).
Lindsay: VERY! I’m newly disabled and still getting to grips with my limitations and it’s been a whole new learning curve! Giving up things that I enjoy (like going to the theatre) is horrible. I’ve found my world has suddenly got a lot smaller. I’m having to plan so much more – is there adequate parking? Are there stairs? Can I sit comfortably? Is there an accessible toilet? Are there seats near the accessible loos to sit on while waiting?
Do you feel represented on stage?
Lauren: Theatrical representation is improving. In the West End, I loved The Little Big Things which had a wheelchair-using protagonist and supporting characters who were played by wheelchair-users. @sohoplace, where The Little Big Things premiered, was built around the needs of those actors. But, one of the most striking performances by a disabled actor was when I saw Oliver! at Leeds Playhouse and there was a wheelchair-using child in the ensemble. He wasn’t cast in a disabled role; he wasn’t conspicuous in any way; he was just another talented kid, but his impact was huge. I hope many will follow in his tyre tracks!
Lindsay: No, but I wouldn’t expect to be. It would be a weird show featuring a newly disabled 53-year-old grandmother and mother of three, who is riddled with pain! People with disabilities are being represented slowly but there is still a long way to go.
Opera North Touch Tour at Leeds Grand Theatre. Credit Tom Arber
Northern Ballet Touch Tour Insights at Leeds Grand Theatre. Credit Emily Nuttall
Opera North Touch Tour at Leeds Grand Theatre. Credit Tom Arber
Access in the arts
What is your general perception of access within the arts and culture sector?
Lindsay: Some theatres are amazing and accommodating, while others are slow to make changes. Unfortunately, some aren’t making an effort at all. The Grand is fitted with lifts and a great new accessible suite that makes a difference – 53Two in Manchester is also really accessible but I’ve been to a West End theatre whose accessible toilet is up some stairs! There are some fabulous schemes where you get a free or discounted ticket for a carer. As a theatre reviewer, I went to many theatres around the UK, but I can’t do that now. I can’t sit for long without being in pain and theatres aren’t particularly known for their comfort.
Lindsay Sykes and family at the BBC Radio Tees Make a Difference awards.
What does the sector do well?
Lauren: National Theatre Live and other streamed theatre is invaluable. In the case of NT Live, sometimes you can watch from your home or the cinema screenings are more comfortable than being in theatre seats. You get a better experience of the show because it is filmed so that you get a close-up of the actors’ faces which you rarely get live, unless you’re in the front row (which wheelchair spaces rarely are!). It would be brilliant if regional theatres filmed performances too though.
The ticket prices of filmed screenings are more financially accessible too, especially for West End shows where you have to fund transport and accommodation costs in addition to the ticket price unless you’re lucky enough to live near London.
Another positive is when theatres give carers complimentary tickets. Disabled people like myself often cannot access the theatre without a Personal Assistant, and having to pay for two people through no fault of your own is financially prohibitive. The processes to obtain such tickets/join Access schemes can be quite convoluted though.
Lindsay: Schemes like National Theatre Live have been a godsend for getting my theatre fix. I can go to my local cinema and sit in a very comfortable reclining seat or on a sofa and watch an excellent play or amazing musical on the big screen.
What can the sector do better?
Lauren: Theatres must understand that access is more than getting into the theatre and going to the toilet. Views from wheelchair spaces can be severely affected. For example, if you are on the end of the row you can’t see something that happens on the far stage, or if you are under an overhang you can’t watch Elphaba fly! I know you can see the view from your seat on Leeds Heritage Theatres’ site, but it takes foreknowledge of the show to know if your seat will limit your view, which Front of House staff often don’t have. I went to the second run of Next to Normal at Wyndham’s Theatre in London, and almost all of a couple’s scenes were up a set of stairs that were entirely blocked from my view! In contrast, I had a wonderful view when the show was at the Donmar Warehouse.
I also think staff must know more about Access accommodations that exist and, if they use them, publicise them to their patrons. Some theatres in London use the GalaPro live captions app that Deaf audience members can download on their phones to follow the captions at all performances rather than hoping they can attend the one captioned performance available. Some theatres also have either BSL or captioned performances, not both, which disadvantages both the BSL and caption-dependent audiences.
Where live captions are available (and I hope this will expand to many more theatres), staff need to be aware of them and publicise them clearly to all access customers. At the first theatre I visited that had them, I only learned of them from a sign on the accessible toilet door that I visited in the interval meaning I could only follow them for the latter part of the show. A Deaf person without the need for an accessible toilet would not have known about them.
Similarly, theatre staff need to be aware of, and communicate, the size of their wheelchair spaces. I was almost put off seeing Mean Girls The Musical at the Savoy Theatre because the dimensions listed on the website were too small for even a standard wheelchair, but when I was (fortunately), able to drop in and check with staff, there was ample room. Accuracy + access = sales and happy theatregoers.
Also, as a wheelchair user, when visiting auditoriums only accessible by platform lifts, there needs to be clear information when booking about what weight the lifts can take. I went to the Fortune Theatre to see Operation Mincemeat and had to transfer to a chair in the lift while my powerchair went down separately. If someone couldn’t transfer and turned up in a powerchair they would be stuck. Broken lifts are one of the biggest barriers I face daily too.
Lindsay: More shows in the theatre would be good or links to watch at home. I’d love to see more regional shows on the big screen when I can’t make it to a local theatre to see them. I MISS the theatre; it was my life and now it’s gone.
Access at Leeds Heritage Theatres
Access membership
Leeds Heritage Theatres is constantly working towards being more accessible for all our audiences. Visit our Access page to read about our venue-specific access information, free Access Membership scheme, and Theatre For All fundraising campaign.
Access performances
For information about our Access performances – BSL interpreted, Audio Described, Relaxed, Captioned, and Dementia friendly – click on the link below. With more Access performances available, what will you come to next?
The Picture House
Our cinema is committed to being open to all and is delighted that recent renovations have reduced the number of barriers the building presents to disabled visitors. Visit their Access-specific page for a guide to what to expect when visiting.
