Sutton is an ethnically and culturally diverse borough. Food and drink at events should aim to be culturally inclusive and suitable for people of all faiths.
You have a legal duty and moral responsibility to make your event accessible to all to the best of your ability. This means considering the needs of those with disabilities in your planning.
What measures are suitable for your event will depend upon many factors, including:
- whether your event is indoors or outside
- involves staged performances
- the length of the event
- capacity of your venue
Things to consider could include:
Access
- check if your site offers suitable access
- find out what transport and parking facilities exist for those with additional needs
Facilities
- check if you're able to offer accessible toilets
- see if there could be a viewing area for wheelchair users (if your event involves staged performances)
Event staff
- offer stewards or other staff disability related training
- brief staff and volunteers on the best way to include or assist those with additional needs
Support
You should take into account how many people with additional needs will have a paid supporter or carer accompanying them. At ticketed events it is best to allow the supporter/carer free or minimal cost entry to go with the ticket paying person with a disability.
Communications
You should print flyers in a clear type, font size and layout.
It's also recommended to give people more than one way to gather information about the event. This could include a telephone number to call for those who are visually impaired.
Dependent on your event, you may want to offer services such as:
- British Sign Language interpreters
- captioning
- touch tours
- audio descriptions