Ability Fest 2024 - A masterclass in inclusive and accessible event design.

My experience at Ability Fest - Ability Fest is proudly Australia’s first and only completely inclusive music festival striving to promote inclusivity.

Ability Fest at Brisbane’s Victoria Park was outstanding! On so many levels from the efforts to make the entire experience inclusive, to the quality of the music, and how everyone who participated had a genuine desire to make it the best experience for everyone.

I'm so keen to show all the things I learnt and I've added some links too. I’m also adding an audio version of this newsletter here. Most importantly I wanted to share that by doing everything they could to make it an inclusive space for all, including abilities, they actually made one of the best festival environments for everyone.

Here’s my rundown.... And if you're looking for a TL:DR scroll to the bottom.

🎫 The ticketing, I didn’t notice any difference here and there didn’t seem to be any added elements for people with a disability. The tickets came via Megatix and the "read aloud" function in Outlook seemed to work well.

📧 The next email came a few days later with all the event information. The 2 things I want to share with you from this was the Accessibility Guide and the Ability Fest Social Story. 🛝 The pre event communication had a "story" version of the event plan. This slide deck was simple, uncluttered, and simply told the event journey in a story format that was easy to follow. And I was able to visualise exactly what to expect when I arrived at the event. So calming! And the Accessibility Guide covered everything from getting there (including arrival) accessibility features, health and well being and a myriad of other pieces of information. Definitely worth a download and explore the ideas for your next event.

🛣️ The event signage around the outside of the park was lacking and that meant I parked on the wrong side of the park. Victoria Park is 64h which is BIIIG! I don’t consider myself someone with a disability but I do have challenges walking long distances and navigating uneven surfaces and so while the walk to the venue from my car wasn’t too bad (down hill), I was a bit worried about the walk back, up hill and in the dark. I made it safely but it would have been great to see some wayfinding along the roads around the park so I knew the proximity of the festival, and could park accordingly. PS: I didn't take the bus because the bus stop was too far away from the festival entry.

🚦 The entry was well signed although I thought it was interesting they had only 1 accessible entry point, given the target audience. When I arrived the crowds were low, but I imagine it might have been a challenge if there were big crowds. It was also a really short run up to the entry and if they have big crowds in the future, this entry location won't work. Oh, and when I added the emoji to this paragraph, how good would it be to have a traffic light system above the lines so you could see which was the best line to join!

🛠️ The support crew were amazing, as were the tools they provided to help all the punters communicate. I stopped by the information marquee on my way in and was warmly greeted by (from memory) the Ability Concierge. They did a great job explaining all the tools available to people including a simple yet effective "communication board". An incredibly simple system to help nonverbal patrons express their needs. Check it out in the photos.

🍹 Next up it’s a look at all the food and beverage options and once again, this was created just like a regular festival, but with a few additions to make it easier, safer and more accessible. I loved that there was a non-alcoholic bar - not just non-alcoholic drinks, a non-alcoholic bar! There may have even been 2 of them. The aisles were wide on all the bars the tables low and it wasn’t cramped getting in and around the crowd barriers.

🫶 There was lots of signage around reminding punters to be respectful, consensual and look out for others. Report any unsavoury behaviour, ask for help, and look after yourself. In fact, all of the signage inside the venue was effective, well placed and abundant! I never had to look far to find a festival map or wayfinding signage for toilets, etc.

😌 There was multiple ways I could experience the festival from front of stage, in quiet zones, sitting grassed areas, with friends at the BBQ tables and well placed furniture. There was a silent disco, a DJ stage, arts & craft activity, sensory spaces and chill out zones. Easily accommodating so many. I was reminded of feeling exhausted at Ekka and not having anywhere quiet to take a moment. Not at this festival - so many options.

CC: And of course the obvious inclusion you would think, would be the sign language interpreters and they were there, but on a whole new level. We fell in love with Mikey Webb during the pandemic, when he showed up on our TVs for every media session, with such enthusiasm and expression. He was there and of course, we all know how incredibly talented our Auslan interpreters are at signing music festivals, so they were often more entertaining to watch than the band!

There was also live captioning on the screens and although it lagged a bit, I didn’t mind knowing what the lyrics were for a change! They also signed and captioned most of the indigenous lyrics too, which was impressive. I expect though, anyone relying on the closed captions would not have been getting the full experience. It was hard to tell if it was an AI captioning service creating them, or a human typing them out as they sang, and I suspect given the lag and the ability to share indigenous language, it was most likely a human. Interesting to see nonetheless and explore how we can incorporate more of this into our events.

PS: I couldn’t find the CC icon in the icon list for Microsoft…. When I searched “closed caption icon” it offered me a speech bubble.

🚚 And lastly, it was brilliant to see the food truck providers serving from tables on the ground. I believe this was at the request of the organisers but I would love to see this rolled out at all events. It was nice not to have to shout to the server up on the next floor! But seriously, understanding that the counters would be too high for many punters, all food vendors had dedicated servers at ground level which meant not only everyone had access.

😶‍🌫️ In addition to these variations to make it accessible, there were also alternative options for those that didn’t want to brave the crowds at the stage, or those who couldn’t cope with the loud music. A sensory zone, a quiet zone, friendship bracelet making zone, another stage with a DJ, the tactile silent disco with haptic vests, flooring over grass to make it easy to navigate plus an abundance of grassy areas to sit down and enjoy the event.

🧻 I will say that I suspect the all-important toilets may have been lacking in numbers – and I mean accessible toilets. There looked like to be about 20 accessible toilets in various locations, which was about a quarter of the regular toilets. They did though, also have disabled toilets with hoists, which I imagine is probably a first.

All in all, this was an excellent experience for this able bodied person and I highly recommend you try to get to this festival next year. My final words on this are that it was the most beautiful experience being at something that was full of love and care, with fantastic bands, DJs and performers, they did an amazing job of being as inclusive as possible.

I said to my friend, that I feel so grateful and this experience, while it is about the music, it's about more than the music.

Well done Ability Fest. So much for us all to learn. You can check out all my photos and videos here.

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TL:DR (but really, you should read the whole thing, because it has so many good ideas).

Ability Fest in Brisbane showcased remarkable inclusivity, creating a festival experience that catered to everyone’s needs. Here’s a rundown of key highlights and you can find all the photos and videos I took here:

Ticketing: Tickets via Megatix with no extra steps for accessibility.

Event Info and Accessibility Guide: Included an Accessibility Guide and a Social Story in pre-event emails for easy navigation and a calming event overview.

Wayfinding and Parking Challenges: Limited signage outside the park led to parking difficulties; clearer wayfinding could improve this aspect.

Entry Experience: One accessible entry point was well-signed but could use adjustments for larger crowds.

Communication Support: The Ability Concierge and communication boards facilitated ease for nonverbal guests.

Food and Beverage Options: Non-alcoholic bars, wide aisles, and accessible tables made the dining experience seamless.

Signage on Safety and Respect: Well-placed, plentiful signs promoted respect and awareness throughout the venue.

Varied Festival Zones: Diverse spaces like quiet zones, a silent disco, and sensory spaces catered to everyone’s comfort.

Sign Language and Captions: Live interpreters and captioning (including Indigenous language) enriched the experience, although captions could be more synchronised.

Food Truck Accessibility: Vendors served from ground level, making transactions easier and more inclusive.

Alternative Crowd-Free Zones: Options like sensory and quiet zones provided a welcoming space away from the stage and music.

Accessible Toilets: Limited but specialized facilities (including hoist-enabled toilets) met needs but could be expanded.

All in all, Ability Fest set a beautiful example of inclusivity, from fantastic music to thoughtful design, making it a festival for everyone. I’ll be incorporating these insights into my upcoming 8-Week Event Plan course! Click here to explore.