The Scottish Event Campus (SEC) has been recognised with the Gold Charter of Best Practice by the charity, Attitude is Everything. The venue, which comprises The SSE Hydro, SEC Armadillo and the SEC Centre, is the first in Scotland to be accredited with the award by the charity, which improves Deaf and disabled people’s access to events by working in partnership with audiences, artists and the music industry.
The news follows the recent introduction of accessible online ticketing for disabled fans for SEC events by the venue’s ticketing partner, Ticketmaster and is the first time in the UK that accessible tickets have been made available to purchase online without restriction.
The award is based on a range of measures carried out across the Campus with further plans in place for the future in line with the charity’s aims. These include the introduction of Changing Place facilities in the SEC Centre to add to the already existing facility in The SSE Hydro, new wayfinding solutions and providing sign language interpreters for a range of events. Other initiatives include sensory packs, quiet rooms, courtesy vehicles and “sunflower” lanyards for hidden disabilities to alert stewards to visitors with additional needs.
Mark Laidlaw, director of operations at the Scottish Event Campus, said: “We are thrilled to be the first venue in Scotland to have been awarded the gold Charter of Best Practice by Attitude is Everything.
“Visitors should be able to access to enjoy a fantastic experience and we share their vision and commitment that events should be accessible for all. We have a number of improvements planned for the future such as making our website more user friendly and accessible, and looking at a solution for subtitles at live events. We will continue to review our accessibility practices and standards across the Campus and look forward to working with the charity.”
Suzanne Bull MBE, CEO of Attitude is Everything, added: “We are absolutely delighted to be awarding Gold to the Scottish Event Campus – a beacon of good practice for Scotland and the UK. The award demonstrates the range of access features that are possible for a forward-thinking, inclusive major venue, and the SEC’s innovative work to improve the experience for fans with non-visible and sensory impairments. We are excited to see that the team does next to push the boundaries of event accessibility further!”
Author: Molly Hookings
Molly joined the editorial team in March 2019. She has several years’ experience working in broadcast and journalism, as well as marketing and PR. Past experience includes working for the BBC and independent publishing houses. If you have a story you think Molly might be interested in, please email: molly@eventindustrynews.com
