Thank you to Hay Festival for inviting LOOK to do a visual impairment (VI) accessibility audit of the festival site.
Watch the video of Charlotte Carson, CEO of LOOK, sharing why this positive action by Hay Festival is so important.
Charlotte, who is visually impaired, was joined by Lacey Owens, a LOOK Mentor and Intern at the LOOK office in Hereford. Lacey was born completely blind.
Here’s Charlotte speaking during their walk through the Hay Festival site. Click on the link below to watch:
Charlotte said: ‘It is fantastic to see the really positive attitude of the Hay Festival team, reaching out to us and other disabled people to make the venue more accessible. We’re learning all the time, they’re learning. We’ve spotted changes that they can absolutely make this year, and other suggestions for making future festivals more VI accessible. For me, the most important thing is that organisations and businesses are putting access and inclusion high on their priority list so that everyone can come to an organisation or an event such as the Hay Festival, and enjoy it alongside other people.
We have been looking at lighting, colour contrast, signs, steps access, ensuring that VI people can feel safe and access the festival. Sometimes if the physical access is not right, what is important is the attitude of staff and volunteers and people running the business, that they are helpful and inclusive, and there to help people like me who are visually impaired. So, thank you Hay Festival, for everything you are doing to make your festival more accessible.”
Below are photos from the visit (all with Alt Text):
Thank you to Hay Festival, and thank you to Troy Childs for these fantastic photos and video of the visit.
There will be a bucket collection for LOOK after the Jeremy Bowen event at Hay Festival on Monday 29th May at 2.30pm. If you are at the site and would like to donate to LOOK – supporting visually impaired young people to thrive, head to the venue as the event finishes 3.30pm to throw some notes or coins into the bucket. A donation card reader will also be available at one of the exits if you prefer to donate by card.
