Making your show accessible

Get started with some tips about making your show accessible for all audiences.

Captioning displays dialogue, sound effects and off-stage noises in a text format, and can be beneficial for D/deaf or hard of hearing people, learning-disabled people or also those for whom English is not their first language.

Audio description provides additional narration, normally live rather than an audio track, describing what is happening on the screen or stage for visually impaired people.

Touch tours allow those with access requirements an opportunity to touch parts of the set, costumes or props involved in a show and can be useful for blind and visually impaired people, autistic people and learning-disabled people.

In theatre, BSL interpreters are hired to translate or interpret your show from English for the benefit of Deaf audience members.

Relaxed performances, sometimes referred to as sensory-friendly or autism-friendly performances, are designed to make the experience of visiting venues and seeing a show more comfortable and fulfilling for autistic people. They can also benefit the access requirements of other audiences, such as parents and babies, people with dementia and other cognitive impairments.

Once you’ve made the commitment to make your show accessible, remember to let your audience know!