Acknowledgements endorsements Background methodology executive Summary 11 Recommendations 22 Article — general obligations 38

Inaccessible Cultural Events, Performances and Materials

563. 
     The formats through which art and culture are expressed or conveyed are not always accessible for some people with disability. Information about upcoming or popular art events and cultural exhibits may be accessible for people generally, but not to some people with disability with sensory or cognitive impairment.
     
564. 
     Compulsory regulation of accessible information is currently limited to captioning on television for news programs and at prime evening times.⁶³⁷
     
565. 
     Many people describe being unable to access places for cultural performances and materials such as galleries, museums, cinemas and concert halls due to a combination of physical inaccessibility of premises, information not being given in alternative formats, material being provided without reasonable adjustments, and staff lacking skills in understanding disability issues and knowing how to assist.
     
566. 
     The relative unavailability of accessible transport to cultural performances is another barrier to cultural participation. Accessible transport to various events typically runs only in daytime hours meaning people with disability do not have access to any of the various night time events.⁶³⁸
     

Case Study

“I do not have access to plays, television, movies, tourism and other cultural events in the same way as others because there is no interpreter provided... I cannot attend plays and movies in the same way, because with plays if they provide an interpreter it is only at a specific date/time rather than at a date/time I would just choose to go the same as others. With movies, there [are none with] captions in my area. The closest one is 2 hours away and they are held at specific days/time so I can’t just go like others.”⁶³⁹

567. 
     People with disability from different cultural backgrounds report that it can be difficult to participate in culturally important activities, such as attending church.⁶⁴⁰
     

Case Study

“Sometimes it is harder to be part of a group if you have a disability and are within a church group. Because I could not physically do things I found it harder to belong in the church group. I felt like if I did not physically contribute and because I was from a culturally diverse background, I had ‘double discrimination’ because of my disability and being from a [non-English speaking background] background.”

568. 
     There is little data on the cultural inclusion of people with disability from non-English speaking backgrounds or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability.