Existing Barriers in Nightlife

Accessibility of Information and Transparency

Physical Accessibility

Venue Infrastructure and Layout

No food.
No cloakroom, or the cloakroom is far away from the dancefloor/too small which makes it difficult to store mobility aids.
No quiet spaces to take a break.
The only quiet space is the welfare room or smoking area, which isn’t suitable for all.
No food allowed to be taken into the venue.
No water is obviously available for free.
No signage, easily getting lost.
Long queues for the women’s toilets.
Not enough mixed-gender toilets.
Dirty toilets.
You feel like you need to rush in the toilets.
No complimentary earplugs, or if they have them, they don’t make it obvious.
Earplugs should be at the entrance or on the bar for easy access.
Bright flashing lights.
Strobe lighting designed in an intense way.
No map of the space: shown before and during the event.
Unsuitable seating, sometimes only available in a freezing smoking area.
No affordable early entry options, so they can arrive when it is quieter.

Safety and Security

Searching without consent.
Security having an "authority mindset" and using intimidation tactics.
Brash and aggressive security staff.
Intense interactions with security.
Profiling by security.
Security telling you to stand when you are sitting on the ground because there are no seats.
Being yelled at in the toilets.
Being perceived as aggressive.
Security staff not trained to understand access needs and the needs of different minority groups.
Lack of safeguarding.

Sensory Overload and Accessibility

Bad sound system: music doesn’t sound good and causes sensory overload on the dancefloor.
Intoxicated crowd not respecting personal space, particularly when overselling capacity.
Strobe and smoke machines make it difficult to navigate and cause sensory overload.
Noisy dancefloors make it difficult to process communication.
Lots of triggering displays/flashing lights that aren’t sensory friendly.

Event Logistics and Timing

Typical club hours don’t allow them to go, e.g. 10 pm–6 am is inaccessible for someone with chronic illness.
No slower events in club spaces.
No tiered ticket system.
No pass-outs or re-entry options mean you can’t leave for a break and come back.
No early entry options, making arrival quieter for those who need it impossible.
No slower starts or slower ends to the night to assist with sensory overload.

Inclusivity and Interaction

Bro crowd.
Being pigeonholed.
Difficulties with interpreting interactions, especially with intoxicated partiers.
No space for some quiet time.
Cell phone usage on the dancefloor.
No place to chat/have a conversation.
Intoxicated crowd not respecting personal space.
Confiscation of stim toys by security.
Unwanted physical touch.
No non-alcoholic options.
People don’t ask consent to touch you.

Inclusivity of Performances

Entry Experience and Stress Points

The moment between security, cloakroom, and entering is a very high-stress environment.
Waiting in long queues because there is no skip list option for people with access needs.
Having to disclose one’s disability because security almost won’t let you in or are questioning whether you can use the guest list queue.

Environment and Atmosphere

There aren’t enough cute, cuddly, and squishy things in clubs - very industrial hard spaces.
The venue is too full, and you can’t move.
Overselling tickets, making it difficult to dance or move comfortably without touching lots of sweaty people.
Speakers that haven’t been tuned.

As of 2022/23, an estimated 16.1 million people in the UK reported having a disability, representing 24% of the population.