Attitude is Everything, a charity focused on improving live music access for deaf and disabled people, has recognised the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) after the introduction of accessible online ticketing without restrictions.
The Glasgow venue includes the 13,000-capacity SSE Hydro arena, the 3,000-seat SEC Armadillo, and the 1,600-capacity SEC Centre.
The charity has awarded the venue with the Gold Charter of Best Practice by improving its online booking system for disabled fans through its ticketing partner Ticketmaster.
The move marks the first time in the UK that accessible tickets have been made available to purchase online without restriction.
Mark Laidlaw, director of operations at the SEC 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.”
The award is based on a range of other factors away from ticketing, including the introduction of Changing Place facilities in the SEC Centre to add to the already existing facility in The SSE Hydro, providing sign language interpreters for a range of events and supplying new way-finding solutions.
Other initiatives include quiet rooms, courtesy vehicles, sensory packs for those who may suffer from overstimulation, as well as “sunflower” lanyards for those with hidden disabilities to alert stewards to their needs.
Suzanne Bull MBE, chief executive of Attitude is Everything said: “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!”
Last year, the charity launched a pan-industry taskforce aimed at improving the ticket booking experience. The Ticketing Without Barriers Coalition, which is made up of 35 trade bodies including ticketing agencies, event promoters and venues, will meet to establish a programme of delivery.
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