Want to access live entertainment, but find the venue doesn’t accommodate your needs? Why Not People? plan to change that. Let’s see what they have to say…
Why Not People? is the UK’s first and only members club solely for people with disabilities who host music and comedy events. Founded by BBC 1 DJ Jameela Jamil, Why Not People? strives to make live music far more accessible and inclusive.
This means that you don’t have to worry about missing out or being separated from your group of friends. Instead, you’ll be right in the middle of the action and experiencing the event fully.
Currently, one in two people with disabilities view physical access as the biggest barrier when it comes to attending live music events. To make this even tougher, MCD trailblazers found that last minute ticketing websites are rarely set up with a person’s disability in mind, which makes the purchasing of popular, ‘sell-out’ tickets tricky and frustrating.
Founder Jameela isn’t prepared to accept the existing, excluding set up and wants to create events that facilitate the needs of those with impairments and most importantly, are enjoyable.
Ways of the past
No choice of seats as the disabled seat allocation is fixed and only available by calling a separate phone number.
With inaccessible transport links, the journey to and from the event is not taken into account and often costs a person with a disability more.
Over 10 million people in the UK experience some form of hearing loss and yet the majority of live music shows have not yet incorporated captions to ensure no one misses out.
Typically a disabled ticket comes with one free carer ticket… individuals are separated out from everyone else, away from all the action.
Jameela explains: “I’ve decided that I don’t want to live in a world where this happens anymore.”
Why Not People? understand that society can often be disabling due to simple, everyday barriers that aren’t taken into account and can be solved with a few adjustments.
With this in mind, we plan to break some of these barriers.
Here are a few ways we aim to do this at our events:
Physical access
At our July 1st launch event at the Troxy, there is step free access at the front entrance of the building and throughout the upper ground floor. Everyone will be seated to ensure vision isn’t obstructed and there is a designated area at the front of the stage for those who are unable to transfer out of their wheelchairs.
Sign language
BSL will be integrated into some of the performances on stage in order to enhance the experience for people with hearing impairments. We aim to make our events as immersive as possible.
Inclusivity
Music events should rightfully be shared with your family and friends. You shouldn’t have to be separated and placed away from them. Why Not People? events will ensure you aren’t separated during performances and because the venue is set up to facilitate your needs, you will get to experience the event together without restrictions.
SubPac
We will be trialling SubPac technology in some of the chairs at our events. By transferring small frequencies to the body, this will allow you to literally feel the music. We hope that this could make the event for those with hearing and visual difficulties more enjoyable. To learn more about SubPac, visit: www.thesubpac.com
If you are interested in experiencing the event for yourself, or wish to learn more about the movement, attend our launch event on the 1st July at the Troxy.
Headlined by Tinie Tempah, the event will feature a range of exciting acts including comedian Romesh Ranganathan; AlunaGeorge; dance act Flawless plus surprise performances!
Tickets are £35.
We would also like to give a shout out to the incredible work that is already being done in this space. Why Not People? has been working closely with Scope, Attitude is Everything, Euan’s Guide, Blue Badge Style, Disability Rocks, Mencap, Certitude, DisabledGo, HyperMobility Syndrome association, Disability Today, Dreams Come True, MCD Trailblazers, Create, Access Card and Lambeth Disability Advice Service; with the goal of rallying together to impact serious change. So watch this space… it’s going to be EPIC!
