Scotland’s Culture Secretary Angus Robertson has thrown his support behind Sight Scotland’s Accessible Venues Campaign, which aims to make every theatre, concert hall and cultural venue fully accessible for people with vision impairment.
Mr Robertson recently met with members of Sight Scotland’s Policy Group, all of whom have visual impairment, alongside representatives from the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO), who were pleased to share their progress in improving accessibility for visually impaired concert-goers.
The meeting highlighted that accessibility in the arts requires change across the entire process - from buying a ticket online or over the phone, to travelling to the venue, the experience during the performance, and returning home afterwards.
Watch or listen to our interview with Angus Robertson MSP here.
Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: “I was pleased to meet with Sight Scotland and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra to hear about the inspiring work already underway to help make sure that all blind and visually impaired people can enjoy Scotland’s fantastic cultural venues.
“There are lots of ways venues can make their customer journeys even more accessible. Whether on the process for booking tickets, helping people find the correct seat, buying refreshments or considerations around how to get home afterwards, small changes can make a big difference.”
Amanda Whitfield, a Sight Scotland Policy Group member from Edinburgh who was diagnosed with Stargardt disease in 2016, attended the meeting with the Cabinet Secretary and explained the barriers she still faces.
“Since the launch of Sight Scotland’s Accessible Venues Report I have seen some improvements, but not consistently and that is the problem. Vision impairment is an invisible disability and too often venues simply do not realise what they should be doing. There is no single solution to accessibility, different people require different things.
“Tickets remain a massive problem, and this gives me huge anxiety. As everything is digital now, I am repeatedly shut out of something that should be for everyone. Instead of speaking to a person who understands my needs I am stuck in endless online queues forced to pick a seat from an inaccessible visual plan while battling websites that do not work with zoom or screen readers. Enjoying a concert should not be this hard just because you have vision impairment.”
Mark Ballard, Head of External Affairs and Campaigns at Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans, said: “We are grateful to Culture Secretary Angus Robertson for meeting our Policy Group members and listening directly to people with vision impairment about the barriers they face in enjoying live performances."
"Visually impaired people are clear that they need to know accessibility will be consistent across every venue, whether it is a theatre, concert hall or festival. People with vision impairment deserve the same confidence as anyone else when buying a ticket or attending a show, knowing their needs will be met. True accessibility is not about one solution for everyone; it’s about recognising and responding to different needs.”
Alistair Mackie, Chief Executive of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, said: “As Scotland’s National Orchestra, we know that live concerts are a hugely invaluable experience that have the power to connect, uplift and inspire, and should be accessible to all.
“We are committed to the right of every person in Scotland to enjoy great music and to responding to audience needs. It is our responsibility, as a National Performing Company, to make meaningful changes and ensure our concerts are open to all our communities. We are pleased to be working with a variety of organisations, including our venues and Sight Scotland, to help to create a more inclusive and accessible future in the arts and culture sector.”
In 2024, Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans published the Accessible Venues Report, which revealed major barriers faced by visual impaired audiences, including inaccessible booking systems, poor communication, lack of audio descriptions or touch tours, untrained staff, and poor design features such as low colour contrast. To build on this work, Sight Scotland and Sight Loss Councils in Scotland have delivered visual impairment awareness training, including recently training more than 250 staff at the Pleasance prior to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Sight Scotland is also working alongside Extant, VICS (Visually Impaired Creators Scotland), Edinburgh International Festival (EIF) and the Royal Lyceum Theatre to make the arts more accessible for people with visual impairment in 2025.
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