How accessible are music festivals for differently-abled people in India?

Visually-impaired Ninad Pawar loves different kinds of music but was able to attend his first live concert only three years ago and the experience was like no other for him. It was simply because the music festival was equipped to handle differently-abled fans, and his wish to attend an experience was fulfilled. Now, he regularly attends music festivals with friends whenever he gets time off from work. However, the 27-year-old still faces many challenges and feels organisers need to address them, so that more disabled people can attend them. One of them being the lack of awareness about whether the festival can cater to differently-abled people, especially those who are blind like him as they would be able to attend only after they are confident of being able to get the required help when they are there.

With each passing year, India is witnessing an increasing number of music festivals catering to different genres of music. Subsequently, each and every one of them is visited by thousands of fans but somehow it seems hard to spot many differently-abled people attending them. It is not like they don't want to attend them, but the lack of adequate facilities may often be a deterrent. This writer has seen only a handful of people in wheelchairs attend mega music festivals in the last two years after the Covid-19 pandemic. Quite a few venues had arrangements like ramps made for those in wheelchairs, among other aspects of catering to the community. However, others weren't so friendly for those who are visually impaired like Pawar or other handicapped people either due to uneven ground or simply the lack of adequate facilities.

While this is only a part of challenges faced by those who are disabled in a public space, it is a reminder of a larger issue about the lack of accessibility in public spaces that aren't limited to cultural spaces. Sumeet Patil, a city-based social activist who has been working towards helping make spaces more accessible to those with disabilities over the last 15 years, says the very issue has been taken for granted. At the ground level, Patil explains, "Accessibility is barely there in India and even if it is there, it is only in a few places. It is important to understand that accessibility isn't only for disabled people, it's for everybody." One that is certainly not limited to basic rights but also to that of entertainment because who doesn't love a little art and music in their lives?

Making festivals accessible
Interestingly, efforts are made to bridge the gap between accessibility and such festivals. Siddhant Shah's Access For ALL is one such organisation and probably the only known one in India that has been at the forefront of making art and culture festivals accessible to all. They consult them on how to bring in accessibility elements to the festivals. Shah explains, "We assist with facilities such as setting up an information desk to help those with disabilities to have accessible risers, ramps, toilets, training staff and ground staff to assist a person with various needs they may have, and we are seeing an incremental change." However, he says it's a space where one size doesn't fit all because everybody's needs are different. "Every person with a special need has a different requirement," he adds.

The ‘accessibility consultant' has collaborated with the likes of NH7 Weekender, Serendipity Arts Festival and Jaipur Literature Festival in the past, and more recently Lollapalooza's India debut in Mumbai, to make them accessible to all. However, he says the changes are slow and can be done only one step at a time. "Accessibility is multifold and an incremental process. You will not get everything in one go because it is a process," he explains.

It is also the reason why the award-winning Andheri-based organisation has to be proactive in bringing about this change because very often it is not a part of the festival organiser's initial plan and more of an afterthought, thus stressing on the need for Shah and his team to intervene in the planning phase. Over the last six years, the consultant, who is also a heritage architect, has approached many festivals to think about accessibility and then pitch how and why their venues can be friendly to all kinds of viewers. Now, he says more organisers are keen on focussing on accessibility than they were in the initial years. "If we reach out to 10 people, we get replies from at least seven of them, and four actually go on to consider accessibility," he explains the ground reality.

It is a stark contrast from what it was seven years ago when they started out. He notes, "At that time, the RPWD Act, which is The Right for Person with Disability Act, came into effect in 2016, after the Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan, the government's Accessible Indian campaign. So, there have been a lot of efforts being made to create awareness in the domain." The fact that representation has also increased since then, he says, has helped. "Prior to 2016, there were only seven disabilities that were recognised. Now, we have 21 disabilities that are recognised," he adds.

However, accessibility in public spaces is still in the nascent stage and that means many organisers have their doubts. Since every organiser is still trying out things, they don't want to go wrong, says Shah, because it's somebody's safety at stake. "It is important to start small and get the perfect elements in place." So, when the Mumbaikar took on NH7 Weekender for the first time, they started with physical disability. They learned that the signage will not only help the disabled group but also other groups of older people with difficulties in vision to get proper signages. The use of maps, elements indicated properly and signages also went a long way at the festival.

It was no different at the first-ever Lollapalooza in India, Access For ALL set up sign language interpreters. They also set up an email id for people to contact them and address all accessibility concerns - it would help them right from the gate of the festival to anywhere inside. While it works for the particular festival, the queries and feedback also help them better understand how they can cater to people with disabilities in the future at such events. However, it isn't easy because catering to people from the community may often be met with criticism but he is not backing down any time soon.

Challenges and solutions
Even as Shah and his team has been working with festivals on a large-scale level with cultural festivals in India, Patil believes there is a lot more that should be considered not only by independent stakeholders but also organisers. While it is already being seen more in the private sector, the public sector needs to actively do it too.

When considering a music festival, the activist, who is also a visual designer, says it is important to remember that people don't particularly come to look at the performance but listen to the music. So, for those who are hearing impaired, the 33-year-old believes, there should be more provisions made. He suggests, "Since those who are hearing impaired, have hearing machines that match different decibel levels depending on their requirements, festivals should consider having these machines that are not only low-cost, but also help for those with a hearing problem." There are also those who are deaf but can get the vibrations of sounds, which means they can listen to music. If festival organisers install a vibration creator board, which is usually wooden or a metal sheet, they will also be able to have a good time, says Patil.

However, it doesn't only end at those who are hearing impaired but also those who need to use a wheelchair to move around, and that doesn't only mean those who are disabled but also those who are old or find it difficult to walk. He explains, "There also needs to be stage accessibility where people can get on to the stage either with the help of a ramp or rods to use as support while climbing up the stairs; there is also a need for toilets with ramps so that everybody can access it." If there is no availability of ramps, Patil says at least having a dedicated space for people with wheelchairs to comfortably enjoy the show is necessary.

Pawar is among the lucky few because he has managed to have a good experience at all the festivals till now including NH7 Weekender, which he attended along with another visually-impaired friend in 2022. "I have had good experiences in all the festivals I have attended till now. They weren't difficult because they had made it easy with instructions for blind people to navigate around." There were even ramps for handicapped people so that their family and friends could put them on the ramps and help them enjoy the festival. "Even the games we played there had Braille-friendly system so that we could access it. We can't see but at least, we can enjoy the festival," adds the Vasai resident, who has attended at least five-to-six festivals till now.

However, Pawar says while these venues are easier to navigate, there is still work needed in other areas. "If the area is big, it is easier to navigate for us but if it is a small venue, then it becomes a challenge because we can get hurt since there are no facilities," says Pawar, while citing the classic example of Mumbai railway stations. In such cases, he suggests that more festivals should start having volunteers to guide blind people and if that is difficult, then they should at least have proper indicators to set up at different points to help them navigate the venue.

At the most basic level, Patil steering the conversation from where Pawar left off highlights how Mumbai local trains don't have provisions for small children to climb onto the train. One mustn't take it for granted because the Mumbaikar particularly uses children as an example to explain how short people often have a problem while commuting, and it's no different for those who are in a wheelchair.

The fact that most facilities are provided for the masses often makes it difficult to get "accessibility for all", according to Patil. "Even our taps are at a particular height so that means children can't access them. What about those who don't have hands?" Patil asks a question reminding us how we often take disabled people for granted.

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