We Do Us: Creating accessible nightlife with Smirnoff

The challenge

Disabled people often face barriers to enjoying a night out, and have to make or put up with compensations, like being lifted up entrance steps, not being able to use inaccessible toilets, or having no clear view of the stage. 

For Tilting the Lens, the clear goal for this We Do Us night was to make sure that every attendee felt welcome, and that challenges usually experienced by disabled people were considered and addressed right from the start. The aim was equity of experience, giving every guest autonomy, agency, and choice.

The approach

We know the importance of having disabled collaboration integrated into event planning from the beginning. We were at the very first site visit to Leake Street to audit the space and assess what would be needed to make it accessible. 

To make a truly inclusive event, we focused on three main elements: communication, physical access, and service.

1. Communication

After buying their ticket, guests received an email with full details about the event, and the same information was easy to find on official social media posts shared by performers and organisers. 

An accessible webpage supplied access information, including transport routes and a description of the surrounding area, precise measurements of the accessible bathrooms, and early entry times for more relaxed arrivals. 

Within the venue, signage was a priority. The location of the accessible bathrooms, quiet room, bar, VIP area, stage, and viewing platform were all indicated via clearly marked signs and coloured lines stuck to the floor. Those signs were then lit by spotlights, while extra lighting was used to improve visibility for bathrooms, service counters, steps, and seating areas. 

Guests had the option to be dropped directly to the door of 26 Leake Street, and were met by staff who explained the layout of the step-free venue. Members of staff, wearing red t-shirts to stand out, were on hand throughout the evening to offer assistance.

2. Physical access

The venue is central, close to parking bays and an accessible Tube station (Waterloo), and largely flat inside, so was mostly ideal for an accessible event like this. But adjustments still needed to be made. 

For example, there were a number of ramps leading to the accessible toilet, so we constructed a platform that would create a flat surface, which is highly preferable. Construction might sound complicated and expensive, but it was actually a simple and cheap improvement. 

For the accessible toilets, we made sure that they did more than just meet the minimum standards, by adding a full-length mirror, footstool, menstruation products, and low coat hooks. 

Each drinks bar had a lowered counter so that wheelchair users and people with a lower stature could order and pay easily. All of the bar menus were available in Braille and staff underwent disability awareness training.

A viewing platform at the back of the main room was built for the event, while the area right in front of the stage was prioritised for disabled people, with folding chairs for those who wanted them. In the event, there was enough space and consideration from attendees that disabled guests felt comfortable using the whole dance floor. 

Inclusive access

Access is often thought about solely in terms of wheelchair users, but Tilting the Lens wanted to ensure that the needs of people with physical, learning, and intellectual disabilities, as well as neurodivergent and Autistic people, were catered to.

This included in-app and on-demand visual interpreting, specific lighting designs, a quiet room, and noise-reduction headphones.

Everything performed onstage was signed by professional BSL performers, subpacs were available to Deaf guests to feel vibrations, and BSL interpreters were available at the bars and throughout the venue. 

There was also a specifically-designated quiet room, which had soft furnishings, low lighting and no music, and was located away from the main thoroughfare to reduce noise from the crowd. 

3. Service

Ensuring guests feel comfortable and welcome at an event is not just about the physical space, but the personal interactions. With this in mind, all staff were given disability awareness training to make sure that they felt confident serving people with different access needs. 

Staff also focused on creating a relaxed and welcoming environment for guests, rather than simply serving as many drinks as quickly as possible.

Outcome and impact

The night itself was an accessible, inclusive success. By prioritising inclusion from the outset, Tilting the Lens and our partners at the event proved that good accessibility is an investment, but one that is highly achievable and has a measurable return. But this is just the beginning. 

“One of the best events I have been to. Disabled people want to go out and have fun, we just don’t always get afforded the opportunity to do so. As a queer disabled person, this was exactly the kind of night I have longed for, where I don’t have to sacrifice parts of myself,” – Guest feedback

This event will not be just a standalone success, but a stepping stone towards embedding these inclusive principles and practices into workflows, budgets, and measures of success across nightlife spaces. This level of inclusion and accessibility should become a standard, not an exception.