Access & Inclusion Project REPORT INTERIM EVALUATIONmeetings.derrycityandstrabanedistrict.com/documents...Derry City & Strabane District Council Access & Inclusion Project 3 | Page

Derry City & Strabane District Council Access & Inclusion Project 1 | P a g eI n t e r i m E v a l u a t i o n R e p o r t

Access & Inclusion ProjectINTERIM EVALUATION

REPORT to end of September 2016

For Derry City & Strabane District CouncilBy Janie Crone Associates


Contents

1 Introduction 3

2 Context 3

3 Research Methodology 6

4 Access & Inclusion Project activity, progress and outcomes

Table: Progress towards the implementation of recommendations from the Base Line Survey, March 2015

8

19

5 Issues and Barriers / Benefits & Impacts 23

6 Recommendations and conclusions 30

Appendix 1 Derry City and Strabane District Council Access & Inclusion Action plan 2016-2017

34

Appendix 2 Organisations participating in the Access & Inclusion Project & contacted as part of this evaluation

46


1. Introduction During 2013 UK City of Culture an Access and Inclusion project was implemented through a partnership between the Public Health Agency (PHA), Culture Company and Disability Action. PHA funded the post of an Access and Inclusion Co-ordinator from November 2012 to March 2014, with the aim of making 2013 UK City of Culture inclusive for people with disabilities, by working with venues to ensure a disability access standard was met.

The policy context comes from evidence of the benefits of culture and arts to health and wellbeing where clear linkages were identified between the arts and Public Health Policy. It was considered that arts and culture were fundamental to addressing the holistic wellbeing of the individual and the interface between National, Regional, Local Governments and community.

The Public Health Agency awarded funding to Derry City & Strabane District Council in January 2015 as a continuation of the work started during 2013 UK City of Culture and reflecting the findings of the Disability Action programme 2013 to deliver an Access & Inclusion Project within a Local Government setting.

There have been three stages to the project:i. Baseline Survey to establish the issues and barriers of participation in

the arts of the pan disability community within the Derry City & Strabane District Council area and identify potential actions to increase engagement and participation.

ii. Employ an Access & Inclusion Co-ordinator and use the baseline survey to inform the development of the Access and Inclusion project, and the work of the Access & Inclusion Co-ordinator.

iii. Evaluation of the Access & Inclusion Project to explore the processes, participation, management, outputs and outcomes of the project to draw out the issues, challenges, successes and learning over the period of project delivery, and make recommendations about the sustainability of the project for the future.

This evaluation is the final stage of the Access & Inclusion project although an interim evaluation before the final end of project evaluation at the end of March 2017.

2. Context i. Public Health Agency

The Public Health Agency awarded funding to Derry City & Strabane District Council in January 2015 as a continuation of the work started during 2013 UK City of Culture and reflecting the findings of the Disability Action programme 2013 to deliver an Access & Inclusion Project within a Local Government setting.

Funding was awarded for a Baseline Survey (Feb-March 2015), Access & Inclusion Co-ordinator and Programme of activities (April 2016-end


of March 2017), and an interim evaluation of which this report is and a final evaluation report at the end of March 2017.

The Public Health Agency is the lead agency for implementation of the Making Life Better Strategy and which the objectives and Key Activities of the Access & Inclusion Action Plan 2016-17 respect and follow.

ii. Making Life Better Strategy1

Making Life Better 2012–2023 is the ten year public health strategic framework. The framework provides direction for policies and actions to improve the health and wellbeing of people in Northern Ireland. It builds on the Investing for Health strategy (2002–2012) and retains a focus on the broad range of social, economic and environmental factors which influence health and wellbeing. It brings together actions at government level and provides direction for implementation at regional and local level.

The Making Life Better framework seeks to create the conditions for individuals and communities to take control of their own lives and move towards a vision of Northern Ireland where all people are enabled and supported in achieving their full health and wellbeing potential and to reduce inequalities in health.

iii. Access & Inclusion Project Baseline SurveyThe Baseline Survey was carried out in February-March 2015 and explored the participation of the pan disability community within arts and cultural activity through improving access to participation, information, facilities and events.

The baseline survey established the issues and barriers of participation in the arts of the pan disability community within the Derry City & Strabane District Council area and identified potential actions to increase engagement and participation. The baseline survey has been used to inform the development of the Access and Inclusion project, and the work of the Access & Inclusion Co-ordinator.

iv. DC&SDC Strategy and Community PlanA wide consultation has been taking place since April 2016 to develop the Community Plan for the Derry City and Strabane District Council area. The plan includes an outcome for tourism, arts and culture under which the key activities of the Access & Inclusion Action Plan sit. The Community Plan is expected to be officially launched in winter 2016.

1 https://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/dhssps/making-life-better-strategic-framework-2013-2023_0.pdf


v. Access & Inclusion Action Plan 2016-17Developing the Access & Inclusion Action Plan 2016-17 was the first action of the Access & Inclusion Co-ordinator and is informed by the findings and recommendations in the Access & Inclusion Baseline Report completed in March 2015.

The Access & Inclusion Action Plan 2016-17 has four broad objectives with key objectives, outputs and impacts for each while demonstrating how they fit together with the Making Life Better Strategy.


3. Research Methodology

When the evaluation methodology was initially written for the Access and Inclusion Project it was anticipated that the evaluation would be an on-going active process throughout the life of the project. The Project Co-ordinator was not appointed until December 2015 and the budget for evaluation was not agreed until June 2016. Although the Project Co-ordinator did evaluate activities as they happened, the evaluator was not able to be part of the evaluation of the activities that took place from December 2015 to July 2016.

It had been hoped that the evaluation would take place in parallel with the activities of the Access & Inclusion Project. It should be noted that the realities of employing a highly participative approach to evaluation are that it needs to be done as the activities take place particularly with children, young people and vulnerable adults because of safeguarding issues and the realities of gathering people together after an event who have particular care, transport and other issues. Observation and immediate contact within a safe and supervised environment would have enabled an immediate qualitative response from participants.

The evaluation has used both quantitative and qualitative methodologies although the qualitative methodologies, such as observation, direct contact with participants, small focus workshops, and large-scale group sessions has not been the main focus of this evaluation because of the reasons cited above and also because of the summer holidays (July and August) and not being able to access people so easily.

The evaluation has examined how the processes, activities and support have impacted on Individuals, local community, venues, events and staff and will also examine how the current work can be continued and sustained in the future.

The aim of the evaluation is to explore the views and experiences of participants, the process of project development, the management and organisation of the project, and the outputs and outcomes of the project. The evaluation process is also designed to draw out the challenges and issues together with the successes and benefits so that there are real and tangible learning for the development of the Access & Inclusion Project and for future work of the same nature after the end of the project in March 2017.

The evaluation has included evaluations carried out during activity delivery, by the Access & Inclusion Officer. This will gauge immediate responses to the project with a more reflective evaluation for the end of the project.

The evaluation has centred around key questions:- Who has been involved / participated?


- What have they been involved / participated in?- What have been the benefits and impacts of participation?- What are the key issues and barriers to participation?

Equality Quality / Excellence ImpactsEnhanced outcomes for individuals.

Purpose of art is:- Increase a person’s capacity

for life (to understand, interpret and adapt to the world around them)

- Enrich their experience- Build skills, confidence and

self-esteem

Inclusion – outcomes in terms of the actual change in levels of engagement by groups most often under-represented in the arts.

Access – outcomes relating to the removal of barriers as a precursor to establishing equitable engagement in the arts by all.

Stronger organisations and infrastructure in the community.Community assets are defined as the skills, confidence, knowledge, networks and structures that enable communities to address the issues on their own agenda.

Arts impact:- Social assets (social cohesion)- Organisational assets

(organised groups)- Capital assets (spaces, places

and equipment available)

Appendix 2 has contact details of all the organisations that have participated in the Access & Inclusion Project and were contacted as part of this evaluation. Over 50 organisations were contacted as part of the Base Line Survey and where they have not participated in the Access & Inclusion Project they were also contacted as part of this evaluation.


4. Access & Inclusion Project activity, progress and outcomesThis section has followed the key activities as laid out in the Derry City & Strabane District Council Access & Inclusion Plan 2016-17 so that there is an easy and clear correlation between the Project objectives and activities, expected outputs and impacts and the findings through the evaluation.

Progress towards the implementation of the recommendations in the Base Line Survey carried out in March 2015 has also been included in this section.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES:1) Tackling the economic barriers to participation in arts and cultural

activities for the pan-disability community.2) Tackling the physical barriers to participation in arts/ culture activities

for the pan-disability community.3) Tackling the social/attitudinal barriers in arts and cultural activities for

the pan-disability community.4) Tackling communication barriers to participation in arts and cultural

activities for the pan-disability community.

KEY ACTIVITIES:

1.1 Fundraising towards further investment in the Access & Inclusion ProjectThe Project Co-ordinator has supported groups and organisations to source funding and undertaken funding applications for specific events and activities. To date the funding applied for to date is £58,500 with £11,200 known not to be successful. This is an 81% success rate.

- £10,000 Awards for All for Strabane & District Special Olympics- £10,00o Bailey Thomas Charitable Fund for New Horizon’s- £1,000 PHA for Waterside Theatre CLEAR Project - £10,000 Big Lottery Awards For All for Foyle Deaf Association - unsure

of outcome- £1200 LCDI Volunteer grant For Foyle Deaf Association - not

successful, good application, they just had no money left- £5,000 Change Your Mind for Foyle Deaf Association- unsure of

outcome- £1000 for Strabane and Special Olympics from Strabane District Caring

Services - successful- £5,000 Fountain Street Strabane- Change your Mind – unsuccessful-

didn’t meet the criteria- £5,000 Sion Mills Cross Community Forum- Change Your Mind – not

successful (Change your mind is a partnership between PHA, NIAMH and Comic Relief)

- £5,000 for Big Lottery Celebrate for Victoria Bridge Cross Community Forum –not known as yet

- £300 sponsorship for Black Moon disco’s from BHP- Peace IV proposal for shared spaces for an Autism friendly city


- £5,000 from Big Lottery Celebrate for DCSDC to Celebrate European Day for People with Disability on 29th November and launch of success story – not known as yet

1.2 Equality Screening ProcessThree venues, The Alley Theatre, Millennium Forum, and the Waterside Theatre are piloting the Equality Screening Process. The Process looks at data capture, guidelines and best practice, including the Every Customer Counts toolkit used to support access. It is hoped to roll out the process to other venues by the end of March 2017.

Equality Commission NI ‘Every Customer Counts’ will be shared within DCSDC and Equality Commission invited to promote it in DCSDC area.

1.3 Personal Assistance Support Scheme (PASS) / now called Access For ALLThe Alley Theatre, Millennium Forum and Waterside Theatre have adopted the scheme to enable people with disabilities and their carers to access arts activities at no additional cost as well as capturing data of the persons needs in terms of their needs to access a building or performance so that they get the best experience.

2.1 Accessible transportPlay Trail, a unique outdoor play and educational facility located within the grounds of Ardnashee School & College, and that also provide a range of OCN accredited programmes for young adults with learning disabilities through its Transition Services, took on the OCN Train the Trainer Independent Travel course and now have three individuals who are accredited to roll out the training to young people with learning disabilities. It is anticipated that 20 young people will undertake the training programme and achieve a certificate by the end of March 2017.

During the Project there have been presentations from Bridge and Easilink to the steering group to share their information and also a transport awareness day in St Columbs Park in October to promote awareness of services that are available.

2.2 Accessibility Audit & Disability CharterA sub group has been established to support venues who have received a Disability Charter audit to achieve the status collectively. Meeting will be held with Department of Communities to see if there is a capital fund which will support this sub group to meet recommendations.

2.3 Access areas & Quiet spacesA toolkit will be developed for marketing and events to adhere to by March 2017 to include access and inclusion as part of daily practice within their roles/events/festivals


3.1 Arts / Cultural based programme of activitiesa) Black Moon disco’s / changed to Energy of Light Disco’sb) Sing Out Loud Programmec) Drama for deaf and hard of hearing communityd) Shared reading programmee) Traveller women’s workshopf) Children & the arts Programme: Music Therapy and Drama

Workshops (January – March 2016)

ACTIVITY PARTICIPANTS VENUE DATES / DURATION

a)a)aa)

Blackmoon disco’s / Energy of Light Disco’s

A monthly disco for adults who are experiencing limited physical, sensory or learning ability attended regularly by 30 people at each venue.

Waterside Theatre, Derry & St. Patrick’s Hall, Strabane

Monthly

b) Sing Out Loud Programme

60 staff from 30 Care settings

Various Feb-Mar 2016

c) Drama Deaf and hard of hearing community

Alley Theatre 3 December

d)Shared Reading Programme

Parents and children with autism x 236 participants from the Mencap Employability project

Verbal Arts Centre / mobile van

22nd June &10th August

e)Travelling Women & Batik workshop and tour of art gallery

7 women from the Traveller Community

Alley Theatre 25 Feb 2016

f)Children & Arts Programme: Music Therapy and Drama Workshops

15 young people with physical, sensory and learning disabilities

Waterside Theatre

Jan-Mar 2016

a) BLACK MOON / ENERGY OF LIGHT DISCO’STo date there has been 8 discos held within the DCSDC area at the Alley Theatre, St Patrick’s Hall and the Waterside Theatre since January 2016.

Black Moon disco’s started out as monthly discos for adults with learning disabilities. They run in both Derry (at the Waterside Theatre) and in Strabane (at St Patrick’s Hall). In both Derry and Strabane the discos have now been rebranded Energy of Light discos and have widened the range of disabilities to include people who have limited physical, learning and sensory ability. This has widened the accessibility to other people and growing the numbers who regularly attend the discos.

As part of the development for the Black Moon disco concept training was provided and three people took part in DJ training to enable the Black Moon discos to have a sustainable source of DJs. For two of the three participants involved in this training


they have reported that it has been life changing for them and one of their stories is told below.

The training I got has increased my skills, whetted my appetite for more and good for my confidence. It has given me positivity as throughout my life I have felt a lack of acceptance and avoidance because of disability. I have found people to be ignorant, selfish and don’t make an effort around disability. Society is not inclusive and we need to break the wall of ignorance! We need more exposure of people with disabilities in main stream media as well as local heroes. It is really important that access and inclusion, projects like this, are embedded across everything.

PARTICIPANT IN THE BLACK MOON / ENERGY OF LIGHT DISCOS

Parents and carers of adults taking part in the discos report huge benefits in the building up of relationships, development of social skills, a bit of independence, the looking forward to and joy of each event – ‘He laughed and laughed all the way to the event and talks about it non-stop until the next disco’, (this is from a parent whose 24 year old severely autistic son has had no social outlet apart from family for 10 years since he was taken out of school) – and that this is the only activity that enables each person to be themselves without the rules and other boundaries set in other groups or settings.

b) SING OUT LOUD PROGRAMMEThirty one Sing Out Loud workshops have been facilitated in care settings across the DCSDC area. Centre staff, including centre managers, nursing assistants, social workers and students, support workers and care assistants took part in the training to learn to use the music box and run sessions in their venues.

The aim of the Sing Out Loud programme was to work with participants in care settings to create improved wellbeing, increase social benefit and a positive inclusive experience. The objective was that at least two individuals working or volunteering within each of the care settings would be confident and competent to use the music box and utilise the equipment to its full potential for future activities.

The programme has been accompanied by a Music Box Explainer Video on You Tube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2ZGYRdQWyE – this video demonstrates the set-up and key features of the music box.

Two music boxes were purchased, one by Strabane District Council and another through the Access & Inclusion Project to alleviate the pressures that one piece of equipment would present.

c) DRAMA: DEATH OF INNOCENCE BY BRIAN SYMINGTONThis is a story of drama and loss caused by a fire at the school for deaf children in Strabane in 1856. The school was supported by the proceeds from the hymns and poems written by Frances Alexander, the famous hymn writer. It is a story that has to be shared to ensure that the six deaf children who tragically perished in the fire


are never forgotten. It will be of interest to both the Deaf Community and the people of Strabane.

The D'Sign Arts Group, who promotes sign language and arts / culture in Northern Ireland, will perform this drama in British / Irish Sign Language and in voice on 3rd December at the Alley Theatre.

As part of this event there will also be a walking tour of the orphanage site in Strabane with the museum services.

d) SHARED READING PROGRAMMEThere have been two Reading Room events – 22nd June at the Mencap offices, and 10th August with Parents of Children with Autism (POCA).

The format involves the facilitator reading a short story and poem with an informal discussion. Participants are also given a copy of the story and poem to follow as the facilitator reads the story out loud.

The session with adults from the Mencap Employability project gave participants an opportunity to discuss an important topic (friendships and relationships) in an informal way and an opportunity to socialise with other people. Friendship and relationships is a key priority for Mencap so the session allowed a small group of service users to explore this within the context of having a learning disability.

The sessions with Parents of Children with Autism involved three groups – 5-10 year olds, 11-16 year olds and adults. The shared reading programme gives a chance for people to interact together as a group, take part in a discussion, and stimulates the imagination.

e) TRAVELLER WOMEN’S GROUP TOUR OF ART GALLERY AND BATIK WORKSHOP Seven women from the Traveller Community came for a tour of the art gallery in the Alley Theatre to view a quilt exhibition and then participate in a batik workshop. The aim had been that they would continue to create pieces of art for their own exhibition but to date this has not happened.

Travellers have been included within the Access & Inclusion Project because they are a hard to reach group with many health issues and hidden disabilities.

The Traveller Health and Wellbeing Programme funded by PHA started in The Western Trust in April 2015 and looks to support Travellers with issues such as health, education, and accommodation. Time has been spent carrying out a scoping report, identifying needs and building relationships with all Travellers throughout The Western Trust, and as part of this groups for Traveller females have been formed in Omagh, Enniskillen, Derry and Strabane.


The Derry Traveller women’s group participated in the Access & Inclusion Project as part of the group’s development, a very new experience for the women that took part and felt to be highly successful.

The feedback for the women who participated in the activities showed enjoyment, confidence, pride and an interest in doing more within arts and culture. Entering an art gallery can be an intimidating experience and 71% women stated that they had never been to an art gallery before and many thought that it was beautiful and were inspired by the quilts they saw.

Comments from the day include:- “I didn’t think that someone like me would be allowed into a place like this”- “This place is class, I was never here before”- “The women who did that work on the wall have great skills, they must be

strong women”- “I would love my daughter to see this, I want a better life for her”- “I can’t wait to show my fiancé what I have made for him. It is a lovely

keepsake, and I made it all by my-self, I am brilliant!”- “More travelling women should have come here today, they would have like

it”- “This is a lovely place, it has a lovely view outside and is so busy, I am coming

back”- “I thought art was for snobs, but look what I have done”- “I have really enjoyed today”- “Thanks to knowing Bernie, our worker, she really is getting us into new

stuff”- “We didn’t know that the council did stuff like this for us”- “It is a good way to spend the day, better than being in bed until dinnertime,

plus I have something to take home with me as well and I got a good feed”

f) CHILDREN & ARTS PROGRAMMEThe Children and Arts Programme was an 8 week programme of music therapy and drama workshops involving 15 young people with physical, sensory and learning disabilities at the Waterside Theatre.

The workshops took place on a Saturday morning from 10.30am to 12.00pm, facilitated by 3 highly qualified artists and enabled some of the most marginalised and disadvantaged young people in society to benefit from taking part in high quality arts activities. Young people were targeted from areas of high deprivation and rural areas by offering to cover transport costs and with no cost to the participants.

The majority of the young people did not attend activities out of school and only had friendships within school or family environments. Parents, particularly of children on the Autism Spectrum, told how difficult it was for them to form friendships of any kind but that participation in the music therapy and drama workshops had allowed them to deal better with social situations outside of the workshops. Participation in


the arts activities also provided them with an opportunity to form new friendships in a safe and creative environment, while providing some respite for the families.

The workshops were specifically tailored to the needs of the children and used music and drama to encourage imaginative thought and creativity. Soundbeam and vibracoustic box, specialist music sensory equipment were used with the young people as a tool for engagement which allows even those young people with limited movement or hearing loss to benefit from making their own music and feeling the vibrations of music.

It is recognised that the arts are a great tool to help support oral language skills, communication, and social/emotional development and help them to understand the world around them through imaginative play. The feedback from the young people and their parents/carers was extremely positive with the impact being recorded as an improvement in their communication skills, increased confidence and making new friends. The facilitators observed that for the young people with autism they all became much more settled and really responded to using specialist sensory equipment like the soundbeam and other musical instruments. At the end of the project every young person who attended was able to perform on stage to family and friends which for all of them was a great achievement.

The Waterside Theatre secured funding through Comic Relief, Community Foundations NI to continue with this project for a further 16 weeks including a one week summer camp.

3.2 Mystery Shoppers AuditThis process is in its infancy but ten audits will be completed by March 2017 in DCSDC arts and cultural venues including festivals and events. Individuals from the pan disability community will volunteer their services and complete the assessment process which will then be presented to each venue thereafter and also compiled into a report to present to the Project steering group and ultimately feed into the end of project evaluation. The mystery shoppers audit is supporting those venues who are looking to achieve the Disability Charter Status.

3.3 Venue ToursVenue tours took place at the Alley Theatre, The Tower Museum and the Guildhall. The aim is to introduce people to cultural venues that may never have gone into one before and to provide a guided tour of the venue to alleviate anxieties and build confidence about entering venues at other times.

3.4 Training for front of house staffA range of training opportunities have been co-ordinated through the Access & Inclusion Project. These have included:

- Autism Awareness- Visual Awareness- Dementia Awareness


- Disability & Equality- BSL/ISL Sign Language- Captioning training

Training priorities have been promoted within DCSDC and externally to promote awareness of the pan disability community. The arts and cultural sector have been targeted, particularly front of house staff, security services that sub-contract for council events and festival and event staff.

Community and voluntary organisations and arts and cultural groups have also been supported to achieve training and awareness raising.

To date one hundred and thirteen people have taken part in this training programme in the Alley Arts Centre, Centre for Contemporary Arts, Culturlann Ui Chanain, Derry Guildhall, Tower Museum, Waterside Theatre, Millennium Forum, Playhouse Derry, Sion Mills Stables, and Strabane Library.

4.1 Portable Hearing SchemePortable Hearing Systems can be provided by North West Rural Community Network, Action on Hearing Loss and The Alley Theatre have committed to purchasing one before March 2017 to support the Tool Kit for DCSDC for Accessibility and Inclusion.

4.2 Captioned and signed performancesTwo people took part in the captioning training to be able to provide captioned performances within the DCSDC area. The people were Technical Officers based in theatres and one of these individuals will now become a trainer for captioning and train up further individuals within DCSDC. This training supports the aim to address a more sustainable practise in regards to captioning performances and reducing current barriers to having this service.

4.3 Steering GroupOver 40 organisations have been invited to sit on the steering group. These include organisations that support a wide range of people with disabilities and venue staff.

Individuals from the pan disability community have been invited to give feedback on various topics, themes and issues to help raise awareness and provide learning across a broad spectrum of organisations.

This has been very useful, however the learning and awareness is still within the pan disability community and not the broader community.

Over and above the steering group, a Cultural Venues Working Group has been established. This group consists of the venues moving towards completion of the Disability Charter Mark accreditation. The aim is to have a Bench Mark group, a group to showcase good practice and then become a group for all venues to participate in. Since many arts and cultural activities take place within the cultural


venues and therefore this group has the potential to have a really positive impact on access & inclusion across the whole of the DCSDC area.

4.4 Marketing activitiesThroughout the access and inclusion project a working relationship has been established to ensure that access and inclusion is considered in a range of ways. The Alley Theatre now advertises the Access & Inclusion Project within their programmes and discussions and recommendations have taken place in regards to font size and design. This will continue to be developed throughout the project with other venues. The Project Coordinator will work alongside other venues in regards to recommendations for their programing details and also present a toolkit for marketing (with the support of the DCSDC Equality Officer) to the DCSDC Marketing Department by March 2017.

ADDED VALUEThis section provides information about activities the Access & Inclusion Co-ordinator has achieved while in post that are additional to the key activities in the Access & Inclusion Action Plan.

- RNIB accessibility audit of DCSDC website and implementation of changes to it.

- Application in for £240,000 to include Changing Places Toilet provision- Steering Group member of the European Youth Capital 2018 finalist

and has put access & inclusion onto one of the 5 key themes.- Research for MSc exploring the economic and social factors gained by

DCSDC becoming an Autism Friendly City.- EU collaborative research project exploring arts accessibility ‘ACT:

Accessible Culture and Training’. This is a 3 year project that involves developing certified training and establishing the profile of a cultural accessibility manager with a view to proposing recognition of this profession at EU policy level.

- Something Special developed a performance called ‘I Am What?’ about bullying of people with learning disabilities. It was performed by Something Special in the Echo Echo Theatre to a packed audience. Something Special then secured funding of £30,000 from the Comic Relief Fund to support a tour of ‘I Am What? to audiences of 5000 pupils at 80 schools.

- The Waterside Theatre sourced additional funding from the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland and Acorn, for a continuation of the Arts & Children’s Programme to implement a three year programme.

Who has participated in Access & Inclusion ProjectIn the 9 month period from December 2015 to 30th September 2016, 1,322 people have participated in some form with the Access & Inclusion Project. The numbers are presented in a table below. There has been an additional 5,522 people that have


benefited from the Access & Inclusion Project prior to the Project Co-ordinator being in post through the Something Special ‘I Am What?’ performances and tour.

The range of disabilities participating in the Project have been learning disabled, deaf and hard of hearing, blind and partially sighted, autism, dementia, physical disability, wheel chair users, multiply disabilities, and older people.

Action Plan

ACTIVITY NUMBERS

1.3 Access for All Scheme 1322.1 Accessible Transport:

Train the trainers for Travelling Independently courseParticipants

Trainers 3

202.3 Access areas & Quiet spaces:

Summer Jamm festival 3023.1 a) Black Moon / Energy of Light Discos:

Arts space Summer Disco- EglintonTraining DJs

8050

33.1 b) Sing Out Loud Project 62 carers + 300 service

users3.1 d) Shared Reading Programme 983.1 e) Traveller women and the arts 73.1 f) Children & Arts Programme 153.3 Venue Tours

- Guildhall- Alley Theatre- Tower Museum

123

103.4 Training

- Visual awareness training- Dementia Champion training- ISL – Irish Sign Language- IOSH Managing Safely Training

Additional Front of House Training prior to Jan 2016

20611

804.2 Captioning training 24.3 Steering Group

40 individuals representing organisations 40 Let’s talk about Inclusion workshop 75Something Special ‘I Am What?’ParticipantsAudience at Echo EchoAudience of post primary students

20200

5000Drama production ‘Beauty is a Beast’ staged in the Alley theatre by pan-disabled community in Strabane.

Participants 24Audience 278

Total: 6,844


Work from October 2016 to end of March 20176The next six months will see action on the following activities:

- Feasibility Study for DCSDC to become an Autism Friendly District by 2019- Further meetings with Health and Wellbeing Head of Service and Donegal

County Council in regards to Changing Place facilities.- A further £20,000 applied for external organisations to increase their

participation in arts and cultural activities which will take the total to approximately £77,000 in total applied for various groups and also various funders.

- Toolkit for Marketing and events to use to increase awareness and a checklist for accessibility and inclusion at Big events and festivals (which can be transferable across council)

- The Alley Theatre will be working towards becoming an Autism Friendly venue

- The Tower Museum will be working towards a dementia Friendly Venue- Strengthen and build upon the sub group for Venues and develop it to a

bench mark group where disability charter status will be achieved by those venues who received a disability access audit from the access and Inclusion project

- Have a launch of a Success Story brochure at the first annual celebration of the European Day of people with Disability in DCSDC

- Feed into community planning process in regards to those with disability and impact that participation has on health and wellbeing.

- Continue to work departmentally with marketing, events, IT services, EYC2019 and highlight requirements to promote participation from those from the pan disability community

- Promote the use of captioning within DCSDC in cultural venues- Train individuals in autism awareness- Capture training facilitated from the Dementia champion training completed

in September- Liaise with HR within council to develop an E- Learning training package

which develops awareness for employees in access and inclusion when working with customers from pan disability community, within their job role in culture (this will be transferrable across directorates).

- Disability transport event in St. Columb’s Park on Saturday 15th October 2016- Continue to meet the targets within the action plan for 2016/2017

This work will be assessed in the final evaluation at the end of March 2017.


TABLE: Progress towards implementation of recommendations from the Base Line Survey, March 2015RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE BASE LINE SURVEY PROGRESS7.1 Economic

• Where funding is accessed through the Council consider longer term funding of projects;

• Develop multiple stakeholder partnerships to fund, develop and deliver inclusive arts programmes;

• Support through funding disabled arts groups to perform in professional theatre and dance settings;

• Facilitate meetings of venue managers to discuss the issues around companion concessions and find a way forward to offering the option;

7.2 Physical

7.2.1 Transport• Information about accessible transport should be highlighted

more widely;• Council should liaise with IMTAC, DATS and public transport

providers to discuss disability awareness training;• Funding should be found for the OCN Travel and Training

course designed by New Horizons Partnership in Strabane and offered to organisations working with people with learning disabilities.

7.2.2 Venues• Encourage venues to achieve the Arts & Disability Equality

- See objective 1 in the Access & Inclusion Action Plan – tackling the economic barriers to participation in arts and cultural activities;

- External funding support via Project Co-ordinator

- Action Plan 3.1: c) – Drama for and by deaf and hard of hearing community;

- PASS / Access for All scheme

- Through Steering Group: 15th October showcasing Transport with presentations form Bridge and Easy Link;

- Not within the Arts & Culture remit;

- Derry Play Trail undertook training and will be training 20 individuals in September 2016-March 2017

- Three venues working towards the Charter. Council now has


Charter and even make it a condition of funding through Service Level Agreements. Achieving a disability award will also tackle the issue of broken disability equipment such as loop systems;

• Meet with the Millennium Forum and Roads Service to discuss drop-off and parking issues around the venue;

• Review non-fixed seating in venues and Council buildings with a view to providing more comfortable, upright, padded seats and wedge cushions for lumbar and posture support.

7.2.3 Assisted performances• Establish close partnerships with the local Derry and Strabane

based blind and visually impaired and deaf and hearing impaired organisations and arts venues to help build audiences for captioned, audio described performances and BSL / ISL signed language interpretation;

• Work with NITA and producing theatre company to include a number of assisted performances within the touring play so that there is direct contact between producing theatre company and captioner, audio describer and signed language interpreter;

• Within the Councils arts budget ring fence money for assisted performances;

7.2.4 General• At the development and design phase of any project,

the ability to drive engagement across all cultural venues through its Cultural Grant Aid programme.

- Discussed and minuted at an Access & Inclusion Steering Group meeting.

- It has been discussed

- Energy of Light discos now includes blind and deaf communities.

- Play by and for deaf community in Alley Theatre on 3rd December

- Working with Fermanagh & Omagh DC who have captioning equipment for the Access & Inclusion project for training and use of equipment.

- Not progressed

- The only Council theatre is the Alley and it has ring fenced money for captioned performances.

- Not as yet happening but has been discussed and could come


programme or event ensure that accessibility and inclusivity requirements are upfront in the planning. Where the Council is not the organising body ensure through the funding process or other Departments responsibilities that access and inclusion is part of the process;

7.3 Social• Invite groups through direct contact to participate in

community festivals, events and activities, targeting those who struggle with issues of inclusion and equality such as people with disabilities and older people;

• Fund and encourage other organisations to fund and develop intergenerational and mixed ability and disability programmes;

• Support the networking of arts groups both disabled and able to encourage greater collaboration;

• Encourage and support more arts venues to establish resident drama and dance groups of disabled and mixed ability people;

7.4 Information & Awareness• Council staff that are in positions of support around disability

and equality to have a greater profile within the community;

• Establish a point of contact for all things about Access, Inclusion and Disability;

• Establish an Access & Inclusion Disability Forum with representative organisations and people with disabilities – the process should be open and inclusive;

• Develop a Disability What’s On which would be a one stop

through the funding of venues, events and festivals through the Marketing of Events Toolkit and Check lists. End of March target date.

- Not in Access & Inclusion Project remit;- Secret shoppers at 10 venues and festivals;

- Access & Inclusion Project Co-ordinator working in partnership with the Arts Development Officer/s to progress this


- Feedback from evaluation is that Access & Inclusion Project Officer is the only person that organisations meet with and communicate with;

- Access & Inclusion Project Officer is fulfilling this role presently;

- The current Project Steering Group is fulfilling this role presently;


shop for all assisted performances in theatres, events, activities, workshops, cinema shows, etc. This could be a page on the Council’s website, a new dedicated website and consideration of other formats;

• Co-ordinate suitable training opportunities for organisations to raise awareness on disability awareness/equality, including disability specific training;

• To work with the NWRC Performing Arts and Art, Design & Crafts departments to develop modules in creative arts courses for arts practitioners working with people with disabilities;

• Establish a register of tutors that are able to provide classes and workshops for people with disabilities;

• Support disabled arts groups such as Lilliput Theatre Company, Stage Beyond Theatre Company, Friends Together drama group, Something Special and Inclusion Dance Company to increase their profile within the community and improve publicity of performances.

- Not progressed

- Wide range of training has taken place as part of the Access & Inclusion Project;



- Not progressed but events could be on Disability What’s On and Council website.


5. Issues & Barriers / Benefits & Impacts

The issues, barriers, benefits and impacts in this section apply to the PHA funded Access & Inclusion Project and the activities that have taken place from the period December 2015 to 30 September 2016.

The Access & Inclusion ProjectIt is felt that access and inclusion has been put on the agenda and that through the Project issues are being highlighted and bought to the fore at a Council and strategic level at least.

The overall profile of the Access & Inclusion Project is good within the pan disability community with over 40 organisations involved in some aspect of it. However, the profile of the Access & Inclusion Project needs to be raised generally beyond the pan disability community so that there is a wider understanding of access and inclusion issues and challenges, activities and solutions.

Role of Access & Inclusion Project Co-ordinatorThe role of the Project Co-ordinator has been crucial to the success of the Project to date. She provides a vital, and often the only link to the Council, establishing a point of contact for access, inclusion and disability within the arts and cultural sector. The Project Co-ordinator has been described by various activity participants and steering group members as a superb asset, good communicator in terms of keeping everyone in the loop and updated, incredibly supportive, energetic and committed.

The Project Co-ordinator is considered a voice for individuals and organisations that ‘reap the benefits’ of her being in post, and is a great resource for information, networking, funding support, training and ‘just someone on the end of the phone to get information that may otherwise take you hours to find or source.’ Everyone that took part in this evaluation felt that ‘someone needs to animate it (access and inclusion), drive it, and act as a hub,’ and this is what the Project Co-ordinator does.

The Project Co-ordinator can also influence at a strategic level within the Council and it is important that it is a voice that is heard. The Project Coordinator has highlighted the potential utilisation of the Access & Inclusion Project across a range of initiatives. These include the provision of accessible changing and toilet facilities which will benefit festival and event attendees with disabilities, the potential benefits for major council led bids such as European Youth Capital, the pursuit of high profile designations such as Autism and Dementia friendly City/District status, and the leveraging of the Access & Inclusion Project to reduce specific barriers to participation in the arts.

However, there is only one person and while it is tempting to try to stretch that person’s role into other departments and sectors, and in fact across the Council to embed access and inclusion throughout the organisation, it is not realistic at this early stage of the Project. DCSDC has a high proportion of cultural venues including theatres, galleries and museums that require work to bring them up to models of


good practice. The majority of people contacted through this evaluation felt that there is still much to do within the arts and cultural sector that could eventually be used as a model across other sectors.

Steering GroupThe steering group was set up on an open and inclusive basis in that all contacts within the Access & Inclusion Project were invited to attend steering group meetings. Over forty organisations were invited and could potentially attend the steering group.

With such a large invited group there can be an inconsistency in attendance and therefore the group is not cohesive. However, information, events, opportunities and funding support are communicated through meetings and via email after meetings and this is valued by those that come to meetings.

Individuals from the pan disability community have been invited to give feedback on various topics, themes and issues to help raise awareness and provide learning across a broad spectrum of organisations. Each steering group meeting has a theme so that there is learning and awareness raising taking place within the whole group also.

- Deaf Awareness by Foyle Deaf Association- Let’s Talk about Inclusion

This has been very useful, however the learning and awareness is still within the pan disability community and not the broader community, and the challenge is how to communicate it wider.

The steering group does not act as a steering group if we accept the two guiding principles by which it should function are to give strategic direction and support the Project Co-ordinator. The group is a fairly passive forum which in the longer term could comprise the Access & Inclusion Disability Forum as recommended in the Access & Inclusion Base Line Survey.

Cultural Venues Working GroupThe Cultural Venues Working Group that has been established consists of the venues moving towards completion of the Disability Charter Mark accreditation. The aim is to have a Bench Mark group, a group to showcase good practice and then become a group for all venues to participate in. Since many arts and cultural activities take place within the cultural venues and therefore this group has the potential to have a really positive impact on access & inclusion across the whole of the DCSDC area.

CommunicationOne of the biggest issues and challenges is communication about access and inclusion generally, about raising awareness of disability to help change attitudes, to know where to get information about activities and events. A simple example of this is communicating the dates for the Energy of Light discos in both Strabane and Derry City. Parents and carers felt that if there was one point of information in the form of


a website or facebook page that was easy to access people could be signposted to it, and it would help to build audiences to events, facilities and services. This assumes that everyone has access to a computer and other formats may need consideration.

Although the Project Co-ordinator has been identified as a vital point of contact for access and inclusion, however it is not sustainable for one person to physically deal with communicating to such a wide multitude of individuals and organisations and other forms of communication should be explored.

The DCSDC does have a website page entitled Inclusion which provides information about what the Access & Inclusion Project will do, but it misses the opportunity to become a practical portal for information about access and inclusion. The Base Line Survey recommended developing a Disability What’s On which would be a one stop shop for information about access, inclusion and disability. It is also suggested that there is a dedicated Facebook page for communication about events, activities, training opportunities, venues that have adopted the Access for All scheme and completed programmes like the Equality Screening Process and Disability Charter.

Changing attitudesMany people with disabilities and parents / carers report negative public attitudes, an awkwardness about disability and a lack of understanding and tolerance. The perception of disability is still predominantly physical and wheel chair based and people with learning disabilities and mental health particularly feel invisible and face a lack of understanding towards their disability. It is not the disability itself, but rather attitudes and environmental barriers that are the most important issues to tackle.

There is a very strong sense of sadness and outrage about the challenges people with disabilities face:

‘Throughout my life I have felt a lack of acceptance and avoidance because of my disability. I have found people to be ignorant, selfish and don’t make an effort around disability. Society is not inclusive and we need to break the wall of ignorance!’

‘There is a whole section of society that is not being given equal opportunities to live their own lives.’

‘Disabled people are entitles to be part of society in their own right.’

There is a need to raise awareness across the whole of society, have more everyday interaction with people with disabilities, and greater public education about disability. This will help to increase understanding, develop greater tolerance and acceptance, and change attitudes towards people with disabilities.

The suggestion of the need for Local Heroes would add to this with increasing the profile of disability and exposure to it. Raising the profile of the Access & Inclusion Project would also support this.


Celebrating European Day of Persons with Disabilities 2016 (3rd December) would be a way to highlight access and inclusion, the Project and promote Local Heroes.

VenuesThe Access & Inclusion Project Co-ordinator has initiated the formation of the Cultural Venues Working Group consisting of cultural venues across the DCSDC area. The Alley Theatre, Millennium Forum and the Waterside Theatre are being used as venues to pilot the Disability Charter Mark, Access for All scheme, Equality screening process, autism and dementia friendly venue, proofing of service provision, staff development and training, communications improvements regarding promotional materials, and to test and refine individual projects and develop expertise, before being rolled out to other venues. It is hoped to roll out this programme to other venues by the end of March 2017 and form a Cultural Venues Forum.

DCSDC has a tender out for a new Customer Relationship Management (CRS) solution. This centralised ticketing system will apply to all Council services and incorporates the collection of data. Along with the Access for All data capture the Council now has the ability to really drive engagement of cultural venues in a process of continuous improvements.

Other venues have been taking part in training, are networking through the Steering Group, and benefiting from support to access external funding. Venues have identified that the free training has been really important in upskilling staff, and that they would not have been able to afford to do it from within their own current budgets.

Funding and sustainability are issues around access and inclusion as audiences / participants can be small in number and yet physical / infrastructure works are expensive as are other aspects such as providing staff for events, training all staff in the range of disability awareness required, and reaching the level of excellence and model of good practice required.

FundingThe funding for the Access & Inclusion Project by the Public Health Agency has been welcomed by everyone that has communicated with me as part of the evaluation. The greatest worry and anxiety is that work has only just begun and will it continue? Within the arts and cultural sector there is still much work to be done and the Access & Inclusion Action Plan is limited to the current funding available up to the end of March 2017.

The Access & Inclusion Project Co-ordinator has been providing funding support to a variety of organisations for arts and cultural activities. This has been welcomed as many organisations still do not have the capacity to know where or how to access funding. This additional funding if applications are successful will provide organisations with money to provide activities, resources and opportunities that otherwise would not be provided.


The Project has highlighted the need for funding of infrastructure works and not just activity based programmes. This applies particularly to venues that are not meeting access and inclusion requirements.

The DCSDC is moving away from Service Level Agreements to an application process based on a business case. This process should include access and inclusion requirements and follow a good practice model.

The Arts / Cultural based programme of activities

Black Moon / Energy of Light DiscosThere are several challenges for the sustainability of the discos - costs re-venue hire and staffing, appropriate venues, growing participant numbers, and administration of them in the long term.

An issue identified by parents/ carers of people that attend the Energy of Light Discos is that communication about the discos has often been through the day care centres and managers are not passing the information onto parents / carers. It is felt that other forms of communication are required in order to let people know about the discos and to grow the audiences. Methods of communication suggested are facebook and Council website, and for on-going communication group text messaging. Parents and carers felt that the discos need to be established as a monthly event and that the regularity of the event will improve audiences and also increase the benefits to participants.

The funding of the discos will be required for some time yet, and maybe they will always require funding. There is a nominal cost of £3 entrance charge but that does not cover costs. One of the DJs has been successful in getting a small amount of sponsorship (£300) from a local business and this model of support could be explored further, possibly through on-line fundraising sites like Crowdfunder, mydontate or Local Giving.

The venue is important and it was felt that it would be better to have a venue that had a kitchen / café in the same space as the disco is held in, like many of the community centres. This would facilitate making of tea for parents / carers that attend but also that participants do not have to leave the disco environment.

A suggestion about the long term administration of the discos is to form a parents committee who would take on to organise the discos and be supported to apply for external funding.

Sing Out LoudWhen participants in the training were asked about their overall experience of using the music box 64% gave it the highest score, reporting that they thought the activity was good fun, could see its use and benefits and how engaged the clients were in the


activity. There was recognition of the benefits for people with dementia and learning disabilities in that it provides general participation, memory and social stimulation, improves mood and creates a positive and relaxed atmosphere.

Another issue seems to be that many care centre staff are already under tremendous strain and although the care staff realise the benefits of the music box it may not have the regular use that produces longer term benefits to participants / clients.

Although many centre staff felt confident about using the equipment and were enthusiastic about running sessions, others felt that it ‘takes a certain type of individual’ to facilitate a session and there was a suggestion that the Council offer a facilitator along with the music box. This would add to the expense and not enable the sustainability of the activity.

The Music Boxes are not being used as much as anticipated and sessions are not being timetabled as a regular activity in the Centres. This may be because of several reasons:

- There are only two music boxes available and they have to be collected from a venue and returned;

- Staff are already busy;- Staff may be too ‘shy’ or not very confident to run Music Box sessions as it

requires a confident person who can encourage the participants to take part and gauge their enthusiasm toward the programme.

It is suggested that the Sing Out Loud project be catered for on a weekly basis in each facility so as to create a routine for the participants, and the benefits can be realised as staff become very familiar with using the Music Box and participant’s familiar with the programme.

Feedback suggests that there needs to be a simple system for distribution and collection of the music box which is explained and marketed toward care centres in order for them to avail of it. If the system of getting the music box is too awkward they simply will not use it. It may also be that the music box needs to be accompanied by a facilitator as many care workers simply do not have the time or sometimes confidence to facilitate a Sing Out Loud workshop.

The Music Box costs c£600. It has been suggested that the care centres fundraise for their own Music Box so that the equipment is within the Centre and therefore there is an ease of use.

DCSDC has a Volunteering Policy and together with the North West Volunteer Centre it may be possible to develop a volunteering initiative to deliver this project.

Traveller Women’s ProjectThe Derry Traveller women’s group participated in the Access & Inclusion Project as part of the group’s development. It was a very new experience for the women that


took part and although it was highly successful the continued involvement which would have culminated in an exhibition of the women’s own work proved to be an unmanageable goal for this difficult to engage with group and the work involved.

However as the programme develops, the Traveller Health and Wellbeing Programme fully plan to become involved in any arts and cultural activities available. As confidences and skills develop the plan is to promote the Traveller Culture through art exhibitions, drama and storytelling. The Health Support Worker for the Traveller Health and Wellbeing Programme says that the support from the Access & Inclusion Project is invaluable to achieving this aim.

Children & Arts ProgrammeThe evaluations from this project demonstrate that there is a real need for this type of project within the DCSDC area. Issues and challenges will be the continued funding for programmes such as these.


6. Recommendations and Conclusion

Access and inclusion is not something exclusive to the Derry City & Strabane District Council Access & Inclusion Project. It must be acknowledged the work that many venues and organisations have been providing for many years which includes improving access to physical spaces, and provision of activities and events with and for people with a wide range of disabilities. The Access & Inclusion Base Line Study carried out in March 2015 provides information about many of these.

This interim evaluation has been carried out after 9 months of the Access & Inclusion Project Co-ordinator being in post and implementation of the Access & Inclusion Action Plan 2016-17. Much has been achieved in that short time but there is still much to do that needs continued resourcing.

In the simplest terms, the results of the evaluation are saying that this is essential work and that the people who have engaged in the Project value the activities, the support (in training, sourcing funding, finding information), and the networking. It is also recognised that the work is only the start of what needs to be achieved and that at the present moment there is only one person (the Project Co-ordinator) and a finite budget and timeframe to carry out the work within the arts and cultural sector.

In relation to the above it is important that access and inclusion is not a ‘passing phase’, regarded as the ‘hot topic of the moment’ and a ‘tick box exercise’. Strabane has one of the highest proportions of residents with a long-term health problem or disability in Northern Ireland at 24%, and Derry has one fifth or 21%. These figures alone demand that access and inclusion is placed high on the agenda and resourced appropriately and as part of long term and on-going strategies.

The Access & Inclusion Project was funded for work within the arts and cultural sector and while it is important to embed access and inclusion across all functions of Council and within other organisations, DCSDC has a high proportion of cultural venues including theatres, galleries and museums that require work to bring them up to models of good practice and benchmarking, and therefore it is recommended that focus stays within the arts and cultural sector at the present time.

Embedding access & inclusion into policy and practiceA significant challenge for access and inclusion is the systemic and cultural change required at both policy and practice levels to embed it across all functions of the Council. Change is required at both an institutional / organisational and individual level to bring about inclusive results. This is a long term goal and is starting with the arts and cultural sector. Access and inclusion is also a key theme within the DCSDC Community Plan and once published will form the basis for all Council decisions about planning for future services.

The DCSDC Community Plan has a principal action ‘to improve access and inclusion in tourism, arts and culture. A specific sub-action under that is to ‘develop and deliver an access and inclusion programme in partnership with the Public Health Agency


encouraging participation and engagement, promoting intercultural diversity, and promoting cultural experiences. This should ensure that access and inclusion is kept high on the agenda and embedded across tourism, arts and cultural functions.

Profile of access and inclusionRaise the profile of the Access & Inclusion Project and access and inclusion issues and challenges outside of the pan disability community so that there is a wider understanding of access and inclusion issues and challenges, activities and solutions. It is suggested that this can be achieved through information on the Council website, a dedicated facebook page, Local Heroes, creating media opportunities, e-news and other marketing and publicity routes. It will require the input of staff from several departments including marketing and IT to achieve this.

CommunicationThere were several recommendations from the Base Line Survey that still need addressing and that have been raised again through this evaluation.

The RNIB carried out an accessibility audit of the Council website as part of the Project. The website failed to meet WCAG 2.0 level AA configurations and there are recommendations made that will require implementation. The Council has committed to this and this is an on-going process.

The Council website has a page entitled Inclusion. This page provides general information about what the Access & Inclusion Project will do, however, it does not provide information about on-going activities, facilities, services, venues and other access and inclusion information. The Council website could host the Disability What’s On to provide a one stop shop for all access, inclusion and disability events, activities, services and facilities provided through the Access & Inclusion Project and links to other organisations.

Facebook is still one of the most popular social media networks and there have been many comments throughout the evaluation that there should be a dedicated access, inclusion and disability facebook page.

Other suggestions are:- Developing a monthly e-news - Text groups

There must be consideration given to people that do not have computer access or good internet service and other communication methods need to be considered.

Steering Group/ Access & Inclusion Disability ForumThe Steering Group does not operate as a Steering group and would be more appropriate as an Access & Inclusion Disability Forum. This Forum could be broadened out to include other relevant organisations and individuals that may have a more strategic and influential role.


Develop a terms of reference for the Forum with an independent administrative system in terms of chair and secretary and that maintains the present learning and awareness raising within the group, and a link to the Access & Inclusion Project. This will help sustain the group, provide a more focussed purpose and relieve the Access & Inclusion Project Co-ordinator of some administration.

The group could also be given focus through involvement on a specific project such as working towards the Autism & Dementia Friendly City Status. The Access & Inclusion Project Co-ordinator is completing an MSc in Management with her thesis on – A feasibility Study for DCSDC to become an autism friendly city / district by 2019. This will be completed by January 2017 and would provide the basis for a work programme for the current steering group.

Cultural Venues Working GroupThe Cultural Venues Working Group has the potential to have a really positive impact on access and inclusion widely across the whole of the DCSDC area. The group could be required through the DCSDC Cultural Aid Programmes that requires evidence of the contribution by cultural venues to access and inclusion and that there should be continuous improvements. Where capital funding is required to support access and inclusion the Council could apply to the Arts Councils Challenge Fund and other external funding bodies for financial support.

VenuesIt should be a clear policy within the Council to ensure that venues and organisations, especially those in receipt of funding from the Council, are properly trained and equipped to ensure that some of the most vulnerable and socially and economically deprived in society have equal opportunities to attend and participate in the arts and cultural life of the places they live. This would be an on-going process and condition of funding requiring a monitoring of progress through the reporting procedure s (see above).

It is essential to agree procedures and gather audience data collectively. This will happen through the Access for All Scheme and the Customer Relationship Management system, and will be applied collectively particularly if DCSDC make it a condition of funding of cultural venues.

Health & WellbeingThe benefits of the Access & Inclusion Project activities to the health and wellbeing of people with disabilities has been documented through this interim evaluation. There are strong links therefore to the Making Life Better Strategy that’s vision is that, All people are enabled and supported in achieving their full health and wellbeing potential.

Access & InclusionWith only 9 months of activity on the Access & Inclusion project it is too early to gauge the outcomes and impact of inclusion in terms of the actual change in levels of engagement by groups most often under-represented in the arts and cultural sector.


1,220 people have participated in some capacity in the Access & Inclusion Project in the 9 months period and the project is reaching people who have not participated in arts and cultural activities before.

The same applies to access and the outcomes relating to the removal of barriers as a precursor to establishing equitable engagement in arts and cultural activities by all. Again there are improvements being made through the process engaged in with cultural venues, but this is on-going and as yet not complete. There is still much work required around festival and outdoor events both run by the Council and by other organisations.


APPENDIX 1Derry City and Strabane District Council Access & Inclusion Action plan 2016-2017

Objective Key ActivitiesMaking Life

Better Strategy Theme

Output Impact

1.1 Liaise with DCSDC funding officers and other external funders to highlight and promote funding streams from Council and funding bodies.

Promote collaborative working and joint funding applications across council area.

Theme 3Empowering Healthy Living

Theme 4Creating The Conditions

Theme 6Developing Collaboration

Facilitate further investment of £50,000 towards access and inclusion initiatives within the council district in 2016/2017

1 funding application supported per quarter. Two of which should be partnership applications of 2 groups or more.

Better promotion of equality for those with a disability

Opportunity created to participate in arts/culture

Strengthening and developing partnerships to create sustainability

Awareness created about Funding opportunities

Building capacity within community/voluntary groups representing people with disabilities.

1. Tackling the economic barriers to participation in arts and cultural activities for the pan-disability community

1.2 Support Access and Inclusion officer to develop a universal Equality Screening & Screening process


A tangible method of capturing a true reflection on uptake of service (commission creation of data capture guidelines and best practice for adoption by cultural venues)

Identify barriers quicker for access to services

Increase inclusiveness to services


Better services for people with a disabilityOn-going improvements in services


Higher participation of people in arts and culture

1.3 Continue to support the Personal Assistance Support Scheme (PASS) within the current 3 venues and expand to a further 2 venues.


300 service users will utilize this service twice throughout the funding period.

People with disabilities and their carers can access arts activities at no additional cost thus gaining an experience of arts and cultural and adding to their quality of life experience




Output Impact

2. Tackling the physical barriers to participation in arts/culture activities for the pan-disability community

2.1 Making transport more accessible

IMTAC, DATS, Easilink and Old Bridge, other public transport bodies invited to sit on Steering group.

2.1.1 Train individuals with learning disabilities to travel independently in public transport and public fare ways

Support 3 individuals to avail of training to train adults with learning disability to travel independently


Theme 2 Equipped Throughout Life


2 presentations per year specific to transport accessibility at council-led events –Awareness event and steering group meeting

Sub group from steering group established to address and feed into transport issues

OCN training completed to support approx. 20 individuals directly to travel

Transport access highlighted and promoted effectively

Issues addressed in relation to transport provision

Transport more accessible

More participation in arts/culture activities

20 Individuals equipped to make informed decision to participate in arts/culture activity

3 individuals have increased their educational attainment

Higher participation of people in public life


independently with learning disabilities

23 individuals will have built capacity within their life to increase their health and wellbeing

2.2 Facilitate arts/culture venues to achieve Arts and Disability Equality Charter

Liaise with 8 venues who completed Accessibility Audit

Set up partnerships with the venues to achieve funding to meet recommendations from the audits



Facilitate 4 meetings within 2016/2017 to achieve disability charter status from accessibility audits

Engage 5 venues in pursuit of the disability charter status in 2016/2017 and ensure 5 venues achieves disability charter status in DCSDC

Accessible venues

Increased participation in arts/culture activities from the pan-disability community

Increased awareness of disability issues

On- going improvements in service provision

Higher participation of people in arts/culture and public life


2.3 Provide Access Areas and Quiet Spaces at 4 large scale events, throughout the Council area within the 2016-2017 year.

Theme 1Giving Every Child the Best Start

Theme 4Creating the

Summer Jam- Strabane

Halloween in Derry-Londonderry

Christmas Lights

Increased Accessibility for pan disability

Increased participation in cultural activities

Promotion of positive attitudes towards those with disability


Conditions switch on Strabane

St. Patrick’s Day in Derry- Londonderry

On-going improvements in service provision

Promotion of positive attitudes towards those with a disability



Output Impact

3.Tackling the social/attitudinal barriers to participation in arts and cultural activities for the pan-disability community

3.1 Develop and implement arts/cultural based programmes/ activities which are accessible and inclusive to increase participation from pan disability

Theme 1Giving Every Child the Best Start

Theme 2 Equipped Throughout Life


Theme 4Creating the Conditions

Embedded Equality and Inclusion to arts and Culture

Strengthen collaborative partnerships

Increase Health and Well Being

Higher participation of people with a disability in arts/culture



Run 11 Black Moon Discos for adults with learning disabilities Theme 5

Empowering Communities


70 people with learning disabilities will avail of this service throughout the year with approximately 50 attending each disco.

40 Sing Out Loud Programmes in care settings within DCSDC

Roll out 40 Sing Out Loud Programmes across the council area working with 30 care settings and 15 participants per session. 450 participants in total

Higher participation in arts/culture and public life


Better services for people with disabilities

Developing new initiatives to support inclusion in arts/culture


Higher participation of people in arts/culture

Production for deaf/hard of hearing community

Play in The Alley Theatre Death of The Innocents 100 participants (plus walking trail and commemoration event)


Verbal arts Reading Rooms Provide 4 day sessions in rural areas in DCSDC for youth and blind/visually impaired adults to be introduced to arts with a shared reading programme. 8 programmes in total involving 90 participants. 2 of these programmes will be specific to autism. 2 of these programmes will be specific to those blind or visually impaired.

Promote health and wellbeing

Develop collaboration and partnership to achieve objectives



promote health and wellbeing

Develop collaboration and partnership to achieve objectives

Strengthen collaboration and partnership working

Create conditions to improve health and wellbeing


Artscare and access and Inclusion

Coordinate x programmes with x venues in DCSDC area

Meeting regarding this to take place on 3rd June

Promote inclusion

Higher participation of people from ethnic communities participating in arts and culture

Conditions created to promote benefits of arts and culture and benefits to health and well being


Travelling women and the arts 10 women to exhibit art exhibition in The Alley Theatre and The Void Gallery

3.2 Implement and organise Mystery shopper Audits throughout the Council


Theme 5Empowering Communities

Through the work of the steering group complete 10 Mystery shopper audits in local arts and culture venues

Areas for improvement will be highlighted to managers and staff at venues thus raising standards and accessibility to people with disabilities.Create volunteering opportunitiesIncrease educational attainment within council areaPromotion of positive attitudes towards those with a disability

3.3 Co-ordinate a minimum of 4 tours of venues for people with disabilities



Coordinate opportunities for 4 trips for pan disability to visit The Alley, Millennium Forum, Tower museum and The Guild Hall (1 x each quarter with 10 participants in each visit)




Create awareness of arts and culture venues

3.4 Provide a range of training for front of house staff within Arts and culture venues for a range of disabilities including

Visual Awareness Training


At least 4/5 members of staff from each of the main arts and culture venues to take part in training



Promotion of positive issues towards those with a disability


Autism Awareness Training

Dementia Awareness Training

Disability and Equality Training

RNIB/WHSCT x 20 participants

Alzheimer’s NI x 20 participants

Arts &Disability Equality Charter x 40 participants


Increased educational attainment for a minimum of 30 individuals



Output Impact


4.1 Continue to use Portable Hearing systems at 4 Council large scale events and at all meetings.



Ensure 4 venues have a portable hearing system to support eventsFive steering group meetings have access to portable system50 participants utilized the loop system at large scale events in 2016/17

Meetings and events become more accessible to people who have a hearing impairment.


Higher participation in decision making and arts and culture activities

Better services for people with a disability

4.Tackling the communication barriers to participation in arts and cultural activities for the pan-disability community

4.2 Provide 2 Captioned Performances and 2 signed performances

Devise long-term plan for regarding the implementation of captioning and signing training within Arts and Culture venues in the Western Area in Partnership with FODC Access and Inclusion Officer.



Achieve in house training for 4 technical assistants in arts/culture venues in DCSDC from FODC for captioning equipment

Get loan of captioning equipment for two events in DCSDC from FODC


On-going improvements in service and customer experience

Improved participation of people who are deaf/hard of hearing in arts and culture

Better services for people with a disability


4.2.1 Source and provide training for 8 participants to complete Level 1 in Sign Language



1 production at The Alley Theatre 1 Production at the Waterside Theatre

Captioned performance at Millennium Forum and The Play House(1 x each quarter)

Increased educational attainment

Better promotion of service provision

Effective communication mechanisms

4.2.2 Liaise with Makatron Charity and explore their work

Theme 1Giving Every Child the Best StartTheme 5Empowering Communities

8 participants (box office staff/reception staff in the cultural venues?) to receive training for front of house duties to enhance accessibilities

Good practice explored for sustainability and signposting for potential programmes developed for children

Innovative and new experiences explored to create improved participation from the deaf/hard hearing community


with arts and culture venues

4.3 Continue to facilitate and provide secretariat support for a steering group for Access and Inclusion within the Council District.




10 Meetings in Access and Inclusion Steering Group in 2016/2017

15 stakeholder groups represented on the steering group.

All services will be more accessible

All services will be promoted effectively

Organisations can share good practice

People with a disability will be more involved in decision-making

Partnerships established to create conditions for change and development.

4.4 Liaise with marketing team from DCSDC council to advertise events/programmes that are from Access and Inclusion project



Update inclusion website quarterly with programmes and updates

Meet with marketing team quarterly to ensure publication of events/programmes

All services are promoted effectively

Better awareness created of Access and Inclusion project

Higher participation in programmes from pan disability community


APPENDIX 2Organisations participating in the Access & Inclusion Project& contacted as part of this evaluation

Name Organisation Contact detailsDubheasa Gallagher Alzheimer’s Society [email protected]

AJ Crow Waterside Theatre [email protected]

Gina Devine Fountain Street Community Association

02871885100

Lisa Heaney Millennium Forum [email protected]

Roisin Doherty Tower Museum [email protected]

Sally Murphy The Void [email protected]

Martina Laranjeira Foyle Deaf Association Foyledeaf association

Stephanie Campbell Verbal Arts Centre (Reading Rooms)

[email protected]

Bernie Kerlin Travelling women’s Group

[email protected]

Paddy Mc Eldownney Easilink Transport [email protected]

Paula Martin Bridge Transport [email protected]

Marie Mc Gale Mencap [email protected]

Emma Mc Laughlin EYC 2019 (European Youth Capital)

[email protected]

Gavin Melly The Playtrail [email protected]

Bill Mc Intyre Strabane and District Special Olympics

[email protected]

Annemarie Houston RNIB [email protected]

Anne Ramsey New Horizons [email protected]

Shauna Houston Derry Healthy City [email protected]

Theresa Mc Swiney Parents of Older Children with Autism

[email protected]

All the care settings x 31

Rauch Music ltdSing Out Loud facilitator

[email protected]

Andy Patton Sion Mills Cross Community Forum

[email protected]

Annemarie Houston RNIB [email protected] Gunn Victoria Bridge Cross

mailto:[email protected]



















Community ForumMartina Bell Arts space, ElingtonGearoid An Culturann , Derry

Cathy Burns The Guild [email protected]

Kwame BounceDJ [email protected]

Alan Sheerin ADF [email protected] Mark Lugsby Bronagh Mc Cauley

Sion Stables [email protected]

Karen O NeillAccess workerWHSCT

[email protected]

Brian SymingtonChair of the deaf arts and drama group

Dermott O Hara Destined

John Kerr The Alley Theatre [email protected] Sabrina Old Library Trust

DEED- Derry Empowerment and Engagement Dementia Project

[email protected]

Aisling Mc Nulty Strabane NAS (National Autism Society)

Jigsaw Autism , Derry

Louise and Louise Lifford Strabane Cinema [email protected]









Documents

Access & Inclusion Project REPORT INTERIM EVALUATIONmeetings.derrycityandstrabanedistrict.com/documents...Derry City & Strabane District Council Access & Inclusion Project 3 | Page