Inclusive and Accessibility Information
It’s amazing how people are working together. It was really emotional to see how far people have come. People are working together and you don’t feel judged or anything. Everyone has worked so hard on it. Everyone has come so far. It made me feel really happy. It was so supportive.
Sophie, Critical Mass Participant
Critical Mass is committed to delivering high quality inclusive and accessible dance experiences. We value diversity in our community, in all aspects of our work, and welcome people of all abilities and backgrounds. We are continually working towards removing barriers and undertaking research and development to evolve a blueprint, promoting the highest standards when delivering high quality inclusive large-mass scale work.
Training and Development
All members of the Critical Mass team have attended Disability Awareness training and apply this to their practice. Additional training has also been provided including:
- Introduction to British Sign Language (BSL) with David Ellington
- Translation of Movement with David Willdridge
However, we are aware there is always more to learn so we regularly assess and continue to update our policies and procedures.Wheelchair Accessibility
We recognise that people may have different needs in order to participate in dance, therefore we ensure all our rehearsal and performance venues are wheelchair accessible.
Support
We aim to meet the individual needs and requirements of all our participants and team members, below are some of the current measures we have put in place to accommodate the needs of Critical Mass:
Support Workers
Each Critical Mass rehearsal group has its own designated support worker who works closely with our participants throughout their Critical Mass journey. Our support workers assist participants during their rehearsals with movement and choreography as well as offering reassurance and light support to ensure they are safe and have a positive experience. At our larger mass rehearsals we have extra support workers onsite to help manage the number of participants and individual needs in the space.
Inclusion Champion
We have our own designated access co-ordinator, Rachel Liggitt, who supports and advises the team with any access provisions. Rachel also attends many of our mass rehearsals to provide onsite support to participants.
d/Deaf & Hard-of-Hearing Provisions
During our rehearsals and performances, we ensure we have a number BSL Interpreters onsite working closely with our d/Deaf or hard-of-hearing participants. We also provide Woojah Belts and Subpac Vests on request.
Bursaries
We offer support with the cost of participants travel expenses for weekly and mass rehearsals as well as performance dates, or additional transport is arranged on their behalf.Steering Group
The Steering Group is made up of 13 individuals from across the UK, working together to offer their specialist skills and expertise to Critical Mass on a monthly basis. Part of their focus is on applying expertise, experience and knowledge around inclusive and accessible practice, with an awareness of how to effectively overcome engagement barriers for those with a variety of needs.
Website
Our website is rated 90% on the Web Accessibility Check. It includes accessibility functions such as adjusting the text size and colour contrast.
Promotional Material
All videos created by Critical Mass for social media, our website and events include captions. We also ensure all our promotional materials (flyers, posters etc.) have accessible font types.
Additional Access
Easy read versions of all information documents and job call-outs are available. We also offer the option to contact us via multiple ways (email, text, WhatsApp, phone call, voice note).
