Accessibility Policy 

Last updated: 07  January 2020. 

This policy is to be read as a statement of intentions, taking into account the voluntary nature of the Basic Space co-director role and the budgetary constraints of the organisation.

General Statement

  • Basic Space will have a co-director responsible for accessibility as part of the team on an ongoing basis.

  • Basic Space will make transparent the below policy, and be open to and encourage input and feedback from organisations and individuals regarding its activities.

  • Basic Space will take this accessibility policy into account with any and every project it takes on

General Responsibilities of the accessibility co-director

  • Work with the other co-directors on the accessibility aspects of their projects in order to lighten the load of the project manager

  • Continuous Research into Accessibility standards, technologies, and funding options

  • Nurturing contacts with relevant organisations to develop audiences dependent on projects’ accessibility

  • Apply the policy and inclusion guidelines both to audiences and to potential collaborators and artists

  • Wherever no public guidelines are available - make Basic Spaces accessibility development efforts public.

BASIC TALKS:

  • BASIC TALKS are held at the Hugh Lane Gallery which is physically accessible for audiences who are wheelchair users, for the HL full Access and Facilities, please visit https://www.hughlane.ie/access-and-facilities

  • Basic Space will work to include as part of the BASIC TALKS events standards either an Irish Sign Language interpreter or a projected live transcription in order to make the talks accessible for audiences who are Deaf or hard of hearing

  • Basic Space will work to include a transcript/subtitles when online documentation of BASIC TALKS is uploaded

  • When uploading a new BASIC TALKS page, the images should include alternative text according to the guidelines below (in online identity).

Exhibitions and Events:

  • Basic Space will take its accessibility policy into account when establishing partnerships

  • Venues are to be wheelchair accessible, with accessibility details clearly noted on the project’s web page

  • Artist will work with the co-directors to resolve accessibility issues, examples:

    • Visual art: creating tactile accompaniments, creating maquettes/replicas, producing an audio description through a descriptive tour or (for example) RFID technology

    • Sound art: creating visual/textual accompaniments

    • Installation: verification that the pieces can be experienced by wheelchair users, or creating an accompanying piece

  • Texts should use plain English and clear print guidelines to provide access for a wide range of audiences with disabilities including audiences with intellectual disabilities and audiences with visual impairments.

  • Recommended reading: https://www.shapearts.org.uk/news/accessible-curating

https://weareunlimited.org.uk/resources/

Residencies:

  • Open Calls for residencies should state that artists with disabilities are encouraged to apply, including finding relevant channels to advertise the open call, a list to be added to here:

    • ADI

    • University of Atypical

  • Basic Space will take its accessibility policy into account when establishing residency partnerships

  • Any public-facing outcomes should follow the guidelines for exhibitions/events

Online Identity:

ASSESSMENT:

  • Is the work physically accessible to audiences who are wheelchair users?

  • Have tactile/audio accompaniments been created for the visual art?

  • Is sound art accompanied by visual/tactile/textual descriptions?

  • Are texts written in clear, plain English and printed in large enough font and high contrast?