Many disabled and neurodivergent audience members encounter challenges when using venue websites to buy tickets or understand access provision.
In 2016 the Equality and Human Rights Commission stated that:
“Ticket agents must take reasonable steps to ensure that disabled customers can access their services … Agents should also ensure disabled people can buy tickets online in the same way as everyone else.”
This aligns with the duty of ‘Reasonable Adjustment’ in the 2010 Equality Act, which is designed to reduce or remove the chance of a disabled person being treated less favourably than others.
Yet, years later, disabled audience members are still struggling to buy tickets, attend events, and feel confident in the welcome they’ll receive. In 2025, Indigo’s Access Culture research found that 17% of disabled audience members said they found it fairly difficult or very difficult to book for cultural events, and 14% do not book online - instead relying on phone calls, in-person visits, or other people to buy tickets on their behalf. And these are just the people who do attend events - how many more may not be buying tickets at all? In the UK, disability remains one of the most significant barriers to people enjoying the arts.
In this blog we’re focusing on the steps you can take right away to improve website accessibility. We’re grateful to our partners Indigo Ltd and Accessible by Design for sharing their research and expertise.
We’ll explore:
- Access information. The information you provide, and the format in which you provide it, can increase disabled visitors’ confidence when they visit a new space.
- Access schemes. It’s likely you ask customers to register or provide evidence of their disability before offering reserved seats, discounts, or companion tickets. Explore ideas to make that as easy as possible for every audience member.
- Accessible website design. Your website might look stunning. But how does it work for users with visual impairments, or those navigating with assistive technology? Make sure you’re designing for every potential audience member.
- Cognitive load. Complex navigation, animation overload, and inconsistent language can prevent people from using your site, just as much as a physical barriers.
Why does website accessibility matter?
In 2025, Indigo Ltd published Access Culture, an Indigo Share: Hot Topic in collaboration with All In, sponsored by pointOne. 85 UK-based cultural venues surveyed their audience members, collecting data and feedback about the experience of disabled visitors. Together, those insights will help creative and cultural organizations create more inclusive experiences.
Key findings related to websites and ticket booking included:
- Access information: Most disabled visitors check service information in advance, but 71% struggle to find clear information. Websites are often unclear or details are missing.
- Access schemes: 90% of disabled visitors struggle to communicate their access needs during booking. The process can feel inconsistent, intrusive, or time-consuming, particularly for people with non-visible disabilities.
- Accessible website design: Disabled visitors are nine times more likely to find online ticket buying difficult. Websites are glitchy or hard to navigate, and many organisations require phone transactions for wheelchair and companion seats.
- Cognitive load: Limited booking time, confusing information, and small fonts create barriers, especially for visually impaired or neurodivergent users.
“Level of difficulty in booking relates to how good the website is, rather than the ability of the booker to negotiate it!” Respondent, Access Culture (2025)
Website accessibility regulations
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2, updated in late 2023, provide detailed information on website accessibility best practices.
It’s usually a requirement for public sector organisations, including local authority-run theatres or venues and some charities, to meet WCAG AA standards. We know of several arts organisations who’ve been audited and challenged under this ruling. For other cultural centres, WCAG may not be obligatory - but it provides a valuable framework to improve visitor experience and, potentially, build income and loyalty from your disabled audience members.
This blog is not a summary of WCAG guidelines - they’re well documented elsewhere. We’re interested in helping you bring together research findings, guidelines, and best practices to build a more accessible ticket buying website, from technical setup through to design and content.
How to improve website accessibility
Indigo Ltd end their report with three conclusions, which can both guide best practice and help you make a case for investment in website accessibility:
Accessibility benefits everyone
56% of audiences identify as disabled, and access services bring value to many more. Over a quarter of non-disabled audiences have used physical access aids, and 15% have used performance features like subtitles.
Clearer information is key
75% of disabled visitors research venues before attending, but many struggle to find crucial details. Websites should include easy-to-find transport, navigation, and access details, in a range of formats including photos, videos, and even online chat. AI Assistants on websites can also help, providing detailed content with a simple, AI-powered front end to help people find the information they need, in their own time.
Technology can be an enabler
When designed well, technology enhances accessibility. However, many still find it difficult to use. Industry-wide collaboration and standards can build trust and improve accessibility for all.
In response, we’ve compiled this advice based on expertise from Caspian Turner of Accessible by Design, inspired by his presentations at the Ticketing Professionals conference 2025. Accessible by Design works with arts and cultural organisations to create accessible digital experiences for everyone.
Caspian's findings from arts organisations across Europe and North America show that no website manager should be complacent:
- 95% of home pages are inaccessible to some or all disabled users
- On average, there are 56 errors per page on websites belonging to arts and entertainment venues
“Make a conscious decision to create an inclusive website - not an unconscious decision to exclude many of your potential audience members” Caspian Turner, Accessible by Design
Access information
Most venues provide basic information about wheelchair access and ticket buying. But that information is often hard to find, unclear, or limited in scope, failing to account for the differing and overlapping needs of many disabled customers. The Access Culture survey showed that this lack of information left visitors feeling uncertain and unwelcome. The biggest barriers to attendance included seating availability, transport, physical access, and confidence that access needs will be met.
How to provide better access information:
- Provide detailed information about accessibility in your venue and purchase pathway. Consider the different needs of physically disabled and neurodivergent audience members, and how those needs may overlap.
- Keep information up to date, informing audience members if there’s a temporary change - like a lift or disabled toilet that’s out of order.
- Provide information in clear English and a range of formats. You may need to communicate in different ways to reach people with visual impairments, d/Deaf or hard of hearing customers, and neurodivergent visitors.
- Consider providing an AI Assistant to help people find the information they need based on their own requirements.
- Offer a named contact on your box office team with responsibility for supporting access enquiries.
Example: Access information at Bristol Old Vic
Bristol Old Vic provides clear information on accessible and inclusive services. Detailed descriptions address everything from parking and street access through to toilets and seat dimensions. There's a downloadable visual story, ticket buying instructions, and information for people who rely on hearing loops, assistance animals, or quiet spaces.
The page also links out to filtered event listings, including audio-described, captioned, and sign language-interpreted performances, all tagged and filtered directly from Spektrix.
Access information best practice: Resources
- Different Breed. Transform service information into clear, actionable accessibility content, with a free basic plan to get you started.
- The Beyond the Music Professionals’ Network run by Attitude is Everything is open to aspiring and active industry professionals. Join to receive regular access news, join monthly networking calls, and interact with other network members.
- Synap-Tix offer an AI assistant specifically for cultural organisations that could be trained to share your access information.
- Your team! Technology’s great, but it should always still be possible to reach a person. Disabled arts attendees told focus groups that one of the most reassuring things to find on an access page was the name of a contact person.
Access schemes
Typically, theatres and event organisers collect information about access needs and store it against customer records. For customers, that information can trigger access to reserved spaces for wheelchairs or assistance animals, reduced pricing, or free tickets for essential companions. For venue teams, it provides vital information supporting front of house preparation and segmented communications, with relevant information based on audiences' access needs. However, many Access Culture respondents found the process of proving their eligibility to be excessive, intrusive, and inconsistent across venues, leading to frustration.
How to set up an access scheme that works for you, and your customers:
- Collect only the information you really need. Focus on what audience members need from you, not on their diagnoses; and ensure that every question is designed to help you provide a better service. Remember that health data is considered sensitive information under GDPR.
- Make sure there's space to record overlapping disabilities. A single visitor may require a wheelchair space, captioning, and access to a quiet space, as well as the support of an essential companion.
- Recognise non-visible disabilities and neurodivergence.
- Keep registration simple. Only ask for evidence where you really need it. Make it easy for people to request services online, by phone, and in person, so they can choose the best channel for their needs. Use your CRM system to keep their details on record, so they’re not forced to make the same request every time they attend.
Register once at Scunthorpe Theatres
Scunthorpe Theatres work with Nimbus Disability to make ticketing and access more inclusive. Audience members can choose from three options: Registering for a Nimbus Access Card, linking an existing Access Card to the theatre booking system, or requesting a free Scunthorpe Theatres Digital Access Pass number. Everything’s designed so they don’t need to enter the same details time and again, even when they visit multiple venues, and there’s a choice of email or phone contact details for assistance.
Access scheme best practice: Resources
- The Nimbus Disability Access Card lets customers register once for a single card they can use across multiple venues. It can integrate with your ticketing system to create easy access registration, and access needs are translated into at-a-glance symbols. Use it to create a more streamlined approach to access registration, like the ones at Scunthorpe Theatres and Bristol Old Vic.
- All In is a new access scheme funded by arts councils in the UK and Ireland. Currently being tested with a small number of organisations including Spektrix users, this is due to launch fully in late 2025.
Accessible website design
WCAG sets out four principles for accessible content, which it says should be perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust.
Generally, that means visitors can see and/or hear content, navigate the interface, and understand meaning, even if they’re using assistive technology. However, Accessible by Design found an average of 56 accessibility errors on every page published by arts organizations.
The WCAG guidelines provide comprehensive guidance to improve your site. If you can't manage a full site review right away, look for opportunities to get started. Many improvements don't even need a web developer.
How to get started with accessible website design
- Provide sufficient colour contrast. Design event imagery or website color palettes with sufficient contrast ratios to make them visible to users with a range of visual impairments. Free contrast checking tools can help you get this right.
- Include alt text. Alternative, or alt text, helps users who rely on voice assistance to engage with images and design elements on your site. Write simple, relevant descriptions of your event imagery to share its impact with every visitor.
- Include video captions and transcripts. If you use video on your site, make sure you provide captions. Many video hosting platforms, including YouTube and Vimeo, will autogenerate captions for you. Take time to check them over, ensuring they make sense and that names and titles are spelled correctly. If possible, include a transcript as well, so viewers can engage in the way that’s right for them.
- Use a logical header structure. People who visit your site using assistive technology rely on a logical, hierarchical header structure to navigate effectively. That means a single H1 header at the top of the page, the next level of section headings in H2, and additional subheadings in H3, H4, etc. Make sure you’re using preset heading types, so that the hierarchy’s readable in the page code, rather than adjusting sizes and font weights manually.
As an added bonus, all of these steps will boost search engine visibility, as well as improving access!
Accessible design at PAC NYC
PAC NYC made access a priority when they developed their website. Rather than just focusing on compliance, they wanted to create a thoughtful, intuitive, and inclusive online experience that reflected their values as an organisation.
Their site, built by Substrakt, presents clear user journeys, high-contrast text, and access information front and centre - so visitors can focus on the information that matters, and know exactly what they can expect.
Learn more about PAC NYC’s project, and other examples of the best event websites for theatres and arts centres
Accessible website design best practice: Free resources
- Web developers Supercool have written this guidance on how to write good alt text.
- Studio Republic provide a free, easy to use colour accessibility checker for website and design palettes.
- Wave and WebAIM from the University of Utah make it easy to check for page access issues using contrast checking tools and browser plugins.
- The Microsoft Accessibility checker helps Microsoft users extend website accessibility best practices to Word documents, Powerpoint, email, and more.
- The Voiceover tool on Mac, or Narrator on Windows, are screen reading applications. Use them to experience your site from the perspective of a blind or visually impaired visitor.
Accessible website design best practice: Paid resources
- Sortsite is an automated tool to test your site for accessibility and usability issues. Check for broken links, spelling errors, browser compatibility, SEO, web standards, and WCAG compliance.
- Deque will run web and mobile accessibility audits for WCAG, EAA and more, to help you identify problems.
Cognitive load
Through their Access Culture research, Indigo Ltd learned that younger audience members were considerably more likely to identify as neurodivergent than older age groups.
Among audiences under 35 who responded to Access Culture:
- 21% wanted a quiet space to be available (compared to 13% overall)
- 28% valued social or visual stories (12% overall)
- 49% said their disability was social or behavioural (13% overall)
- 29% needed pauses to discuss or explain (11% overall)
Traditionally, the conversation about accessibility has focused on level access and wheelchair spaces. This growing demographic suggests we should all be more conscious of cognitive load when inviting audiences to events. Quiet spaces and relaxed performances are part of that solution, but your website also has a part to play. ‘Poor website or booking process' was cited as a problem by 46% of under 35s, compared with 30% of ticket buyers overall.
How to reduce cognitive load in your website design:
- Write using human language. The average reading age for UK adults is between 9 and 11 years old.
- Provide clear instructions. Build users’ confidence by helping them understand what to expect and how to move forward in the booking journey.
- Design for customers first. Start with the needs of your customers - not the expectations of your colleagues.
- Don’t rush people. Customer baskets should eventually time out, so tickets aren’t stuck in incomplete transactions. But if you’re not expecting a massively high demand onsale, there’s no hurry. Make sure customers have the time they need to interpret an unfamiliar seating plan and navigate the various choices along the way.
- Use reasonable font sizes. If a message matters, don’t hide it away in the small print. Start with a minimum of 12pt, and use headers, lists, and visual cues to organise information.
How to test the usability of your website:
- Read copy aloud. If you stumble over it, or it doesn’t feel natural, try explaining the same idea verbally, as if you’re talking to a customer. Keep your written copy as close as possible to that verbal description.
- Invite user testing. Ask colleagues from other teams, customer user groups, or even friends and family, to buy a ticket on your site. Learn where they get stuck or feel unsure, improve, and test again. Make sure you include a range of testers including older and younger people, with and without neurological differences, to consider the full range of user needs.
- Check for abbreviations or jargon. Are you asking your customers if they want a COBO ticket? Assuming they know the difference between a Grand and Royal Circle? Or offering Access Seats, without specifying whether you actually mean a seat, or a space for a wheelchair? Often, descriptions are better than titles:
- COBO ticket: Collect your ticket from the box office counter when you visit
- Grand and Royal Circle: Centre Level and Upper Level seating
- Access Seat: Space for a wheelchair or assistance animal; reserved seating area for best views of the BSL interpreter.
Social storytelling at Theatre Royal Wakefield and The Courtyard, Hereford
A social story combines text and visuals to explain social situations in a clear and accessible way.
Theatre Royal Wakefield have included a simple social story on their website, walking visitors through the venue and telling them what to expect.
The Courtyard in Hereford produce a specific social story for their annual pantomime. As well as introducing people to the venue, this story tells them what to expect to see and hear onstage, and gives them permission to react to it. The final page provides more detailed notes for parents and carers.
Best practices for reducing cognitive load: Resources
- Hemingway is a free readability checker, highlighting complex sentences and redundant words. Upgrade to receive AI-powered suggestions for improvement.
Get started with website accessibility best practices
Ready to start improving your website? Excited about creating the best possible ticket buying journey for disabled and neurodivergent audience members?
We’ve only scratched the surface here. Explore the resources we’ve suggested, reach out to expert partners, or talk to your web developer about their approach to website accessibility.
If you’re a Spektrix user, we’re always happy to work with you to support your strategy, introduce you to partners, or connect you with other members of the Spektrix Community. Reach out to talk through your questions, ideas, or ambitions with our expert support team.
If you’re not yet using Spektrix but you know your website’s in need of improvement, reach out for an informal chat. From bespoke website solutions to free, white-label subsites, we offer a range of flexible, mix and match website tools that could transform your audience’s experience.
Bryony Bell is Head of Content at Spektrix and Vice-Chair of the Arts Marketing Association