BT 2022 Accessibility Information

Access is a political issue. Too often and for too long, disabled people have been excluded from events. Their access needs have been at best an after thought and at worse, completely forgotten. That's why we have an Accessibility Working Group where we learn about and engage with best practice for making Bristol Transformed as accessible to as many people as possible. This page contains all the information regarding accessibility at the festival.

Transport

Car Parking

There will be a limited amount of access parking available at the Malcolm X centre.

Buses

All the venues are in central Bristol, so there are multiple bus routes passing nearby. 30 years ago, our bus services were deregulated and privatised. This has been a disaster for our buses, so they aren’t good services, but the information about local bus services is available here.

You can also use google maps to plan your route.

Taxis

We will pay for taxis for attendees who may otherwise struggle to get to or around the festival. Please book and pay for your taxis and then send receipts for reimbursement to finance@bristoltransformed.co.uk.

Travel along Stokes Croft

There is a large event - the Stokes Croft Block Party - taking place on Saturday from 12 midday until 4am, overlapping with the times of Bristol Transformed. It is likely that the area (particularly the pavements) will be crowded, and potentially messy. If this will cause access issues for you, please contact info@bristoltransformed.co.uk and we will do our best to help resolve them.

Toilets

All four venues - Malcolm X Centre, Docklands Community Centre, Strange Brew, and People's Republic of Stokes Croft - have fully accessible toilets.

All toilets at Bristol Transformed will be gender neutral. At some venues, gendered toilets will be made gender neutral, and may contain urinals. Where this is the case, they will be clearly marked. More information about toilets can be found on the access sections of specific venues.

There are 4 changing places toilets near central Bristol:

Cabot Circus

We The Curious

Ikea Bristol

Southmead Hospital

Venues

Specific accessibility information for each venue can be found on the venue pages:

• PRSC
• Malcolm X
• Docklands
• Strange Brew

Other Information

Aisle Seating

We will reserve aisle seats in every venue for disabled people who need them.

Roving Microphones

We will use roving microphones in all of our sessions where they need to be used so no one will have to get up or raise their voices.

Session Materials

The following sessions will have printed reading materials available for use in the session. If you would need them in an alternative format, please email us by the 9th of May.

• Has Mutual Aid Lost its Meaning?
• How do we Save the Earth? Parliament, People's Assemblies or Union Power?

Live Streaming

This is our first in-person festival since the start of the pandemic and we can’t wait to gather together again. We recognise that the COVID-19 pandemic forced people to reevaluate their ways of working which made more events more accessible for some disabled people. We also recognise that some people may still not want to attend in-person events due to the risk of COVID-19. While we work to make our festival as accessible as possible, we will unfortunately be unable to livestream any sessions and cannot record all of them. Live streaming requires expensive equipment and a strong internet connection, which not all of our venues have. We are a small, volunteer run festival and we do not have the financial or personnel resources to be able to do this currently. 

You can find more information on our COVID-19 policies here.

Volunteer Training

All of our volunteers will receive disability training. They will be made aware of the social barriers that disable people with impairments, according to the Social Model of Disability. All volunteers will be trained to recognise the Sunflower Lanyard Scheme for people with hidden disabilities.

Cushions

Some venues do not have soft seating. If you would like to come to a session and would like cushions or a yoga mat to lie down on, send an email to hribhu@bristoltransformed.co.uk with the subject line SEATING: Session Name.

BSL Interpreters

Unfortunately, due to the costs of providing BSL interpreters we are not able to provide any interpretation this year. If you have any suggestions on ways we can secure funding for interpreters in the future, please email us.

Carers

If you have a carer who will need to attend the festival with you, please contact us at info@bristoltransformed.co.uk and we will arrange a free ticket for your carer.