UK’s All Points East Festival Awarded For Its Accessibility Initiatives

Attitude is Everything, the organization dedicated to improving access to live music for disabled fans, has awarded All Points East festival with the Silver Status of its Charter of Best Practice.

The award recognizes APE’s commitment to inclusivity and access for deaf and disabled people. With over 200 signees, Attitude is Everything’s Charter is the U.K. event industry standard for live music accessibility.

Current initiatives by APE include a dedicated entrance lane, pre-bookable viewing platforms, dedicated access customer service team both on-site and year-round, accommodating for customers with guide dogs, accessible toilets at every toilet block, Hearing Induction Loops, lowered counters, charging points for chairs, online EasyReads and more.

The festival is also set to introduce a number of new initiatives for 2020, like implementing the accessibility software Recite Me onto the All Points East website, allowing customers to customise their website in a way which works for them – such as changing the website’s colour palette dependent on visual impairment.

Attitude is Everything CEO Suzanne Bull praised APE’s “superb customer service team supporting disabled customers onsite,” and the fact that the festival “has engaged with customer feedback and Disability Equality Training and provides facilities such as a High Dependency Unit and multiple viewing platforms and lowered bars around the site.”

Jenny Hamada, director of events at AEG Presents, said: “We constantly strive to ensure that All Points East is accessible to all those who wish to attend. Gaining the Silver Status is the next step on this journey, and we look forward to continuing our strong relationship with Attitude is Everything to implement innovative solutions each year.”

The festival is also committed towards sustainability by using 100% HVO Biofuel and working towards eliminating single-use plastic from all serveware, and places importance on the work within the local community and Tower Hamlets council, which is in charge of Victoria Park, the APE site.

AEG Presents took the opportunity of receiving the award to also announce the first headliner for APE 2020, when the festival is scheduled for May 22-31. Tame Impala will perform on Saturday, May 23, leading a bill that also includes Caribou, Glass Animals, Whitney, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Holy F, and more to be announced.