Arts Council to Improve Accessibility Standards

Arts and cultural organisations across England can now subscribe to All In Essentials, getting access to the UK and Ireland’s first Accessibility Standards for creativity and culture.

All In is set to roll out across the rest of the UK and Republic of Ireland in 2026 and 2027.

For the first time, theatres, museums, galleries, libraries, festivals and more will have access to a range of groundbreaking features - from quick wins to long term improvements - designed to increase confidence in organisations looking to improve accessibility and remove barriers for deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent people.

Developed with disability arts organisation Attitude is Everything, the Accessibility Standards will offer organisations clear, practical guidance on how to improve access for disabled people across Digital Communications, Creative and Cultural Experiences, Customer Service, and the Built Environment.

The standards cover everything from captions and content warnings to auditorium sightlines and immersive experiences.

When organisations subscribe to All In, alongside the Accessibility Standards, they will also get one-to-one support from access specialists and exclusive resources to build confidence and knowledge in accessibility.

Organisations can create profiles to help them showcase their access provisions clearly, including the ability to add their locations and events to listings to make it easier for disabled people to find experiences that meet their requirements. A support directory of accessibility organisations and consultants is available to all.

This significant milestone follows the successful pilot programme involving Leeds Heritage Theatres, Leeds Museums and Galleries, Leeds Playhouse, and Opera North, who have been instrumental in providing real-time feedback to make sure All In is of benefit to both the sector and the disabled people it serves.

All In is an international partnership between Arts Council England, Arts Council Ireland, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Arts Council of Wales, and Creative Scotland.

Organisations with a ticket booking system will be able to add even more features when All In Plus goes live in Summer 2026. This includes data analytics to better understand their disabled audiences, and the ability to receive disabled members’ access information direct, saving resources on administration and freeing up time to welcome more disabled visitors.

“The release of Essentials is a pivotal moment for All In, shifting our development into delivery,” said Andrew Miller MBE, UK Arts Access Champion for All In.

“It’s a hugely exciting moment too and one I have spent much of the last decade advocating for.

“The Accessibility Standards are a transformative new resource for the cultural sector that provide a road map to grow disabled audience and visitor numbers.

And I can't wait to see how our Standards begin dismantling barriers for disabled people to engage with arts and culture, initially in England and then later this year across the UK and Ireland.

“I firmly believe this is access on the next level. Welcome to All In.”

To find out more visit https://allin.online/all-in-for-the-sector/