From Reactive to Ready: Building Accessibility Into Customer Service

INTIX Pro-to-Pro sessions are a resource for all INTIX members, offering knowledge-based candid conversations with the ticketing and entertainment experts doing the work, plus practical information participants can use immediately. In this article, INTIX Access is raising the curtain on a recent Pro-to-Pro presentation, where accessibility leader Dani Rose shared strategies for turning individual access requests into stronger organizational systems. The Director of Cultural Access at Open Door Arts , a certified ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) coordinator, and an accessibility consultant also explored how live event professionals can approach access services with greater confidence and consistency. For Rose, that starts with changing how organizations think about accessibility in the first place. “People with disabilities are already part of your audiences or trying to be,” Rose says. “Accessibility should not be something that you add only when a request is made or when a barrier is exposed. It should be built into our everyday operations.” That means moving away from a reactive approach to access requests so staff are prepared to respond as naturally as they would to any other customer service need. Access May Start With a Request, But It Shouldn’t End There Access services can take many forms, from accessible seating and assistive listening devices to sign language interpretation, captioning, braille, sensory supports and preparation materials. Some are embedded into a venue or organization’s service model, while others are offered upon request or through a hybrid model that combines scheduled availability with individual requests. “A theater, for example, may schedule ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or audio description for specific performance times while also offering it at requested times with a bit of advance notice,” Rose notes. Whatever the service, she encourages organizations not to begin with “no” simply because a request is unfamiliar, inconvenient or difficult to immediately understand. She says, “We ask instead, would this service ensure the person has an equitable opportunity to participate? Does this remove a barrier to participation? Does it provide effective communication? Or can it be accommodated by modifying a policy or procedure?” Rose continues, “If the answer to any one of these [questions] is yes, then yes, you should provide the service or accommodation. Those four questions are often the fastest way to translate your legal requirements into everyday operational decisions.” In her consulting work, Rose encounters common questions. For example, a guest may need a printed ticket because a digital ticket is not accessible for them. Do you need to provide it? “The answer,” says Rose, “is yes, because providing a printed ticket is an alternate format that allows the patron to receive the information effectively.” A guest with low vision may need to sit close to the stage, but those seats cost more. Do you need to adjust the ticket price? Potentially, says Rose, but there may also be another way to get the patron close to the stage in a lower-priced, equally effective seat. Another example is that someone may need to use a captioning app on their phone at an event with a no-phone policy. Do you have to allow it? That answer is also yes, says Rose, “because it allows the individual to use the technology they rely on for effective communication.” The details vary, but the goal does not: finding a way for each person to participate equitably. Rose offered an easy-to-remember framework for working through those situations: ACCESS. “The law says we must provide access. So, to make that easy to remember, I used the word ACCESS as a decision-making framework,” she explains. “Whenever you receive a request for accommodation, these are the steps that you can work through.” They are: A ssess the need. C onsider the context and constraints. C onsult and communicate. E valuate options equitably. S erve the person in the moment. Then, importantly, S trengthen the system. That final step turns an individual accommodation into organizational learning. “Every accommodation is an opportunity to improve,” Rose says. “If you developed a new process, booked a new service provider or vendor, created a policy or found language that worked, capture it. Write the standard operating procedure (SOP). Update the checklist. Train your staff. That way, the next time someone makes the same request, you’re not starting from scratch. You’ve built access into the system.” Mapping Access Across the Organization A useful tool that Rose uses is a service matrix designed to map a service across both the guest experience and internal operations. The concept can be adapted to an organization’s individual circumstances, but Rose typically uses columns that ask and answer several questions. “I typically include columns such as: What is the service? What is the category of the service, meaning what type of barrier does it address? Communication, sensory, physical information. And then the delivery model: is it embedded and built in? Is it hybrid, or is it request-based? What are the touchpoints that the customer experiences, such as ticketing, entry, performance and post-event? Who are the responsible departments in coordination? What are the communication methods that we will use? What staff training might be needed? And what will be our review cycle, again, to strengthen the system for the future?” Sample service matrix. Rose explained how it works in practice by discussing a theater that provides ASL interpretation, as shown in the top row. “It falls under communication access, which tells us what barrier it addresses,” she explains. “The delivery model is hybrid, meaning it’s scheduled for some performances, but also available on request. And then next we’re going to map out the touchpoints. Where does someone find out about the service? It’s going to appear on the ticketing page. It might be in our lobby signage. It might be available in the program, or somehow during the performance, and we might notify you for the post-show talkback. Next, identify the responsibility [because] in order for all those touchpoints to occur, a lot of people need to be involved. This may include your access coordination teams or front-of-house teams, guest services, programming or any other front-of-house workers like security and facilities. Using the matrix to map out all parties involved, and then how they’re going to work together, will really help you see how responsibility is shared, and clearly define it so that services don’t fall through the gaps when it passes back and forth between departments.” She continues, “Then you want to define how the service is going to be communicated. In this example, it’s listing interpreted performances on event pages with clear icons for scheduled performances, and then an obvious request option for when it’s not scheduled. Then, identify what staff need to be prepared. For example, our front-of-house staff should definitely know where the interpreter will be, where the interpreter is located, and that people are going to be arriving who need direct ASL communication. Then finally, we’re going to establish a review cycle, such as checking in after the interpreted event, or reviewing this service annually. So, following the matrix, we know how ASL interpreter services will work and how requests will function across the organization. The same process applies to captions in the second row, or even wheelchair accessible seating in the third row, and every other service that you offer.” Mapping services in this way helps ensure everyone understands their role and how each accommodation will work across the organization. Making Access Part of Customer Service Preparation also means making it easy for people to ask for what they need. Rose notes that organizations should clearly communicate which services are built-in, what is available upon request, and how requests can be made. “This information should be easy to find across websites, event listings, promotional materials and accessibility pages,” she says. “Organizations can also support participation by providing preparatory materials known as ‘know before you go guides’ or ‘preview guides,’ visual schedules, social narratives or even maps that help people plan their visit.” Staff need to know what services exist, who is responsible for them and how they work. “Access services depend on people across the organization being prepared to deliver them. If assistive listening devices are available, but staff don’t know where they are, how to distribute them or how to operate them, the service may exist, but access is not fulfilled. Readiness also looks like establishing relationships with service providers, understanding booking timelines and having organizational systems in place ahead of time.” Then there is the human side. “Access is delivered person-to-person in communication, tone, responsiveness, flexibility and problem-solving in the moment,” says Rose. “Two organizations may offer the same service, but the experience can feel very different depending on how that service is communicated and provided. Staff should be prepared to approach access as a collaborative, solutions-oriented process and continue working toward equitable participation even when a request cannot be fulfilled exactly as it was originally asked. Thoughtful service delivery built into our organization’s systems communicates that disabled people were anticipated, welcomed and included from the beginning.” An access request, Rose stresses, should not be viewed as an inconvenience. And when something does go wrong, the experience can become another opportunity to improve. Her advice for accessibility-related complaints is memorable: “Turn your complainers into consultants.” Address the issue by running it through your process, fix the issue, invite the guest back and continue the conversation about what else could be improved. Feedback can help strengthen the system for their next visit and your next guest. “Keep that cycle of communication and information going to provide excellent customer service and to build trust with your community,” Rose recommends. A Resource for the Ticketing Industry For organizations looking to continue the work, Rose points to Open Door Arts’ Arts and Culture Accessibility Hub , a free online resource with detailed information on more than 50 accessibility topics.  Whereas it was originally built for the arts, don’t let that stop you from using it, because the Accessibility Hub is relevant for any venue in the business of live entertainment and events.  The Hub includes a glossary and more than 400 vetted external resources, along with best practices, implementation guidance and information about legal requirements in the United States. It also includes downloadable templates covering areas such as grievance procedures and access-request procedures. Of particular interest to INTIX Access readers is a dedicated section on accessible ticketing, along with information on individual access services and how to implement them. For Rose, building those systems ultimately allows accessibility to become what it should have been all along: an ordinary part of delivering a great experience. “When access services are built into the way an organization operates, staff no longer have to solve every request or problem from scratch,” she says. “They can rely on established services, clear procedures, defined responsibilities, and organizational resources to deliver access consistently and effectively.” Ultimately, Rose says, it comes down to preparation. “Preparation transforms access from a reactive accommodation into a consistent part of our regular customer service delivery.” Editor’s Note: INTIX Pro-to-Pro sessions are an exclusive benefit of INTIX membership, connecting members with industry professionals for practical conversations, shared learning and resources throughout the year. Learn more about INTIX membership and join today . You May Also Like The Hub: A Free Resource to Turn Accessibility Intentions Into Action Accessibility Is Everyone’s Job: How the New Victory Theater Built a Culture of Inclusion Want news like this delivered to your inbox weekly? Subscribe to the Access Weekly newsletter , your ticket to industry excellence.