For an article about inclusion in the cultural sector we want to hear from members of the audience with sensory disabilities. How do you experience cultural events? Do you use tools that help you feel the performance? What would you wish for in terms of help, tools and organisation?
My father has issues hearing and those hard of hearing or deaf would benefit from options to go (for example) to the cinema. In north America, there's special hearing devices which can be rented. There's also kids friendly cinema showings which have lowered volume and are ok for smaller children.
I noticed last time I was in Canada that grocery stores are offering one night per week for those who are sensitive to sounds and bright lights. They dim the lights and turn off the add/music so people can shop in an environment they’re comfortable in.
As a deaf person with Cochlear Implant, a device that help me to hear, understand talking without reading lips and to enjoy music I have to say that Switzerland is way behind many other developed countries on the topic of accessibility.
For example, I couldn't find even one Cinema with a FM or Bluetooth system that I can connect to it and be able to enjoy a movie like a "normal", hearing person.
Those systems are very common in many countries, are simple to implement and have huge benefits for the hard or hearing person's lifestyle.
It's about time that the politician and low makers in Switzerland will pick up the glove and help people like me to feel accepted and included.
Thank you for sharing! Could you give me examples of countries where you have been able to connect your cochlear implant to a cinema system? I'd like to hear more about your experience, I'll send you an e-mail if you're available for an interview.
I am visually impaired, going to cultural events alone is not possible and accompanied is very difficult.
I have a total homonymous left hemianopia, I can hear the noise on the left but I can't see anything and it's very confusing and disorienting. I am always afraid that someone or something will come at me from the left, what helps me and makes me feel safe is to be next to a wall, so I know that nothing can happen on that side.
Since this is not always possible, I avoid going to these kinds of events.
Je suis malvoyante, aller à des événements culturels seule ce n'est pas possible et accompagnée c'est très difficile.
J'ai une hémianopsie homonyme totale gauche, j'entends le bruit à gauche mais je ne vois rien et c'est très déstabilisant et confus. J'ai toujours peur que quelqu'un ou quelque chose vienne contre moi depuis la gauche, ce qui m'aide et me sécurise c'est pouvoir être à côté d'un mur, comme ça je sais que rien peut arriver de ce côté.
Comme ce n'est pas toujours possible, j'évite d'aller à ce genre d'événements.
Thank you for sharing your experience. Have you ever wanted to participate in an event and not having an attendant, you suggested to the organizer solutions that would have allowed you to take part in the event? If you have ever attended a show, do you use audio description?
Merci d'avoir partagé votre expérience. Est-ce que ça vous est déjà arrivé de vouloir participer à un événement et n'ayant pas d'accompagnateur ou accompagnatrice vous aviez suggéré à l'organisateur des solutions qui vous auraient permis de prendre part à l'événement? Si vous avez déjà assisté à un spectacle, est-ce que vous vous servez d'une audio-description?
I went to a concert with someone, but even so it was difficult, stressful, so going alone, I don't venture out at all.
Je suis allée à un concert accompagnée, mais même comme ça c'était difficile, stressant, alors y aller seule, je ne m'y aventure pas du tout.
Interesting question. I'm neither blind nor deaf, but I know some people who are in wheelchairs. They cannot get into many places - theatres, bars, restaurants, concerts, shops, etc, etc as there is no wheelchair access. Too many steps, not enough ramps. Maybe you should expand your article to include all disabilities.
Thank you for your comment. Physical accessibility is indeed the most basic requirement for cultural inclusion, this I will of course mention in my article. To be able to experience art when sight or hearing are the main senses involved adds a layer of complexity, which is what I want to explore, hopefully through some first-hand accounts.
In the last few years, sound equipment has evolved a lot and I notice that most concert halls have oversized installations, which allow them to obtain sound effects that are much too powerful, even aggressive, often exceeding the threshold of tolerability. The results are: you have to wear earplugs to protect your ears (the last thing you want to do when listening to music!) and the audience feels uncomfortable with sounds that hit the whole body. Moreover, it is important to know that the artists who play on stage (musicians, dancers, etc.) do not hear the same thing as the spectators because they have their own "feedback sounds". Therefore, too much sound tends to crush the actors instead of enhancing them!
Depuis quelques années, le matériel de sonorisation a beaucoup évolué et je remarque que la plupart des salles de spectacles disposent d'installations surdimensionnées, ce qui leur permet d'obtenir des effets sonores beaucoup trop puissants, voire agressifs, dépassant souvent le seuil du supportable. Les résultats sont: il faut mettre des bouchons d'oreilles comme protections auditives (le comble pour écouter de la musique!) et les spectateurs se sentent mal à l'aise avec des sons qui percutent tout le corps. De plus, il faut savoir que les artistes qui jouent sur scènes (musiciens, danseurs, etc) n'entendent pas la même chose que les spectateurs car ils ont leur propres "sons de retour". De ce fait, la trop forte sonorisation a tendance à écraser les acteurs au lieu de les mettre en valeur!
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