EPISODE · Jul 1, 2026 · 44 MIN
Have we found the most accessible festival in the country?
from Access All: Disability News and Mental Health · host BBC Sounds
Festival season is upon us and the access offerings at some mainstream events could be about to get better after one of the big providers was served with a legal notice to improve it.We speak to festival fans, the BBC's Annabel Rackham and Attitude is Everything to get the lay of the land. Plus we also meet Polly Shute, co-founder of Out and Wild Festival, for lesbians and non-binary people which has a higher than average number of disabled and neurodivergent ticket holders. Polly and her team are so dedicated to accessibility they're about to move the festival 200 miles across the country to do an even better job next year.Did you read The Secret Garden as a child? It's returning to the stage with a disability twist by asking a few key questions - what would happen if Colin didn't have to walk, or be well, to be loved by his father? And rather than being difficult, was the lead character Mary, autistic all along?We chat with writer Tom Wentworth and actress Daneka Etchells about this re-write and they also talk about their own experiences of “medical gaslighting”.It's a packed one for July!Presented and produced by Emma TraceyPresenter's friend and series producer is Beth RoseSound design by James BeardEditor is Damon RoseSay to your smart speaker: “Play Access All on BBC Sounds” to get the latest edition.And email [email protected]
What this episode covers
Festival season is upon us and the access offerings at some mainstream events could be about to get better after one of the big providers was served with a legal notice to improve it.We speak to festival fans, the BBC's Annabel Rackham and Attitude is Everything to get the lay of the land. Plus we also meet Polly Shute, co-founder of Out and Wild Festival, for lesbians and non-binary people which has a higher than average number of disabled and neurodivergent ticket holders. Polly and her team are so dedicated to accessibility they're about to move the festival 200 miles across the country to do an even better job next year.Did you read The Secret Garden as a child? It's returning to the stage with a disability twist by asking a few key questions - what would happen if Colin didn't have to walk, or be well, to be loved by his father? And rather than being difficult, was the lead character Mary, autistic all along?We chat with writer Tom Wentworth and actress Daneka Etchells about this re-write and they also talk about their own experiences of “medical gaslighting”.It's a packed one for July!Presented and produced by Emma TraceyPresenter's friend and series producer is Beth RoseSound design by James BeardEditor is Damon RoseSay to your smart speaker: “Play Access All on BBC Sounds” to get the latest edition.And email [email protected]
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Have we found the most accessible festival in the country?
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