The idea of access riders – also known as access documents or statements – was originally developed by disabled artists and art workers to help others advocate for equal access to work. The name ‘access rider’ comes from the concept of a rider: a list of requirements that musicians or performers share with a venue that outlines their needs so that the organiser can help make sure they’ll perform at their best.

The use of access riders has been further championed by disabled-led projects and organisations in the creative and cultural sector. This work is part of the wider disability-rights movement, which campaigns for equal rights for disabled people, actively challenging systems and attitudes that – whether knowingly or unknowingly – oppress, exclude and discount disabled people in society.

Disabled people are experts in how we care for and as communities. This expertise has helped other communities understand how to better provide care for those who benefit from adjustments to meet their needs. We all need care, and we can all learn from this work.

Because access needs between different people can be contradictory – an accommodation for one person may become a barrier to another – it’s important to note that there’s no way to describe something as ‘fully accessible’. Access riders can create space to build awareness to help navigate and better support differing needs.

It’s also important to state that not everyone wants, or should be required, to use an access rider. They can act as an invitation or prompt to have conversations about, and deeper consideration of, how making things accessible and inclusive benefits us all – but they are not the only way to do this work.