WECIL’s Accessibility Support: Driving Inclusion for Culture West

WECIL (West of England Centre for Inclusive Living) is proud to partner with Culture West delivery partners to provide 200 hours of tailored accessibility support over a two-year programme. Led by Ali Browning, this initiative is designed to embed inclusivity and accessibility across a wide range of activities, ensuring Culture West venues, events, communications, and resources are accessible to everyone.

What Does WECIL Provide?

Through its expert WAIT team (WECIL Accessibility Inclusion Team), WECIL has been delivering hands-on guidance to improve accessibility, including:

• Workshops: Two interactive sessions focused on improving accessibility for public events and participant recruitment.
• Website Reviews: A detailed review of the Diverse Artists Network (DAN) website, ensuring digital platforms meet accessibility standards.
• Audits and Consultations: Accessibility audits for venues like the Old Printworks and Creative Twerton (Bath Spa), including recommendations for refurbishment plans for the Black South West Network.
• Document Reviews: Evaluation of paperwork, including creativeEngage’s course documentation and Citizens Assembly materials.

These activities ensure Culture West partners receive expert guidance to embed inclusivity into their design, planning, and operations. So far, WECIL has completed 56 of the 200 hours planned, with a detailed roadmap for ongoing support until March 2026.

Year 1 Achievements

In the first year, WECIL has delivered:

• Accessibility recommendations for a newly developed website for DAN.
• Refurbishment plan reviews for Black South West Network, including site visits and follow-up meetings with architects.
• Reviews of creativeEngage course paperwork and Citizens Assembly sign-up forms, briefs, and website sections.

By focusing on tangible improvements, WECIL has already impacted the accessibility of numerous projects and venues across Culture West.

Feedback from Partners

Culture West partners highly value the support provided by WECIL. As one partner shared:

“It was useful to have someone from outside our organization to review our documents from an accessibility perspective and offer informed feedback and recommendations. Embedding accessibility into our processes and ways of working is essential to our team, so reaching out to WECIL, who has been a sector partner for years, felt only right. Their support was comprehensive and provided a much-needed critical lens to our perspective. Many organizations in the sector would indeed benefit from their input.”

Why Accessibility Matters

Accessibility isn’t just about compliance; it’s about creating spaces and resources where everyone can fully participate. Through expert audits, thoughtful recommendations, and practical support, WECIL ensures Culture West becomes a model for inclusivity in the region.

Get Involved

To learn more about how WECIL and the WAIT team can help your organization or to request support, contact Ali Browning at alison.browning@wecil.org.uk. Together, we can champion accessibility and inclusivity across Culture West, creating a more welcoming environment for all.

Or find out more about the fantastic work we do on our website at: https://disabilityinc.org.uk/

Together, we can champion accessibility and inclusivity across Culture West, creating a more welcoming environment for all.