Artists

On this page sick/crip/disabled artists answer questions about making and using access docs. We are growing this section, so get in touch if you’d like to answer these questions from your experience, with your name or anonymously.

How do you use your access doc? (this might include who you share it with and who in the organisation is allowed to see it? At what point during a working relationship do you share it?)

I send it to any institution or organisation that I'm working with. Sometimes I share parts of it in applications if they ask for access needs in the application form and then I share it in full from the beginning of our correspondence about a project. 

How does it help?

It means that my needs are clear from the beginning and I feel more comfortable and less nervous about asking for what I need later down the line or referring to it if I'm asked to do something that I'm either not able to do or don't feel comfortable doing. Being around people that I don't know when there is a possibility that I could faint makes me nervous because if it happens and the people around me panic or don't know what to do, it can make me worse and I also feel bad for scaring the people around me so it's really nice to be able to let people know the tools to help me come around and avoid me going to hospital. I have always got good feedback in the past from these instructions and people I've worked with have told me that it makes them feel less nervous about knowing what to do. 

Would you give any advice to other artists thinking of making and using an access doc?

My advice is to not be afraid to make your needs known. I used to be worried about asking for what I needed or even letting people know how sick I am but then I got so frustrated with organisations and institutions that want to work with me or book me for performances because my disabled marginalisation is in some way sexy for them but then they don't ask for my access needs or they ask me to do things that I feel like they should know that I can't do. I realised that it needs to work both ways, if they want to work with artists who have access needs for whatever reason, then they also need to do the work to take care of those needs. 

How do you use your access doc? (this might include who you share it with and who in the organisation is allowed to see it? At what point during a working relationship do you share it?)

I made this document by thinking about my condition and things that create barriers for me. Then I thought about how I, or others can change to allow me to overcome these barriers. I have chosen not to explain the specific medical reason for each point. This is a personal choice as I often feel as a person with a severe illness I am often expected to reveal much more of my private medical problems in a way that would be inappropriate to ask of an able-bodied person. However, I have said I am open to questions in the reasons behind my requirements. I am in two minds about this as perhaps I am denying people the opportunity to learn about my illness.

For me my condition is invisible. Unless I am using a stick that day, I will have hidden the visible aspects of my condition and I will have a management plan in place which might not be immediately obvious eg. (Planning to only be out of the house for a few hours at a time after the time my TPN has finished and using my car for journeys). The access doc helped me figure out where in a work context, adjustments need to be made without revealing too much private information.

How does it help?

The doc helps to provide me equal opportunities to work. This is particularly important in the art world, the art world after all is supposed to represent many voices. For me it has helped me think about where my condition creates barriers for me. For example, if I want to go to a meeting but it involves walking to get there, I would previously have said I cannot do it and not voice the reason why or have the courage to suggest an alternative. But since I was introduced to the idea of access docs it has made me realise there are changes that can be made so I can participate. I just have to have the confidence to ask. There are so many institutions that are open to new ways of working. For me it is not about making a list of demands but figuring out what changes are possible.

Would you give any advice to other artists thinking of making and using an access doc?

We had some good advice from Johanna Hedva, my fuzzy brain cannot quote them directly but they suggested that when you use an access doc, that you also consider the organisation and their limitations and be open to them “improving” if they cannot adhere to all your requirements. For me I have taken that to mean that although an organisation cannot work with you in a specific way this time but next time, they will apply for specific funding, or consider their choice of building better, or improve the way they write their marketing documents. We as disabled artists are not responsible for making the entire art world accessible for everyone, we are often having a hard enough time keeping ourselves alive, but by enabling more of us to participate in the art world, things will start to get better. If using an access doc means we can take part where we wouldn’t have been able to before that can only be a good thing.

How do you use your access document? (This might include who you share it with, who in the organisation is allowed to see it? At what point during a working relationship do you share it? How much of your disability do you reveal in the document?)

I only started using an Access Doc relatively recently, but found it really helpful to state clear boundaries about my physical capabilities and time commitments relating to a project. I started using one in relation to a physical condition, but found outlining my mental health problems and specific learning disabilities really helpful as well, as quite often people aren’t aware of the impact these may have in practical terms for an artist working on a project. Often, people I collaborate with are aware that I address themes of disability and chronic illness in my work, but may not know the practical details or requirements that these actually involve, so it’s usually when we’ve confirmed that we’d like to collaborate on a project and seeing if it can actually work out in reality. If I mention conditions to collaborators and project spaces less formally, perhaps in person or as part of a longer email, then it helps me to send the Doc as a follow-up to clarify and provide more detail if needed—which sometimes might not be possible and/or I may not be comfortable doing in person. I send my Access Doc to organisations and institutions before starting to work with them if it requires e.g. signing a contract, or a certain level of attendance like minimum no. of hours worked or days a week etc. and we are usually able to adapt the contract or schedule to work out. To communicate about access requirements and send the Doc as early on as possible can be really helpful, as I’ve had an experience of an organisation wanting to start a project, but after having sent them the Doc they realised my access requirements just weren’t possible for them.

How does it help?

It really helps me personally, and I wish I’d started using one ages ago! I sometimes feel more comfortable having certain things written down (e.g. medical diagnosis, further details regarding treatment requirements) that I may not want to go into as much detail about in conversation or in an interview or discussion. I was also worried about people having prejudices towards certain conditions e.g. mental health or learning difficulties (given previous experiences from (non-art-related) employers), but even a brief description of conditions and their impacts (e.g. from Mind or NHS websites, mind.org.uk nhs.uk) helps me feel more confident in stating them as a condition or disability and can be helpful for other people to understand.

What advice would you give other artists thinking of making and using an access document?

I have a template Access Doc which states all my conditions and requirements, but I adapt this to send to different organisations depending on the type of project and the type of interaction or labour required, e.g. IRL or video feed, and/or mental or physical labour. When I first wrote one, I sent it to someone else who already had an Access Doc to read through and give feedback, which really helped. After the first time I sent it, and it was well-received (i.e. they didn’t reject it!), this made me feel a lot more confident about stating boundaries. However, people may not always remember all the details of the Doc as the project evolves, so it can be a good document to refer back to if people need reminding about your access requirements, and/or to send it again.

How do you use your access document? (This might include who you share it with, who in the organisation is allowed to see it? At what point during a working relationship do you share it? How much of your disability do you reveal in the document?)

I share it with anyone I’m planning or considering working with. My disability is invisible. At the beginning. Most of my impairments are outlined in the document. The one thing that isn’t there that needs updating is some kind of description of trauma based triggers, and how I would like to work in those situations.

I attach it to contracts.

How does it help?

It stops people not knowing. 

It’s a reference point if things go tits up. I can present fairly well, so it clarifies that. 

Means I don’t have to have panic attacks in the access toilet.

Educates others.

Means I get paid if I can’t work or complete a contract.

What advice would you give other artists thinking of making and using an access document?

Have some else write it for/with you. Someone that knows you well. It can be hard to ask for things yourself. Have that person interview you and get them to ask you about the challenges you have.

Write about how you are when you are at your worst.

Make the document accessible. I’ve seen some that aren’t.

Get to the point. Don’t waffle. Be very clear. Reference or link to terminology people may not know.

Be very open about having one. Put it everywhere. On your website, footer of your email etc.

How do you use your access doc? (this might include who you share it with and who in the organisation is allowed to see it? At what point during a working relationship do you share it?)

I send it to the person who is my main point of contact at a gallery/institution/organisation once we've both agreed to work on a project together. My access doc includes information about how my disability might affect our working relationship during the whole process, it might take me longer to respond to emails at times for example, so it's helpful for me to share it early on. I usually say I'm happy for it to be shared with anyone at the gallery who it might be relevant for, which might include curatorial staff, gallery technicians, gallery managers, and anyone else who I might work with during the project.

How does it help?

It makes a lot of things clearer, and it reduces the work I need to do in advocating for my needs. Rather than having to bring up things I might need as I go and put time and energy into that, I can just send the doc which I've written in advance and know that it's all in there. I also have a few notes in my doc that are 'just so you're aware's. So for example I write that I sometimes get 'fibrofog' or 'brainfog' and might suddenly become slow and confused. For me, it's a bit of peace of mind if I know that the people I'm working with will know that this is what is happening if it happens, so I don't have to explain myself in the moment (because it's really difficult to explain brainfog when you're in brainfog!). It also makes things clearer for myself - going through the process of writing down what I need and what I want anyone I'm working with to know has really helped me pinpoint how I can be better facilitated. It generally makes it easier to ask for what I need.

Would you give any advice to other artists thinking of making and using an access doc?

Think through any recent experiences you've had whilst working with a gallery/organisation/institution and if any problems came up that could have been avoided or dealt with better, and how. What information would you have given? What could have been in place to make things easier? Go through a few scenarios you've been in or expect to be in, and think through what you might struggle with there and how it could be helped.