ADELAIDE FRINGE
04/04/2012
The Hon. S.G. WADE (14:28): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Disabilities a question about the Adelaide Fringe festival.
Leave granted.
The Hon. S.G. WADE: By way of preface, the No Strings Attached Theatre of Disability production Sons and Mothers won four Fringe awards this year, including best theatre production. I acknowledge that the Hon. Kelly Vincent is the patron of that theatre. On a less positive note, the opposition has received a complaint from a constituent regarding accessibility to the Adelaide Fringe festival. I would like to quote his correspondence which states:
Could somebody please fix the discriminatory behaviour at the Adelaide Fringe organisers and ticketing office. Every year I attempt to see Adelaide Fringe shows and every year I am turned away at the gate because they new venue is not wheelchair accessible or mistakes with ticketing has allocated me the position that is not wheelchair accessible. This has happened every year for the past five years.
My questions are:
1.Can the minister please advise the number of venues which have held shows during the Adelaide Fringe this year and which have provided wheelchair access to their audiences?
2.What steps is the government taking to make the arts and entertainment venues accessible to people with disabilities?
The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers) (14:29): I thank the honourable member for his very important question about the accessibility of Fringe theatre events at the recent Fringe festival. These are issues that are very important to the government. The government has recently undertaken a program of checking the accessibility plans of our agencies and departments. We hope that, having completed that process, we will be able to encourage non-government organisations to follow our lead in that regard. With regard to the specific questions asked by the honourable member, I will refer those to the Minister for the Arts in the other place and seek a response from him.
The Hon. K.L. VINCENT (14:31): I have a supplementary question. Do these accessibility plans include steps to make venues accessible to performers with disabilities as well?
The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers) (14:31): My reference to the accessibility plans relates to government departments, not non-government organisations. Our ability to command other organisations to follow our lead is somewhat less, but we do hope that, by providing a leadership role with regard to our own accessibility plans, we can encourage others in the community sector to follow our lead.
