Disability Policy

Aims:

• Shoddy Theatre endeavours to increase access to its work for all participants regardless of disability or access requirements

• Shoddy Theatre will invest wherever possible in necessary research and action to ensure that disabled people have equal access to its work

• Shoddy Theatre will ensure this policy and the associated action points are subject to continual review.

The Policy

• Shoddy Theatre is committed to promoting theatre as an activity for all and to providing access for all people to the arts as participants, audiences, members of staff and practitioners, throughout the range of its activities.

• Shoddy Theatre recognises that diversity fosters creativity and innovation and the company is fully committed to promoting diversity in its widest sense, and tackling exclusion.

• Shoddy Theatre recognises that it must make reasonable adjustments to any barriers that may prevent disabled people working with the company or, with its touring venue partners, seeing our productions, or participating in workshops and is committed to work with others in identifying solutions to remove these barriers wherever possible ensuring that disabled people are not to be treated less favourably than others who are not disabled.

• Shoddy Theatre recognises discrimination as being a process of acting unfairly against an individual or group by exclusion, verbal comment, denigration, failure to appreciate needs or the assumption of such needs without consultation, and that such behaviour is unacceptable. Each member of the Company has responsibility for their own compliance to the policy. Any violation of this policy by any Company Member will be treated as a serious breach of contract.

As set out in the Equal Opportunities Policy, Shoddy Theatre undertakes to ensure that all job applicants, employees and participants in the range of company activities are treated equally and supported to develop and maximise their true potential irrespective of gender, marital status, social class, colour, race, ethnic origin, religious belief, disability, sexual orientation or age.

Integrated casting, which promote positive images, and does not perpetuate traditional stereotypes of disability, form part of this policy. When casting, Shoddy Theatre’s aim is to ensure that they do not discriminate against participation by individuals from under-represented groups in society in terms of

disability.

Discriminatory and other oppressive language or behaviour regarding disability of any nature will not be tolerated. It will be treated as an act of gross misconduct by Company members and dealt with under Shoddy Theatre’s disciplinary procedure which could result in summary dismissal.

The Company believes that the value of a disability equality policy lies not merely in its intention but in its practical delivery. It is the responsibility of the Board of Trustees to regularly monitor effectiveness in all areas of company operation: recruitment, artistic programming, touring, marketing and training and develop the policy where necessary.

Any Company member (and any person applying to become a Company member) who feels that either they or more generally a particular disabled group have been discriminated against by the Company or its members, is invited to raise their concern either formally or informally with the Board of Trustees.