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Accessibility Services

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Inclusion isn’t optional — it’s essential to the future of the arts.

Dower Productions specialise in making the arts accessible, so every voice, talent, and story can shine.

Get in touch for a free initial consultation to see how we can make your ideas accessible.

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Our areas of service include:

Film

For too long, people with disability have carried the burden of disclosure. That stops here.

Our services can help:

  • Remove barriers before they become problems

  • Build trust with cast, crew, and audiences

  • Protect your production from risk and reputational damage

  • Gain access to untapped creativity and talent

  • From $1,000

    Strong stories start at the page. We support writers and producers to embed accessibility, inclusion, and best-practice representation early, reducing risk and strengthening creative outcomes.

    Supports:

    • Review of tone, language, and representation

    • Identification of outdated, offensive, or harmful terminology

    • Guidance on portraying DDN characters with care and authenticity

    • Early flagging of access considerations that may impact production later

    • Advice on establishing an accessible writers’ room to support diverse voices and creative collaboration

    Best suited for:

    • Projects in development, funding application stages, or early writers’ room set-up

    Accessible writing is not about restricting creativity — it’s about expanding it and preventing avoidable issues later in the production process.

  • From $3,500

    Planning is half the battle in screen production. We ensure access needs are identified early and embedded into pre-production decisions — reducing risk, avoiding last-minute costs, and supporting a smoother shoot.

    Includes:

    • Assessment of eligibility for targeted access funding (e.g. JobAccess, EAF)

    • Advice on accessible travel and accommodation arrangements

    • Development of confidential, individualised access plans

    • Access consultations with Heads of Department

    • Location access audits with practical recommendations

    Best suited for:

    • Productions with DDN cast or crew confirmed or anticipated

    • Projects with multiple locations or complex logistics

    • Productions seeking to mitigate risk before shoot days

    • Teams wanting clarity on access scope prior to production

    Early access planning prevents costly adjustments later and supports both creative and operational success.

  • From $5,000

    Production is complex. We work alongside your production team to coordinate access needs for DDN cast and crew — reducing risk, supporting safety, and keeping production moving.

    Includes:

    • Development of access-aware safety and evacuation protocols

    • Creation of easy-read and accessible production documentation

    • Confidential coordination with DDN cast and crew regarding access requirements

    • Practical, budget-conscious access solutions tailored to the production

    • Resources for cast and crew to support awareness and best practice

    • On-call access support to respond to unforeseen access issues during production

    Best suited for:

    • Productions with DDN cast or crew, complex locations, or heightened access considerations

    Access Coordination is a production role — ensuring your team can work safely, respectfully, and effectively.

  • From $1,000

    Access needs do not end when the shoot wraps. We support productions through post-production by ensuring workplaces, workflows, and teams remain accessible — enabling productions to engage skilled DDN post crew and deliver work responsibly.

    Includes:

    • Advice on accessibility of post-production workplaces and workflows

    • Support for post-production crew with disclosed access requirements

    • Guidance on engaging accessible post facilities and remote workflows

    • Continuity of access planning from production into post

    Best suited for:

    • Productions with DDN cast or crew

    • Projects engaging DDN editors, sound designers, or post teams

    • Productions seeking to maintain best practice through delivery

  • From $1,000

    Public-facing communications present some of the highest reputational risks for screen projects. We support productions to ensure marketing, press, and public messaging are accurate, respectful, and aligned with best-practice accessibility and inclusion standards before release.

    Includes:

    • Review and advice on tone and language across press and marketing materials

    • Guidance on best-practice inclusive communications

    • Identification of potential reputational risks prior to public release

    • Recommendations to strengthen clarity, accuracy, and audience trust

    Best suited for:

    • Productions with DDN themes, characters, or contributors

    • Projects preparing for festival, broadcast, or public release

    • Teams seeking to mitigate reputational risk and public backlash

    • Organisations wanting confidence in their external messaging

    Thoughtful, informed communications protect both the work and the people behind it.

  • From $500

    Representation matters. Inclusive casting processes ensure productions can reach the widest possible talent pool while providing safe, accessible, and respectful audition environments for all performers.

    Includes:

    • Review and guidance on inclusive casting call-out language

    • Advice on accessible audition formats (in-person, self-tape, hybrid)

    • Assessment of audition locations for accessibility considerations

    • Guidance on disclosure processes and confidentiality during casting

    • Practical recommendations to support performers with access requirements

    Best suited for:

    • Productions casting DDN performers

    • Projects seeking authentic representation on screen

    • Casting processes involving public or open call-outs

    • Teams wanting to reduce risk and increase confidence during casting

    Inclusive casting expands creative possibilities and strengthens productions from the outset.

Events

Your event may be excluding up to 1 in 5 potential attendees. Engaging an Access Coordinator helps ensure your event is accessible, inclusive, and welcoming — while reducing risk for organisers.

We work alongside event producers to plan, coordinate, and support access needs before and during events.

Our support can offer:

  • Identification of access barriers within venues and event spaces

  • A point of contact for attendees with access needs, increasing confidence in ticket purchase

  • Practical, budget-conscious access solutions tailored to the event

  • Reputational risk mitigation through informed access planning

  • On-the-ground support for DDN attendees throughout the event

  • Scalable levels of event access coordination, depending on the size, complexity, and audience of your event

  • From $1,500

    Early-stage guidance to identify access risks and set your event up correctly from the start.

    Includes:

    • Review of event communications tone and language

    • Desktop access review of venues (plans, photos, specifications)

    • Identification of key access risks and barriers

    • Practical recommendations document

    Best suited for:

    • Small or first-time events, pilots, or teams seeking clarity before locking plans

  • From $3,000

    Comprehensive access planning to ensure your event is inclusive, compliant, and operationally ready.

    Includes:

    • Communications tone and language review

    • Access audit of physical venues and event spaces

    • Individualised access planning for delegates (as required)

    • Access consultations with the event team

    • Guidance on accessible travel and accommodation for speakers and guests

    Best suited for:

    • Single-day conferences, screenings, public-facing events, and funded programs

  • From $1,500

    On-the-ground access coordination during your event, providing real-time support and issue resolution.

    Includes:

    • On-call Access Coordinator during event hours

    • Delegate-facing support for attendees with access needs

    • Real-time troubleshooting of access issues

    • Liaison with venue staff and event team

    Note: Event Day Access Support is available following engagement of Event Access Advisory or Event Access Planning.

    Best suited for:

    • Events with identified access needs requiring professional on-site support.

  • From $7,000 (3–4 day events)

    Integrated access coordination across planning and delivery.

    Includes:

    • Event Access Planning

    • 2-3 days of on-site access coordination

    • Extended delegate support

    • Increased stakeholder and venue liaison

    Best suited for:

    • Multi-day conferences, festivals, and high-profile public events

  • From $10,000 (5+ day events or multi-venue)

    Embedded access coordination for large-scale or high-risk events.

    Includes:

    • Pre-event access planning and advisory

    • Embedded access coordination across event duration

    • Multi-venue oversight

    • Scalable delegate support aligned to audience size

    • Senior-level risk oversight and issue management

    Best suited for:

    • Festivals, touring programs, government-backed events, and large public-facing initiatives

Workshops

Education is the first step toward meaningful access and inclusion.

Whether you’re a fledgling production company or an established event organisation, building a strong understanding of the fundamentals of access and inclusion is essential to creating respectful, sustainable relationships with the disability community.

Our workshops are delivered by facilitators living with disability, who bring extensive lived experience as both artists and industry professionals. This ensures each session offers authentic, practical insights and grounded strategies that can be applied directly to the day-to-day realities of creative work.

  • 90 minutes
    $1,500 + GST

    A practical, confidence-building introduction to disability, access, and respectful conduct in the arts.

    This workshop is designed to support individuals and teams who want to engage more confidently and respectfully with disability — without fear of “getting it wrong.”

    Who is this for?

    • Arts organisations and creative teams

    • Producers, programmers, marketers, and administrators

    • Individuals who are socially conscious and want a stronger foundation in access and inclusion

    • No prior knowledge required.

    What does it cover?

    • Disability and art: an overview

    • Historical context and common barriers

    • Disability terminology: outdated vs best practice

    • Models of disability (medical, social, lived experience)

    • Disability confidence and professional conduct

    • How to ask respectful questions

    • The realities of access in creative and cultural spaces

    What problem does this workshop solve?

    • Fear of saying the wrong thing

    • Lack of confidence when interacting with disabled artists, audiences, or colleagues

    • Uncertainty around appropriate language and conduct

    • Avoidance of access conversations due to discomfort

    What participants will walk away with

    • Familiarity with common, respectful language around disability

    • Confidence engaging in access conversations

    • Understanding their own role and limitations in inclusive practice

    • Ability to recognise when specialist support is required

    Resources provided

    • Terminology and language guide

    • Curated list of recommended resources

    • Practical reference material for everyday use

    What this workshop is — and is not

    • This workshop provides awareness and confidence, not technical access planning

    • Participants will leave better equipped for small-scale decisions, while understanding that inclusive productions, events, and programs require professional Access Coordination

  • 2 hours
    $2,500 + GST

    A practical, action-focused workshop for organisations ready to move beyond awareness and begin embedding access into their work.

    Who is this for?

    Organisations, teams, and groups who already have a foundational understanding of accessibility and disability, and want to build their practical, actionable skills in inclusive practice.

    This workshop is designed for participants who are ready to move from intention to implementation.

    What does it cover?

    • Disability and art (refresher and framing)

    • Representation of disability in creative and cultural work

    • Identifying access barriers (interactive activity)

    • Individual supports and access riders

    • Intersection of art and accessibility

    • Available resources and support pathways

    • What an Access Coordinator does, and when to engage one

    What problem does it help solve?

    • Organisations understand the importance of access but lack practical frameworks

    • Teams are unsure how to respond to individual access requirements appropriately

    • Responsibility for access is unclear or inconsistently applied

    • Risk of attempting to manage complex access needs without specialist support

    What participants will walk away with

    • Ability to identify access barriers within their own work or organisation

    • Understanding of how to respond respectfully to individual access needs

    • Clarity on what actions can be taken internally

    • Understanding of when professional Access Coordination is required

    • The foundations to begin developing a Disability Access and Inclusion Plan

    What resources are provided afterwards

    • Terminology and language guide

    • Recommended resources

    • Practical access checklists

Theatre, Music & Advertising

Theatre

Theatre should be a space where everyone — on and off the stage — feels welcome and able to participate.

Whether your production includes DDN cast or crew, or you’re looking to make your work more accessible to audiences, Dower Productions can support you to embed access across rehearsals, performances, and front-of-house operations.

Book a free initial consultation to discuss your production and explore a tailored access approach that ensures your work can be experienced by as many people as possible.

Music

Music is one of our most powerful creative escapes — and everyone deserves the opportunity to create, perform, and experience it.

From festivals and conferences to recording sessions and individual artists seeking support, Dower Productions provides access coordination to help ensure inclusive participation across the music industry.

Book a free initial consultation to discuss your event, project, or practice, and we’ll recommend a tailored access solution to help your music be heard.

Advertising

Advertising and marketing carry a high level of reputational risk — particularly when engaging with disability, representation, and inclusion.

Misrepresentation or poorly considered inclusive practices can lead to public backlash and long-term brand damage. Dower Productions supports agencies and brands to engage the DDN community respectfully, authentically, and strategically.

Book a free initial consultation to explore how access coordination can support your campaign from concept through delivery.