A boil water is in place for businesses and properties across Queenstown following a number of confirmed local cases of illness caused by the protozoa, cryptosporidium. This affects properties serviced by the Council-managed water supply to Queenstown CBD, Fernhill, Sunshine Bay and Queenstown Hill. Read more here.

Accessible events

In the early stages of event planning, you should consider how accessible your location will be for disabled people as either a participant, spectator or employee.

Venue access

If you have choice of venue, accessibility should be front of mind to ensure your event is inclusive for everyone.

To determine this, here are some suggested steps:

  • Assess potential venues early in your planning process

  • Visit your shortlisted venues in person and as you are walking through the site, consider potential barriers and ease of access for everyone who may be at the event and their primary activities onsite (for instance, will the doors be wide enough for wheelchairs; will the performers be able to get from A to B easily?)

  • Discuss workarounds with the venue manager if needed 

  • Ensure your directional signage for your event is clear and easy to follow

  • Talk to an expert if you need additional help in making your event accessible

Following this, it is also a good idea to develop a policy describing your event’s commitment to accessibility and inclusion and outlining how this will be achieved.

Requirements from funders

Your funders or sponsors may also have accessibility requirements as part of your agreement.

Take a look at these requirements and also:

  • Check accessibility costs (such as ramps, accessible toilets, interpreters)

  • Check for accessibility funding available from your funders or others

  • Plan how you will show your funders ways that you made your event accessible

QLDC's Disability Policy

Our Disability Policy sets goals and measurable actions for creating an inclusive and enabling society, by removing barriers to participation for disabled people living in and visiting our community. As part of this, we are committed to ensuring we deliver or fund events that are inclusive of disabled people (goal four).

Goal Four actions:

  • Any events funded by QLDC must confirm that they will make all efforts to ensure the event is accessible to disabled people as either a participant, spectator or employee. QLDC will consider this information during the assessment of funding applications. 

  • Any events delivered by QLDC as the event organiser must be accessible to disabled people as either a participant, spectator or employee.

Additional resources

There are a number of sites with additional information on how to make your event accessible for everyone. Some of these include: