Access Culture
How we can help address the challenges disabled customer face
We’ve been reading the pretty incredible work Indigo Ltd has done with their partners to highlight the issues that disabled people face when accessing culture, especially around getting information and making bookings.
This report shows just how difficult it can be for disabled people to access services that non-disabled people freely make use of without second thought. Our new AI tool helps to bridge some of that gap for users, making it easier for everyone to get the answers they need whenever they need them.
Indigo’s report highlights 5 key issues:
Traditional user interfaces present real challenges for many groups of users, from those with visual impairments to people who find complex navigation overwhelming. Mitigating these barriers is often complex and resource-intensive for organisations. By providing an interface that uses natural language, we can bridge the gap for audiences who may otherwise struggle to access key information—making venues more welcoming, inclusive, and easier to engage with.
71% of disabled visitors struggle to find key venue information, with unclear websites and missing details creating barriers.
Karo is specifically designed to work within an arts & culture setting, supporting customers to get access to information about the venue, from the ticketing system or suitable attendance information. Because of this, we can ease some of the barriers that disabled customers face.
Karo allows venues to clearly and intuitively present their access information to users that request it, simply by asking any variant of “What access facilities do you have”. This prompt allows Karo to explain facilities in a natural way to customers. Being fully keyboard and screen reader accessible, karo also supports users who can’t call. Play
Because Karo is connected directly to the ticketing systems, customers can easily check for performances with access support, review what performances have wheelchair seating left, or where might be the best seat for viewing an interpreter. Soon they will be able to directly book in the chat system too.
By bringing information forward and promptly providing it to anyone who needs it, we can alleviate some of the unknowns in attending. If venues provide resources specifically designed to help enable disabled customers to attend, we can surface that information directly to the customer.
Technology is an amazing enabler but only where it is consciously designed and built to meet the needs of everyone who uses it. By creating Karo with all users in mind, we firmly believe we can play a part in making experiencing the Arts better for everyone through promoting clear and accessible information to whomever needs it, 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
Self-service technology empowers visitors by offering convenience, independence, and a more comfortable experience
We know how useful our technology can be, but we also know that sometimes you just want a human to speak to, that’s why we have built a tool which allows the customer to choose when they want to end the chat and get help from a real person. Karo will summarise the chat, email your team and let the customer know you will be in touch.
Please do read the amazing work that Katy Raines , Kerry Radden DipM CMRS and the team have done at Indigo Ltd and if you can make even a small contribution to the experience of disabled customers, you wont regret it!
You can access the full report here https://www.indigo-ltd.com/share/hot-topic/access-culture and learn more about the great work the Indigo team do.