How accessible are music festivals for differently-abled people in India?

Updated On: 16 February, 2024 09:50 AM IST | Mumbai | Nascimento Pinto

The number of music festivals in India have grown by leaps and bounds over the last decade, but those who are disabled are still unsure about having a good experience. There are some who have made in-roads, but those who are disabled or working in aiding them share the challenges and possible solutions

Listen to this article :

Image for representational purpose only. Photo Courtesy: istock

Visually-impaired Ninad Pawar loves different kinds of music but was able to attend his first live concert only three years ago and the experience was like no other for him. It was simply because the music festival was equipped to handle differently-abled fans, and his wish to attend an experience was fulfilled. Now, he regularly attends music festivals with friends whenever he gets time off from work. However, the 27-year-old still faces many challenges and feels organisers need to address them, so that more disabled people can attend them. One of them being the lack of awareness about whether the festival can cater to differently-abled people, especially those who are blind like him as they would be able to attend only after they are confident of being able to get the required help when they are there.

With each passing year, India is witnessing an increasing number of music festivals catering to different genres of music. Subsequently, each and every one of them is visited by thousands of fans but somehow it seems hard to spot many differently-abled people attending them. It is not like they don’t want to attend them, but the lack of adequate facilities may often be a deterrent. This writer has seen only a handful of people in wheelchairs attend mega music festivals in the last two years after the Covid-19 pandemic. Quite a few venues had arrangements like ramps made for those in wheelchairs, among other aspects of catering to the community. However, others weren’t so friendly for those who are visually impaired like Pawar or other handicapped people either due to uneven ground or simply the lack of adequate facilities.

Buy now to read the full story.

For just ₹/-

Already a member? Login

For any queries please contact us: E-mail: support@mid-day.com

Latest Photos

Latest Videos

Latest Web Stories

Mid-Day Fast

;

Home / Lifestyle / Culture / Article / How accessible are music festivals for differently-abled people in India?