Know your rights
Knowing what you're entitled to ask for can make requesting support feel a little less daunting. Here's a plain-English guide, not legal advice, but a starting point.
This page is a general guide, not legal advice. It doesn't cover every situation, condition, or circumstance, and rights can vary depending on where you are and what kind of event or organisation you're dealing with. If you need advice specific to your situation, the organisations listed further down this page can help.
What the law actually says
Under the Equality Act 2010: England, Scotland and Wales (Northern Ireland has separate legislation), organisations have a legal duty to make 'reasonable adjustments' for disabled people. Importantly, this duty is anticipatory, organisations are expected to think ahead about likely barriers, not just wait until someone asks.
The updated 2026 statutory Equality Act Code of Practice makes this anticipatory duty clearer, reinforcing that service providers should consider disabled people's needs in advance rather than waiting until an individual encounters a barrier. Read the 2026 Equality Act Code of Practice
This can include many neurodivergent people and those with chronic health conditions, where the condition has a long-term, substantial effect on daily life, not only visible or diagnosed disabilities.
Organisations cannot pass the cost of making adjustments on to you. Not every adjustment will be considered reasonable in every situation, but organisations should always consider requests properly rather than dismissing them automatically.
This page gives a general starting point, not legal advice, and it won't cover every situation. For anything specific to your circumstances, see the full guidance and organisations linked below.
What if something in a declaration isn't there on the day?
Declarations are published by the organiser or employer, not by Access Declared, and we don't independently verify them.
If something listed as in place turns out not to be, you can raise it with the organiser or employer directly. Publishing a declaration doesn't reduce an organisation's legal duties, the duty to consider reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010 applies regardless of what has been published.
If you relied on a published declaration when deciding not to request an adjustment, that's worth saying when you raise it. A published statement is a record of what was committed to.
Things you can ask for
This isn't an exhaustive list. They're simply examples of the kinds of adjustments you can ask about, and language you can adapt if it's helpful.
BSL interpretation
For live or recorded content
Captions and transcripts
For any spoken content
Accessible materials
Large print, tagged PDF, or plain text versions
Extra time or breaks
Built into the agenda or given on request
A hearing loop
For venues with audio amplification
Alternative catering
Dietary or allergen-specific options
A quiet space
Somewhere to step away during the event
Seating near an exit or aisle
For mobility or sensory needs
Materials in advance
So you can prepare or use assistive tech in your own time
How to frame your request
You don't need to disclose a diagnosis or explain your situation in detail. Describing the barrier and what would help is enough.
“Hi, I'm planning to attend [event name] and wanted to check what accessibility support you have in place. I would benefit from [specific adjustment], is this something you're able to arrange? It will enable me to fully participate. Thank you.”
Focus on the need, not the label
You don't have to name a diagnosis for an organiser to help you, and in many cases, describing what you need is more useful to them than a label would be. Naming the barrier or adjustment tells the organiser exactly what to arrange. A diagnosis alone doesn't.
Instead of:
“I have ADHD”
You might try:
“I find it easier to follow written agendas alongside spoken instructions, could the agenda be shared in advance?”
Instead of:
“I have a chronic health condition”
You might try:
“I may need to step out for a few minutes during the session, is there a quiet space nearby, or would that be alright?”
Instead of:
“I'm autistic”
You might try:
“Bright lighting and sudden loud noises are difficult for me, is the venue able to accommodate that, or is there a quieter area available?”
You're always welcome to share more if you want to, this is just to show that you don't have to.
If a request is refused, delayed, or you're not getting anywhere
Sometimes a reasonable adjustment request doesn't get the response you'd hoped for — it might be refused, ignored, or take far longer than it should. This doesn't necessarily mean the organisation is right to say no, and you're not out of options.
- Ask for the refusal in writing, along with the reasons — this is useful if you want to challenge it later, and can sometimes prompt more careful reconsideration.
- Acas offers free, confidential advice on reasonable adjustments and can help resolve disputes before they escalate.
- Citizens Advice can help you understand your options, including formal routes.
- The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has guidance on reasonable adjustments and enforcement.
- If you're in a union, your union rep can support you directly with an employer.
This page can't tell you whether a specific refusal is lawful — that depends on individual circumstances — but you don't have to navigate a refusal alone.
More support if you need it
General rights and advice
Employment-specific
In-person accessibility
These are independent resources that complement Access Declared's event-specific declarations. They can help you find out what a venue or event is actually like before you go.
- Attitude is Everything Live events and festivals — accessibility information and guidance.
- Euan's Guide Venue reviews by disabled people, with accessibility-focused detail.
- AccessAble Detailed venue accessibility information, including step-free access, toilets, parking and more.
A few reminders if you need them
Asking isn't a burden, it's information organisers need to help make an event work for everyone.
You don't have to justify your needs in detail.
A good organiser would much rather know in advance than discover something wasn't working on the day.