Taking Part, a report published by the Scottish Arts Council in 2008, found that 49% of disabled people surveyed attended an arts or cultural activity in the previous year as compared to 77% of non-disabled people. There are currently over 758,000 people with hearing impairments in Scotland (Action on Hearing Loss, 2011) and up to 188,000 people with significant sight loss (RNIB, 2011).

Our vision is that the Edinburgh Festival Fringe can be the most inclusive open access arts festival in the world. The Fringe Society is working to provide greater access to a wider audience across all of the diverse events of the festival. This short guide explains the benefits of providing communication support at performances and tells you how you can start engaging with audience members with hearing or visual impairments.