Our Impact
- Actcessible
- Jun 7
- 4 min read
Creativity and self-expression are essential to being human. At Actcessible, our mission is to harness the power of the arts, imaginative play, and digital spaces to make the world truly accessible while promoting the education of inclusivity.
We fundamentally believe that creative experiences should never be limited by physical access, communication methods, health, or personal circumstances.
What We Do
By ensuring the arts and digital spaces include everyone, we create a more accessible world where every individual has the space to belong and be fully themselves. Our work focuses on three core pillars:
Breaking Barriers: We intentionally design inclusive physical and digital environments so anyone can share in the magic of the arts.
Teaching and Practising Inclusion: Whether through structured creative programmes, digital exploration, or imaginative play, we teach and practise true inclusion to build confidence and nurture wellbeing.
Centring the Individual: Every experience is shaped by its participants, accommodating a wide range of needs so everyone feels seen and valued.
The Reality: Why Our Work Matters
The UK arts sector still has a long way to go to become truly inclusive. Children growing up in the most deprived local authorities face a severe "arts entitlement gap," with schools in these areas being more than twice as likely to completely lack expressive arts provision.
Furthermore, the gap in accessibility and representation across the industry is stark:
Representation: Disabled professionals make up just 8.5% of the arts workforce, despite 24% of the UK population reporting a disability. At Actcessible, our May 2026 study showed that 57% of our team consider themselves disabled.
Accessible Services: Fewer than 30% of UK theatres list access services (like captioning, BSL, or audio description) for upcoming productions.
BSL Integration: Despite 1 in 5 people in the UK being Deaf or hard of hearing, only 21% of UK theatres provide British Sign Language (BSL) performances.
Sensory Needs: Only 20% of UK theatres offer relaxed or sensory-friendly performances.
Dementia Care: Theatre projects for people with dementia show measurable gains in mood, memory, and social connection. Yet, 96% of UK theatres do not offer dementia-friendly performances.
Healing Through the Arts
The physical and mental health benefits delivered by theatres save the NHS approximately £102 million every year. The need for this is incredibly visible in paediatric care. With over 5,000 children admitted to UK hospitals every single day, the arts provide a vital lifeline:
83% of children actively engage with these creative activities.
92% of parents say it significantly improves their family’s experience of being in the hospital.
69% of parents report that it successfully distracts their child from the clinical environment.
Real Stories of Meaningful Change
Statistics only tell part of the story. The true impact of our work is found in the everyday breakthroughs of the individuals we meet.
During one of our workshops, we met a young autistic girl who often lost the ability to speak when distressed. When we introduced basic signs, she discovered a new way to communicate when words were difficult to access. She continued learning to sign emotions and basic words, giving her a vital tool to express herself during times of crisis. In that same workshop, another boy began using signs in his daily life to express when he was feeling stressed and unable to vocalise his emotions.
In a hospital outpatient department, a young girl who had spent a grueling morning undergoing medical tests became completely immersed in our performance of The Bedtime Beastie. After seeing her doctors, she chose to stay and watch the remainder of the show, finally leaving with a smile after an otherwise incredibly challenging day.
These moments remind us exactly why accessibility matters. When people are given the right support, the right environment, and the opportunity to participate, meaningful change happens.
Voices from Our Community
The difference Actcessible makes is best described by the people who experience it firsthand - our audiences, partners, and performers.
"It's been an honour to be a part of a tour that is making such a huge difference to people who otherwise would have a lot more difficulty accessing theatre. You can visibly see the joy and lightness it brings! The impact is obvious and the need for organisations like Actcessible and tours like this is obvious!" — Max Day, Actcessible Performer
"We’ve had these amazing performers today and they were just outstandingly good... thank you so much for charities like this. They really do deserve a lot of support. They make such a difference." — Chrissy Freemantle, NHS Play Specialist
"The audience interaction was really good... I also really liked the touch tour in the middle. This gave us the chance to feel the props and help understand the story more." — Abbie, Audience member (The Bedtime Beastie)
"Having the BSL integrated was great and the humour kept all the children engaged the whole way through." — Jack Nilland, Trustee of Derby Children's Deaf Society
"It was really refreshing to see such enthusiasm and thought about people." — Rosie Rutherford, Music Co-ordinator at Air Arts, Burton and Derby Hospital
"They've taught the children about sign language and Braille, but also the importance of being respectful and showing kindness towards others, and also about how all differences should be celebrated in school."— Jason Cunningham, Headteacher
Expanding Our Stage Online
Because physical location should never be a barrier, we have expanded to bring you a fun online world where everyone belongs. This digital space is packed with videos, adventures like Dragon Tamer and Squeakspere, and playful activities to learn BSL and Braille.
By bringing education and inclusion right to your home, we ensure that nobody is ever left out of the story. This approach has allowed us to take our message of alternative communication methods and accessibility across the globe.
Looking Forward
We are still growing, but our mission remains beautifully simple: we want to create a world where accessibility is expected, inclusion is normal, and every person has the opportunity to participate, connect, and thrive.
Whether we are delivering workshops, supporting communication through BSL and Braille, creating accessible performances, developing digital resources, or bringing moments of joy into hospitals, schools, and care settings, our focus remains unwavering. We are here to make sure every person feels welcome, valued, and included.
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