The organisers of Nantwich Food Festival have confirmed that award-winning disability accessibility consultancy Direct Access will be attending the latest edition of the popular food festival this September.
The consultancy firm, which specialises in accessibility and inclusion for disabled people, will be providing a quiet space, dubbed the Direct Access Calm Corner, for disabled and overwhelmed festivalgoers in need of a safe space to relax. The design of this unique marquee is set to include sheltered and softly lit seating areas and will specifically target the access need of autistic people. However, it will also be open to any festival attendee looking to escape the hustle and bustle.
Currently preparing for its 21st edition, The Nantwich Food Festival attracts around forty thousand people annually, celebrating local cuisine and offering top-quality food and drink from across Cheshire and the Northwest within the festival’s three different sites. The festival takes place between Friday 2nd – Sunday 4th September.
The Direct Access team, largely comprised of disabled people, will offer free Sunflower Lanyards to disabled visitors of their Calm Corner marquee. These lanyards, used to signify that their holder has a hidden disability, are an important symbol in the promotion of disability rights.
“Although we work globally, Nantwich is really where it all began for Direct Access”, said Steve Dering, Operations Director for Direct Access.
“Access consultancy is about engaging local communities, so we are incredibly honoured to be bringing the first ever Calm Corner to one of our hometown’s key calendar events. We hope this will sufficiently accommodate autistic people who need a reprieve from the commotion of the weekend”.
Founder and Director Steven Mifsud MBE added, “When community activities are inaccessible, risks are created for disabled people that are eager to attend, and this creates unjust and unfair exclusion”.
“We are delighted to be working with the Nantwich Food Festival organisers to deliver a quite space for the hundreds of disabled people expected to attend this year’s festival. As a team with first-hand experiences of disability, we understand how stressful large events can be, particularly for autistic people, people with ADHD and other sensory differences”.
“We cannot wait to play our part in making this an incredibly fun weekend for everybody in the Nantwich community and beyond”.
Direct Access previously designed and conceptualised the Calm Corner at Crewe Station, which was the first of its kind on the UK rail network.
