Estimated reading time: 2 to 3 minutes
Your zone access profile lets you communicate the accessibility of a specific area within a location, such as an auditorium in a theatre, a gallery in a museum, or an outdoor space on the same site.
A zone is a distinct area that people use or move through. If your building includes an outdoor space that’s part of the same site, you can treat it as one location and create a separate zone for that outdoor area.
Are you unsure what counts as a ‘location’ or a ‘zone’ at your organisation, or do you have other technical questions? Visit our location and zone access profile FAQs for more information.
What are zones?
The information you share in your zone access profiles helps disabled people feel confident about visiting your venue and using specific spaces within it. It enables people to prepare for their visit and understand what to expect in different areas.
Audiences will be able to find your location and its zones when they search the All In public listings for location and event access provisions that matter to them.
Aim to include as much helpful information as you can. This level of detail really matters. It helps disabled people trust that they will be welcomed and supported in your spaces.
Getting started
Start by creating or selecting your location (for example, your theatre, museum, or arts centre).
Then create a zone for each distinct area people use, such as:
an auditorium
a gallery
a studio or workshop space
a café or foyer
an outdoor performance or exhibition space
For each zone:
Add the name of the zone and any helpful identifying details.
Select the access provisions that apply to that specific zone.
Tick the box to show whether each provision is available in that space.
Add descriptions to explain what people can expect and any important details about access in that zone.
When you’ve completed a zone, review and save it. When you’re ready, you can publish your zones so they appear live to the public as part of your location’s access information.
Writing good descriptions for your access provisions
Here are some key points to bear in mind to create a good access profile:
- include as much helpful detail as you can
- be specific and descriptive. For example, use measurements and distances rather than vague judgements such as "a short walk"
- use clear and simple language
- add hyperlinks wherever relevant. These could be links to webpages, videos, maps, or other documents
- add clear images wherever relevant
- include alt text for each image. View a guide on how to write alt text
Learn more about what makes a good access information page in Digital Communications 1.01 Access Information Pages.
Do I need to complete every field?
No. Our access profile form is comprehensive, and we don’t expect every field to be completed, especially if you’re just starting your All In journey. Some provisions may not be relevant to your artform or venue. Or you might need to ask for more information from colleagues across departments.
You can skip sections by clicking "Save and next". You can also return later to add more detail.
Most importantly; be transparent about your provisions and any limitations. Remember, your aim is to welcome audiences by providing information that builds confidence. Knowing what to expect enables disabled people to make an informed decision. Knowing there might be an access barrier is valuable information that can help someone plan how to navigate this. You can then plan how to address the barriers you identify, and improve your access provision over time, with support from All In.
Planning, collaboration and improvement
How you go about completing your zone access profile will depend on your context and organisation. It might involve various activities:
- taking pictures and measurements of your zone
- checking your website for information or policies
- delegating sections to other team members to complete
We recommend you plan these activities as you would any other project, clarifying who is available to support you, and how you prioritise this.
To help you gather your responses, we've created a downloadable Word document version of the zone access profile form. You can use this to collaborate digitally with others.
As you work on completing your location access profile, you'll spot areas where you can improve your accessibility. The time and attention you put into completing your profile will be an opportunity to plan and grow your access and inclusion offering, inviting more people through your doors.
Explore the All In Accessibility Standards and Support and Skills area for guidance on improving access.