Industry News24-09-26
Aviva Studios to Put Neurodiversity and Live Events on the Agenda at CHS Manchester
24 September, Manchester, UK: Aviva Studios, the home of Factory International, will bring the conversation around neurodiversity, accessibility and the future of live events to CHS Manchester later this month with Factory International’s Access Manager Jay Millard joining the show’s speaker programme.Jay will deliver ‘Expanding Access - A Conversation about Neurodiversity and Live Events’, looking at how increasing public awareness of neurodiversity is changing expectations among audiences and what this means for event organisers.The conversation is particularly timely following recent updates to the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Statutory Code of Practice that now explicitly names autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other neurodivergent conditions as constitutive of a disability under the Equality Act; a change that lends greater clarity to the legal protections owed to neurodivergent people by event planners and, as such, adds further momentum to a much wider conversation around access and inclusion.Jay brings extensive experience from across the arts and cultural sectors and has been at the heart of conversations around how live experiences can welcome disabled audiences for the past decade. Her previous work has included developing access strategies and practical provisions across major cultural programmes such as LEEDS 2023 Year of Culture. Now as Access Manager for Factory International, Jay leads a holistic approach that embeds accessibility as a core principle at Aviva Studios and throughout the organisation, from programming and visitor experience to venue operations, marketing, and community engagement.At CHS Manchester, she will encourage event planners to think about accessibility differently. Jay comments, “I really want event planners to come along and be part of this conversation. There is so much knowledge and good practice within the arts and cultural sector that can translate brilliantly into conferences, brand experiences and live events. This is about sharing some of that thinking, talking openly about where the challenges are and hopefully encouraging people to look at their own events slightly differently.”The session will explore some of the hurdles organisers can encounter when looking to improve accessibility, alongside the creative possibilities that emerge when inclusion is considered earlier in the process.Expanding Access - A Conversation about Neurodiversity and Live Events will take place as part of the CHS Manchester speaker programme at the AO Arena on 30th September 2026.
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