Learning to Change - Europe Beyond Access

The Role of Educational Institutions in Fostering Accessibility for Disabled Artists & Culture Professionals in Europe

How accessible – or inaccessible – is performing arts education in Europe for disabled artists and cultural workers?

Learning to Change, a new report, authored by On the Move and commissioned by Skånes Dansteater as part of Europe Beyond Access, with the support of the British Council, wants to open up the discussion on The Role of Educational Institutions in Fostering Accessibility for Disabled Artists and Culture.

The launch of the report was on December 3, 2025, International Day of People with Disabilities.

Here is the complete recording of the online event

The complete report:

LEARNING TO CHANGE Download

Below, you can read the Executive Summary of the report in English. You can also read the English Easy-To-Read version and listen to the English Audio Version and Watch in International Sign Language.

The Executive Summary is also available in different languages and accessible versions:

Spanish: Written Spanish, Spanish Audio File, Spanish Easy-To-Read, Spanish Sign Language
German: German, German Audio File, German Easy-To-Read, German Sign Language
French: French, French Audio File, French Easy-To-Read, French Sign Language
Portuguese: Portuguese, Portuguese Audio File

Background

This report examines accessibility barriers faced by disabled people in higher education performing arts institutions across Creative Europe countries and the UK. It has been conducted in the context of Europe Beyond Access (EBA), an EU funded project that supports the creation of new works by Deaf and/or disabled artists across Europe. The report builds on previous EBA research which identified higher education institutions as key ‘gatekeepers’, frequently hindering opportunities for disabled artists.

The elaboration of the report involved multiple data collection methods, including three online surveys (addressing, respectively, disabled artists/professionals, higher education institutions and performing arts organisations), interviews and focus groups, desk research and analyses of existing practices. Thanks to this, the resulting report presents substantial evidence of obstacles and challenges that impede access to higher education and subsequent access to the professional performing arts, as well as some good practices and enabling factors.

While recognising that the number of respondents in the survey is not fully statistically representative, the team of researchers coordinated by the On the Move network also acknowledges that many disabled people who were excluded from or discouraged by higher education institutions in the past did not pursue subsequent performing arts careers. For this reason, they could not participate in the surveys, interviews or focus groups. It is only by ensuring that access to higher performing arts education is accessible that such challenges may be overcome. This report and the EBA project from which it emerges, aim to address this situation by offering practical, actionable recommendations across the performing arts ecosystem, including higher education institutions.

Main findings

The report reveals that, while legal frameworks and institutional commitments to make performing arts education accessible exist, substantial gaps persist between stated intentions and actual practice. The current system creates a cascade of exclusion: inaccessible education limits disabled people’s entry into professional performing arts, which in turn reinforces the perception that there is no demand for accessibility.

Breaking this cycle requires coordinated action across education, culture and policy sectors. The evidence demonstrates that accessibility benefits not only disabled students but enriches the entire educational environment through diverse perspectives and innovative approaches. However, change must be systemic rather than relying on individual goodwill or ad-hoc adaptations.

The research underscores that achieving true accessibility requires viewing disability not as a deficit to be accommodated, but as a valuable form of diversity that brings unique aesthetics, knowledge and approaches to the performing arts. Only through this fundamental shift in perspective, coupled with adequate resources and institutional commitment, can European performing arts education become truly inclusive and representative of society’s diversity.

The summary of the main findings of the report are as follows:

1. Systemic Barriers in Higher Education

Access to Higher Performing Arts Education Studies

Typical challenges to access higher education include the failure of entry tests to recognise diverse bodies, aesthetics and forms of expression, non-accessibility of buildings, non-accessible communication and limited adaptation of entry tests in terms of time and methodology, among others. According to data collected for this report, only 41% of surveyed institutions have adapted entry tests for disabled applicants, only 31% have adapted entry requirements, only 27% provide information in accessible formats (Braille, audio, Easy-to-Read) and only 41% describe their accessibility on websites.

Disabled artists and performing arts professionals who never enrolled in higher education identified several factors that prevented them from doing so, including legal issues (for instance, in Greece, where legislation excludes disabled people from dance education institutions), lack of accessible entry tests, non-accessible buildings and an organisational culture that actively excludes disability.

Challenges in the Educational Experience

Current and former disabled students rated accessibility in higher education institutions across nine areas on a 0-10 scale, with no area scoring above 5.87. The lowest-rated aspects were support services, including guidance of further training or professional development opportunities (4.44), building facilities (4.67) and timetables and break arrangements (4.94).

Common accessibility problems identified by respondents include inaccessible buildings, lack of adaptation of schedules to the abilities and time needs of disabled students, lack of understanding of neurodivergent and invisible disability needs, ableist training practices and expectations, the belief that performers must have “neutral” bodies without distinctive characteristics and an overall organisational culture, at least in some institutions, that effectively excludes or rejects disabled people. As a result, some disabled students choose to conceal their disabilities, where this is possible and fear advocating for change, which frequently takes an emotional toll on those who take it on.

Alongside these challenges, some respondents highlight the understanding, adaptability and openness of some teachers and the ability of some institutions to adapt in response to their needs. 30% of graduates and current students remember that some adaptations were made to meet their requirements, although 57% say that no changes were made.

2. Impact on Professional Opportunities

The research demonstrates clear connections between educational access and career outcomes: 49% of disabled artists who graduated from a higher education institution participated in over 15 professional productions, compared to only 24% of disabled artists who did attend an institution. Former students stress that accessing higher education has given them a ‘stamp of approval’ which recognises them as professionals and provided technical knowledge and skills, enhanced familiarity with the professional world and additional networking and early professional opportunities. In some countries, academic degrees are critical to access some professional posts, although, as the report shows, this correlation is variable depending on country and type of job.

This serves to highlight that exclusion from higher education institutions prevents a more diverse and accessible performing arts field across Europe. Cultural organisations acknowledge this impact, with 75% viewing lack of educational access as a problem requiring sector-wide action and adequate policies supporting systemic change.

3. Insufficient Institutional Responses and Gaps

While 81% of institutions claim their official documents commit to access, inclusion or diversity and 80% cite legal obligations, implementation remains inadequate, as shown in terms of budgets, human resources, data and enabling action, despite the fact that more answers were potentially obtained from institutions that are committed to accessibility:

Only 29% have dedicated accessibility budgets
38% have no budget for access improvements
Only 12% collect data on disabled staff members
Only 29% know how many disabled people have applied and only 22% have data on disabled graduates
Less than 20% of graduates recall being asked about access needs

86% of higher education staff recognise that their institutions and activities need to be made more accessible – highlighting the discrepancy between institutional commitments and effective practice. Areas where they recognise action is needed include the full accessibility of premises, entrance exams and academic programmes, support to disabled students, cultural change, priority setting and available knowledge and advice.

Although some respondents argue that more demand from disabled people to access higher education would be a precondition, this report argues that a “vicious cycle of exclusion” exists, whereby disabled people refrain from applying because they are aware of the likelihood of being rejected or the challenges they would encounter during education. It is only through systemic change, including simultaneous action across all the barriers identified above, that institutions will truly be able to welcome disabled students.

4. Alternative Training Pathways

Among disabled professionals who could not access formal education, 77% found alternative training through specialised organisations, companies or informal routes. These alternatives scored significantly higher on accessibility (average 6.16/10 vs 5.18/10 for formal institutions), particularly in areas like understanding and adaptability of teachers (7.18 vs 5.87); recognition of diverse aesthetics and bodies (6.90 vs 5.11); and curriculum and teaching methods (6.84 vs 5.17). Respondents highlight that these alternative training pathways are more accessible, have a more humane approach, which recognises diversity and allow collaboration with peers.

However, alternative paths lack the “stamp of approval” (including the lack of equivalent examinations and certificates) and networking opportunities that formal education provides. Furthermore, it is necessary to underline that the availability of alternative routes should not justify inaction by higher education institutions or the public authorities which fund them. For several reasons, including equity in accessing education and training, affordability and the recognition of diverse bodies, stories and aesthetics, accessibility to higher education institutions in the performing arts remains critical.

5. Drivers of Change

Evidence gathered for this report also shows that some higher education institutions have taken measures to become more accessible, including by asking disabled students about their needs and through policies and funding programmes that have enabled change. Other factors that can drive change include the ability of institutions to adopt more flexible approaches in entry tests and requirements, institution leaders setting access and inclusion as strategic and budgetary priorities, the presence of disabled staff members, partnerships with specialised organisations in the field of accessibility, the recognition of diverse aesthetics and ways of being an artist as an asset and accompanying policies and funding programmes.

Key recommendations

For public authorities

Make accessibility a priority in higher education in the performing arts, providing adequate investment

Revise laws preventing universal access to higher education in the performing arts

Establish funding schemes and programmes enabling a transition to full accessibility

Support alternative training pathways and foster partnerships between formal and informal education providers

Support cross-border, European exchanges in this field, which enable peer learning and drive change

For higher education institutions, based on ia progressive, step-by-step and contextualised way:

Conduct accessibility audits across all operational areas

Develop accessibility strategies with dedicated staff and resources

Modify entry tests, curricula and timetables to accommodate diverse needs

Actively recruit disabled staff and involve disabled people in governance

Include disability content in curricula and provide staff training on accessibility

For cultural organisations:

Analyse accessibility and disabled representation in programming

Collaborate with educational institutions and specialised organisations, to enhance accessibility, inclusion and diversity

Voice concerns about lack of disabled representation when engaging with educational institutions

For EU institutions, in line with the signing and ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by EU Member-States:

Strengthen key sectoral values related to diversity, inclusion and accessibility as part of policy frameworks, such as the upcoming Cultural Compass and within the scope of devising the AgoraEU programme and Erasmus+ under the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for the period 2028-2034;

Support a stronger focus on disabled artists and cultural professionals in discussions on a reference framework for fairer working conditions for artists and cultural professionals, and while highlighting the importance of attending performing arts education institutions to facilitate entry and networking opportunities into the professional world;;

Include the ADICLUS (the European Arts and Disability Cluster) in stakeholder consultations, recognising that the breadth of its membership (more than 40 members in over 20 countries) means ADICLUS has a broad and unique expertise on artists and cultural professionals with disabilities.