Sight Scotland and Sight Loss Councils in Scotland have delivered specialist visual impairment awareness training, aiming to transform the festival experience for blind and partially sighted audiences and make one of the world’s largest arts festivals more inclusive than ever.
The training was delivered to over 250 staff at the Pleasance - one of the Edinburgh Fringe’s largest and most influential venues. Its commitment to accessibility is especially impactful given its scale: in a record-breaking 2024, the Pleasance hosted more than 279 shows across the Courtyard, Dome, and EICC, issuing nearly 500,000 tickets. On its busiest day, the Courtyard alone welcomed around 30,000 visitors.
The training, led by Callum Lancashire, Engagement Manager for Sight Loss Councils in Scotland, focused on raising awareness and equipping staff with the skills and confidence to support visually impaired visitors. It covered effective communication techniques, practical sighted guiding, and insight into the five main eye conditions and how they affect vision.
Jonny Patton, Head of Theatre Edinburgh for Pleasance, said: “Our message is simple – the Fringe is for everybody. We want every audience member who visits the Pleasance to feel welcomed, supported, and able to enjoy their time at the festival comfortably and confidently.
“Following on from last year’s Accessible Venues Report, it has been incredibly valuable working with Sight Scotland and Sight Loss Councils. They have been a brilliant resource for us, giving practical advice, helping us bounce around ideas, and supporting us to make straightforward and effective improvements to accessibility. This year, we are piloting a range of accessible initiatives, including more audio described shows and creative approaches such as introductory audio notes that add texture and context to performances for visually impaired audiences.
“The accessibility training has been fantastic. Our team expands significantly during the festival, and this has given both permanent and seasonal staff the practical tools and confidence to support audiences with visual impairments more effectively. We are also producing a dedicated venue guide for visually impaired visitors this year, which provides key information to support their journey to and through our spaces.”
Anthony Alderson, Director of the Pleasance Theatre Trust, commented: “We were thrilled to partner with Sight Scotland for the first time this year to provide training for all our staff and volunteers. The training discussed different kinds of visual impairments and how to help audience members and artists who may need assistance. Pleasance strives to every year improve our accessibility and we think this partnership is an important step to making the Fringe a more accessible place for all.”
Callum Lancashire, Engagement Manager for Sight Loss Councils in Scotland, who led the training at the Pleasance Courtyard, said: “Sight Loss Councils, along with Sight Scotland, are proud to partner with the Pleasance to deliver this training. It was encouraging to see so many staff participate, and we hope it will enhance the experience for both Pleasance staff and visually impaired visitors during the Edinburgh Fringe. Training like this is vital for raising awareness, as small changes can make a big difference to someone’s festival experience.”
Mark Ballard, Head of External Affairs and Campaigns at Sight Scotland, adds: “This is a significant step forward for our Accessible Venues campaign. The Pleasance welcomes tens of thousands of visitors each year during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, making it all the more important that accessibility is prioritised. By working with such a prominent venue to raise awareness and provide practical training, we’re helping to create a more inclusive environment where everyone can fully enjoy the festival experience. We hope this sets a positive example for other venues to follow, not just in Edinburgh, but across Scotland and beyond.”
This collaboration builds on the momentum of Sight Scotland’s Accessible Venues Report, launched in 2024. Developed by blind and partially sighted members of its policy group, the report highlights key barriers faced by visually impaired audiences such as poor communication, inaccessible booking systems, a lack of audio descriptions or touch tours, untrained staff, and inadequate design features like low colour contrast and unclear signage.
Sight Scotland is also working alongside Extant, VICS (Visually Impaired Creators Scotland), Edinburgh International Festival (EIF) and the Royal Lyceum Theatre to make the arts more accessible for people with visual impairment in 2025.
