Like being able to hear again - A photographic exploration of experiencing an accessible haptic dancefloor.

Leisure experiences at music festivals are often not fully accessible to audience members who are d/Deaf, disabled, or neurodiverse (‘AMDDN’), despite their human right to participate equally in cultural life. In response, haptic technologies (‘haptics’) which stimulate the sense of touch are being deployed to augment leisure experiences, at live music performances. Two iterations of qualitative primary research were carried out using photo elicitation, a participatory action research (‘PAR’) approach. Working with community groups, on-site at Cheltenham Jazz Festival and Tropical Pressure Festival, AMDDN perceptions of accessibility regarding the BEAT BLOCKS haptic dancefloor were evaluated. Researchers interviewed 25 participants about perceived haptic accessibility, musical appreciation and liveness, to evaluate the proposition that: Experiencing a haptic dancefloor may improve accessibility for AMDDN at music festivals.
An inductive approach identified themes of emotional connection, physical sensations and functional considerations when participants accessed the haptic dancefloor. Findings evidence the potential of haptics to improve accessibility for AMDDN, supporting inclusion in cultural and social life to reduce exclusion at music festivals and contribute to the social sustainability of leisure events. They support the need for those providing, commissioning, and marketing leisure experiences to evaluate opportunities to incorporate haptics into their provision to improve access.