More than 40 representatives of some of the UK’s top venues, ticket operators and event organisers have come together to share good practice about improving accessibility for disabled people at an event organised by Derby-based Nimbus Disability.

Nimbus is a social enterprise B2B consultancy which is run by disabled people for disabled people and operator of the award-winning Access Card which is held by more than 350,000 disabled people and is recognised by more than 1,600 venues and events across the world who offer accessible tickets.

The Access Card is the first accessible ticketing scheme of its type in the world - offering a universal and consistent way for disabled people to evidence and communicate their needs to providers quickly and discreetly.

Powered by ‘NOS’, Nimbus Disability’s bespoke software, the system translates its holder’s disability/impairment/access requirements into symbols and when booking online, informs providers quickly and discreetly about the access requirements that individuals need.

The company has set up a provider network to bring together many of the venues, ticket operators and event organisers that it works with.

The latest event was hosted by London’s Hippodrome Casino and was well attended by a wide range of operators including the O2, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Harlequins Rugby, Festival Republic and Delfont Mackintosh; which owns some of the top West End theatres.

As well as sharing best practice with each other, the network members also discussed a range of issues such as how best to remove barriers and provide an equitable experience for disabled people, training for staff and their ambitions for the future.

Nimbus Disability’s director of partnerships Mark Briggs PLY organised the event.

He explained: “All of the attendees are long-term partners with Nimbus and have integrated our bespoke software into their own ticket booking systems.

“This is the only organic group of service delivery operatives in the UK and everyone at the event share the common goal to improve accessibility to venues and events for disabled people.

“As the network grows, we aim to develop a fully cross-sector consortium as a platform for decision-makers to share how they work and find solutions for common issues.”

One provider commented: “It was a great opportunity to speak to people from all different industries about their experiences with Accessibility and get their thoughts on different subjects. It's also nice to see that we're not alone in this despite working in different sectors and was great to chat with the focus on making the world more accessible.”

Martin Austin MBE, who founded Nimbus Disability and created the Access Card, concluded: “Our innovative services are improving the lives of thousands of disabled people across the UK and the globe - opening up the opportunity for them to visit and engage with events and destinations and enabling them to play a more participative role in society.

“The growing provider network is a great opportunity for operators across a wide range of sectors from theatre and arenas to festivals and sports venues to come together with the sole focus on how we improve accessibility for everyone.”