Accessibility

Accessibility at Scottish Ensemble 

We believe music should be open, welcoming and accessible to everyone. 

Accessibility is an ongoing commitment for Scottish Ensemble — across our concerts, partnerships, digital presence and workplace. We are continually learning and improving, and we welcome conversations about how we can make your experience with us as accessible as possible. 

If you have any questions or specific access requirements, please contact us: 

Email: office@scottishensemble.co.uk
Phone: +44 (0)141 332 4747 

Our Concerts 

We work closely with venues across Scotland and beyond to support accessible concert experiences. 

• Free companion tickets: We offer free companion tickets for audience members who require assistance to attend a performance. If you need a companion ticket and do not see the option when booking, please contact us. 

• Reserved accessible seating: We can arrange reserved seating for wheelchair users or audience members with specific access needs. We recommend contacting our team in advance so we can ensure the best possible arrangement. 

• Assistance dogs: We welcome trained assistance dogs. They must remain under your control during your visit and should ideally be on a lead and wearing a relevant harness. 

• Concert programmes: Programmes are available digitally on our website in PDF and plain text formats. Printed programmes are available free of charge at the concert. 

• Intervals: Longer performances include a short interval or comfort break. This will be indicated when booking and in the programme.  

• Relaxed performances: We will periodically programme relaxed performances, where the environment is adapted to be more comfortable for people with sensory sensitivities, autism, or other access needs (as of 2027).  

• Invisible disabilities and individual needs: Not all access needs are visible. If you require any of the below, please contact us in advance, and we will do our best to support you: 

• aisle seating 

• space for mobility aids 

• assistance navigating the venue 

• advance information to support anxiety or sensory needs 

• for some performances, we are able to offer BSL interpretation, captioning or audio description Please contact us to find out what’s available for a specific event, or to discuss your needs in advance 

First Aid 

All Scottish Ensemble staff are trained in first aid to help ensure the safety and wellbeing of our audiences and participants. 

The Venues We Work With 

When programming performances, we aim to work with venues that, as a minimum, provide: 

• Step-free or ramped entrance 

• Accessible toilet facilities 

• An emergency evacuation plan that includes provisions for disabled people 

We recognise that historic and listed buildings can sometimes present limitations, and we work with venues to understand and communicate access arrangements clearly.  

Visiting Our Office 

Scottish Ensemble’s office is located within Scottish Opera’s building on Elmbank Crescent, at Charing Cross in Glasgow. 

• Lift access is available within the building 

• Accessible toilet facilities are available 

• The main entrance has three steps 

• An alternative step-free entrance is available – please contact us for directions 

• Parking is available in front of the building 

• Public transport links are available within walking distance 

• An emergency evacuation plan that includes provisions for disabled people 

If you are planning to visit us, please get in touch in advance so we can ensure your arrival is as smooth as possible. 

Talk to Us 

Access needs are individual, and not all requirements are visible. If there is anything that would make your experience more comfortable — whether attending a concert, taking part in a programme, or visiting our office — please contact us. We are committed to listening and to continually improving how we support access across all areas of our work. 

Accessibility Statement for Scottish Ensemble 

We want as many people as possible to be able to use and enjoy Scottish Ensemble’s website at scottishensemble.co.uk. This accessibility statement explains how we’re approaching accessibility and what to do if you experience any difficulties. 

Our commitment 

We are committed to inclusive access and continually improving the accessibility and usability of our website. We aim to meet recognised accessibility standards for digital content, including principles drawn from the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).  

In practice this means we strive to: 

• make content clear and easy to understand 

• ensure the site works well with common assistive technologies such as screen readers 

• enable navigation using a keyboard 

• allow users to change text size, colour, and contrast through their browser 

Known accessibility limitations 

Despite our efforts, some areas of the website may not yet be fully accessible. For example: 

• some embedded media or interactive content might not include fully accessible controls or captions 

• some older PDFs and documents may not fully meet accessibility standards 

• some images may not yet have complete alternative text 

We are working to address these areas over time and welcome feedback that helps us prioritise improvements. 

Third party services 

Some parts of our website rely on external providers, including ticketing and embedded media platforms. While we seek to work with organisations that share our commitment to accessibility, we cannot guarantee the accessibility of third-party systems. 

If you experience difficulty using any part of our website — including third-party services — please let us know and we will do our best to support you. 

Alternative formats 

If you need information from our website in a different format — such as large print, audio, or plain text — please contact us. We will always do our best to provide information in a way that works for you. 

How we test and improve accessibility 

We monitor and review our website using a combination of: 

• HTML semantic validation 

• Google Lighthouse accessibility scoring 

• WAVE accessibility evaluation tools 

• manual review as part of ongoing content updates 

Accessibility forms part of our website maintenance and development planning. 

Feedback and contact information 

We welcome feedback on the accessibility of our website. If you encounter any barriers when using our website, or if something could be clearer or more accessible, please contact us: 

Email: office@scottishensemble.co.uk
Phone: +44 (0)141 332 4747
Address: Scottish Ensemble, 39 Elmbank Crescent, Glasgow, G2 4PT 

About this statement 

This statement was prepared on 9th April 2026. It is reviewed annually and updated as required.