Creative United and partners launch
Disability Awareness Training for Music Retailers

Together with the Music Industries Association (MIA) and Attitude Is Everything, Creative United has today launched an online training programme for music retailers, focusing on the particular needs of disabled customers visiting their stores.

The training has been developed in response to the first major piece of research, undertaken by the Take It Away Consortium in 2018, which captured a detailed national picture of the music making experiences and participation levels of people with disabilities.

The findings showed that while many disabled music-makers felt that music shops were generally accessible, there was a lack of confidence and knowledge amongst music retailers when it comes to serving and catering for the needs of disabled customers.

The MIA, Creative United, and Attitude Is Everything have designed the Disability Awareness Training to address this issue, with the following key aims and objectives in mind:

• To increase music retailers’ awareness of the diverse needs of customers with disabilities, both in-store and online
• To empower music retailers to recognise and address those needs when disabled people visit their shop
• To assist music retailers to attract and retain the loyalty of disabled customers who will want to revisit a store where their needs are met

The training will consist of on-demand webinars and practical workshops. All sessions are led by disability expert Gideon Feldman (Attitude is Everything) with a preparatory on-demand digital module available to start now.

Mary-Alice Stack, Chief Executive of Creative United said: 

“High street music shops are often the first port of call for young people, parents and others looking to buy an instrument for the first time, as well as an important resource for more experienced players. However, our research has shown that these aren’t always easy environments to navigate as a disabled person, and there is lack of knowledge and confidence amongst sales teams in responding to the needs of disabled customers with advice about adaptive instruments, equipment and accessible technology.

As part of our ongoing commitment to making music accessible to all, Creative United is delighted to have partnered with the MIA and Attitude is Everything to help music retailers make their shops and online service as accessible and disability friendly as possible.”

Music retailers interested in the training can sign up through the MIA website. The training will be available free to MIA members, with access for non-members available on a paid-for basis.