Music for Everyone? Inclusion in the music sector for neurodivergent people

Music is often described as a universal language. But is the music sector truly accessible to everyone? How do neurodivergent people experience music, what barriers do they face at concerts and festivals, and how can technology, design and policy contribute to a more inclusive musical experience?

Inclusion is a key theme within the cultural sector, but accessibility is still often viewed solely in terms of physical mobility. For people with visual or hearing impairments, many invisible barriers remain.
Consider, for example:

• concert information that is not accessible to screen readers;
• inadequate wayfinding signage in concert halls;
• limited availability of Flemish Sign Language (VGT) interpreters;
• little attention paid to subtitles or live captions;
• limited understanding of how deaf or hard-of-hearing people experience music;
• a lack of representation of artists with disabilities.

At the same time, more and more innovative solutions are emerging: vibrating floors, haptic technology, AI-driven live captions, audio description and inclusive event designs. The question is not only what is technically possible, but also how the sector can embed inclusion structurally.

More information to follow