Wheelchair access shouldn't cost extra - culture belongs to everyone!

Public petition n°3786

Petitioner: Jessica Kathryn Bauldry

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We believe that culture should be for everyone-not just those who can afford to pay for access, and not just those who can walk through a door. We are calling on the luxembourgish Parliament to recognise this barrier and work with communities to find a fair, inclusive solution-whether through subsidised access to accessible venues, public cultural spaces, or infrastructure support for small event organisers. What We're Asking For We're calling on the luxembourgish Parliament to work with communities and make culture accessible for everyone. Here are some practical steps that would make a real difference: 1. Accessible public spaces for culture Community centres, school auditoriums, libraries, or other publicly-owned venues could be opened up as fully accessible cultural hubs. ➡️ This would mean a young comedian, poet, or musician could put on a show without worrying about stairs-or about whether their audience can get in the door. 2. Support for private venues Offer financial help-through tax breaks, grants, or subsidies-to bars, cafés, and restaurants that invest in accessibility and agree to host community events without charging extra. ➡️ This would mean small cultural events could happen in popular, central spaces, instead of being shut out by high costs. 3. Micro-grants for event organisers Provide small grants for organisers who want to rent accessible venues but can't afford commercial rates. ➡️ This would mean grassroots collectives wouldn't have to choose between accessibility and survival. 4. One platform for all venues citing accessibility infrastructure Create a central online platform where organisers can find up-to-date information on all venues and locations that includes their accessibility infrastructure, i.e. step-free access, toilets, hearing loops, quiet spaces, etc. The features/infrastucture would be self-reported by venues thus avoiding the need for costly external accessibility audits. It could be validated by the community to ensure accuracy. ➡️ This would mean less wasted time searching, less frustration-and more energy put into creating events people love. 5. Listening to disabled voices Set up a working group of disabled artists, performers, and event organisers to help shape long-term accessibility strategy. ➡️ This would mean policies are built on lived experience-not assumptions-and that solutions actually work in practice. Each of these steps is achievable. Together, they would open the doors-literally-to a cultural life where no one is excluded because of disability or money.

In Luxembourg today, too many cultural events remain out of reach for people who use wheelchairs-not because of lack of interest. Informal and grassroots events like comedy open mics, poetry readings, and small music performances often take place in privately-run bars and restaurants. In most cases: venues that are not wheelchair accessible. The few privately-run venues that do offer wheelchair access charge fees or require a minimum bar spend, which many small, community-driven events simply can't afford. This creates a two-tier cultural scene: - one where accessibility requires a significant financial investment from organisers, and - the other where disabled people are left out of everyday cultural life. Efforts taken to improve venue accessibility in Luxembourg Law of 29 March 2001 laid down the first accessibility standards for public venues. The Law of 7 January 2022, effective 1 July 2023, expanded the accessibility scope to all collective-use places, whether public or private. Financial support is available: Up to 50% of accessibility renovation costs, capped at EUR24,000 (excluding VAT), available up to 1 July 2028. The EureWelcome label, for example, was launched almost twenty years ago to recognise accessible tourism and leisure venues. Today, its directory still offers only a handful of restaurants and hotels, and virtually no spaces that small cultural organisers can realistically use. These are positive signs-but they are not yet systemic change. Meanwhile, artists and communities are being left behind. Every month that passes without accessible, affordable cultural spaces means another event people can't attend, another performer shut out, another opportunity for creativity lost.