Count me in! Vestrock
Hulst, The Netherlands
Music
“Count me in!” is all about sharing stories that highlight diversity, equality, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging in the seat of art festivals. In this series you will hear their stories, and see how we can all make a difference by standing up for each other.
This year, the team at Vestrock, at Hulst in the Netherlands, implemented NaviLens as part of the festival’s ongoing DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) programme. NaviLens is a cutting-edge technology for the visually impaired. The system works by utilising NaviLens codes, which look similar to multi-coloured QR codes.
These codes can be scanned, at some considerable distance, by mobile phone cameras, and the NaviLens app can contextualise the necessary information for the user. Because visually impaired people have difficulty using traditional signage and therefore cannot be autonomous in unfamiliar environments, NaviLens was developed to dismantle such barriers.
The system has already been adopted by numerous global brands on packaging, while cities, such as New York, are using NaviLens codes on street signs. However, it’s believed that Vestrock is the first festival to use the system, thereby fully opening its doors to these marginalised fans. This was a pilot to see whether the solution would actually work at the festival, and the team is planning on finetuning it over the next years.
For Vestrock, it's important to look at all types of accessibility and therefore felt it was important to expand its facilities beyond "wheelchair friendly" options.
