Liam O’Dell: Clubs and concert venues must do more to improve access

Discussions around tinnitus and protecting our hearing during Tinnitus Week always centre on steps the individual can take to make sure they don’t develop the condition – and rightfully so – but we must also call upon social venues to do more in terms of accessibility and safe listening.

It’s easy for me to lose myself in the music. It’s one of the main distractions for me when I need to take my mind off the ringing in my ears, and it appears that this is the case for rapper will.i.am too.

As discussed in another blog post for The Limping Chicken, such is the complexity of the condition that I have become a workaholic living a busy life, for any quiet moment is often when the irritating tone comes to my attention.

As such, I have a close relationship with the wonderful melodies which come with a good song, yet I also know that as much as music can be a useful remedy for those with the condition, it can also be a dangerous contributor to hearing loss and tinnitus.

When in clubs and concert venues, people come because they love their music – and they love it loud. There’s no denying that there are people out there who like to crank up the volume when jamming to rock or heavy metal, for example, and I still remain dumbfounded on my morning commute when music bleeds out the headphones of the passenger next to me.

Yet in my many years of concerts, festivals and clubs, it’s baffling that I fail to see earplugs available at the venue. Whether that’s the result of the misconception that they muffle the music (they don’t) remains to be seen, and while it could well be argued that it’s up to the individual to purchase their own hearing protection, some responsibility must also extend to the companies running these events. If not on traditional health and safety grounds, then at the very least, as a duty of care to their customers.

As with anything in terms of accessibility, it’s often a barrier put up by society which disables us as people (also known as the social model of disability). In addition to looking after our own hearing, it’s important that conversations around hearing protection also extend out to relevant businesses. After all, change is often bolstered when a strong communication and campaigning network is established.

Photo by Ollie Cole.

Liam is a mildly deaf freelance journalist and blogger from Bedfordshire. He wears bilateral hearing aids and makes the occasional video about deaf awareness on his YouTube channel. He can also be found talking about disability, politics, theatre, books and music on his Twitter, or on his website.