Accessibility
Find out about entering the studios virtually, travel options, access considerations and more!
Enter the Studios from your Home
The Virtual Studios aim to capture the feel of entering one of our artists’ spaces. We know that we will never truly be able to recreate this online, but we hope this facility can go some way to making the event more accessible.
You’ll find photos of the studios, tools, works in progress, information on how work is made, unique insights, videos etc.
We hope this means that no matter where you are in the world, you can expereience a close connection with our artists and makers.
Travel with us
We have around 80 studios spread across our extensive region, so travel is a key issue. We know that getting to studios is challenging for people who don’t drive – and public transport is patchy.
To help with this, each year we put on special bus tours to studios. For Spring Fling 2025, offered 3 tours: two starting from Dumfries and one from Kirkcudbright.
These tours are provided by community groups and may include wheelchair-accessible buses. If you would like to find out more about accessibility on the bus tours, please contact – chris@weareupland.com
Accessibility in Studios
Most of the Studios are in private spaces. This means that most are not specifically set up with particular facilities for those using a wheelchair or with mobility concerns. However… many studios are easily accessible.
Visit the Virtual Studios or check the brochure for information about accessibility of studios, including:
- wheelchair accessibility
- accessible toilet
- accessible parking
- details of challenges and special provisions provided by the artists
You can filter your studio search to find studios with accessibility on the Virtual Studio landing page.
Changing Places
Changing Place toilets provides sanitary accommodation for people with multiple and complex disabilities who have one or two assistants with them. The following locations in Dumfries & Galloway have toilets registered as Changing Places:
- Stranraer
- Kirroughtree
- Dumfries
- Annan
- Gretna
- Moffat
Using the website
On this website, we are doing what we can to make the visitor experience better.
We have added an ‘Accessibility tool’ button to the left hand side of the website. Look out for the icon with a person standing in a circle. If you click this, you will find the following options:
- Increase/decrease text size
- Change page to greyscale
- High contrast/negative contrast
- Light background
- Underline links
- Readable font
How can we do better?
Although we have introduced a range of measures and continue to educate staff, we know there will be more that we could do to improve the accessibility of Spring Fling Open Studios. Upland will continue to develop the event’s accessibility and inclusivity year on year.
If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions for how we can improve the event’s accessibility, please contact Natasha Kinsella – natasha@weareupland.com
