Hearing loss and unsafe listening practices
November 23, 2022
Hearing loss, athletics, and mental health
November 30, 2022Coldplay’s concerts now more accessible for the deaf community
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Grammy award winning British rock band Coldplay’s concerts are now more accessible for the deaf community.
The World Tour is called Music of the Spheres. Coldplay’s concerts are now more accessible for the deaf community. On the band’s website, they announced, “We want our concerts to be accessible to everyone, and for everyone to have the best possible experience.”
“We want our concerts to be accessible to everyone, and for everyone to have the best possible experience.”
For the deaf community, this means two local sign language interpreters at every show. It also means the inclusion of SUBPACS. This wearable audio system allows people to feel the bass through vibrations in the form of a sleek backpack. This brings the deaf community closer to music than ever before. It also prevents people from damaging their hearing. In other words, you no longer have to stand next to a blaring speaker that leaves your ears unprotected and ringing in an unwise attempt to achieve the whole body experience.
Read more: Dos and Donts of going to a concert with hearing loss
Other Accessibility Features
Coldplay has also teamed up with KultureCity to provide sensory bags. A mobile sensory refuge station is also available for people with sensory sensitivities. Touch tours are offered before the show for people with vision issues.
Inclusion Initiative
In a YouTube video that covers the new inclusive initiative, the band explains how they started offering the vests to create a feeling of togetherness. They are the first band to offer the SUBPAC as part of a music tour experience. In an interview with a woman at one of the concerts who was attending with her dad who is deaf, she expressed hope at this major progression within the industry. “The fact that Coldplay is spearheading this is a huge step in the right direction and it makes me really excited for the future,” she said.
“The fact that Coldplay is spearheading this is a huge step in the right direction and it makes me really excited for the future.”
Coldplay is open to other ways to make their shows more inclusive. Captioning, anyone? To provide feedback or to request one of these accessibility initiatives, email access@coldplay.com. The tour is currently slated to end in July 2023.
Author Details
Beth Tingle is a 27-year-old English graduate, and currently resides in Bristol, UK. Beth was born with congenital deafness to an otherwise all hearing family, and is currently navigating life with new sound after receiving cochlear implant surgery in April 2021. She is currently learning BSL.
