Graft Accessibility Case Study

Find out how Graft are creating an accessible environment for all, with a particular focus on autistic visitors, people with learning disabilities and mental health difficulties.

1.How would you describe your business to visitors who may not be aware of you? / Tell us briefly about your business and the services you offer. 

Graft are a small team of professional artists, offering graffiti workshops, community projects and mural commissions. We welcome groups of all ages, sizes and needs to participate in our hands-on, fun and creative workshops. Graft was founded in 2012 by Rob and Sophie Wheeler.

2.What changes have you made at Graft to make it more accessible and inclusive? 

We place a very high value on accessibility and inclusivity. Here are some of the things we have put in place:

• ensuring all activities are achievable regardless of age (within our minimum age limit), abilities and previous experience
• pitching our presentation and level of support appropriately depending on the group and individual; offering adaptations to the pace or content of the workshop
• creating an accessibility information document and social story which are available to all participants
• offering free places for carers
• being flexible with venues: we can go out to a venue, or we can book an alternative to our normal venue which is fully wheelchair accessible
• offering breaks during the workshop, and coloured paper instead of white, if required
• offering toilets with paper towels instead of loud hand dryers
• offering to help arrange a BSL interpreter or foreign language translator if required (we also have speakers of foreign languages on our team)
• seeking funding, or offering discounts, to enable us to provide free or lower-cost workshops to charities and people on low incomes
• supporting our own neurodivergent team members to make the job manageable and stress-free

3. What motivated you to make these changes? 

We founded Graft the same year we had our first child, who was born prematurely and who is autistic. Through having an autistic child, we have learnt a great deal about the barriers and difficulties people with additional needs can face, which has driven us to help make the world more accessible and accepting. We have also met many other families of children with SEND, and have learnt about their experiences, which are often very different from our own. Our other two children have faced their own difficulties, including social anxiety, mutism and medical issues, which have all added different perspectives to our understanding.

Even before having children, we were working in schools, supporting children with additional needs and behavioural challenges, and discovering the potential that art activities can have to increase self-esteem, open up new possibilities and simply add some fun to a person’s experience of the world. So we have long been passionate about bringing these experiences to as wide a range of people as possible.

In recent years we have taken on larger community mural projects, which have enabled us to offer fully-funded workshops to community groups including elderly residents and adults with learning disabilities or mental health difficulties, in their own environment and on their own terms, giving them the chance to try something completely new and create something beautiful to keep and treasure. These are among our favourite kinds of workshops, and we hope to be able to continue this work through our newly-formed CIC.

4.Since you began improving accessibility, what benefits have you noticed (e.g. on customer satisfaction, bookings, staff morale)? 

We often receive comments and feedback from participants expressing gratitude for the accessibility and welcome they found on our workshops. This in turn increases staff morale and satisfaction. In recent years we have grown our team of freelance workshop facilitators, some of whom have lived experience of neurodiversity and disability themselves, and who have all learned and grown through working with a variety of people and groups in our workshops.

5.What were some challenges, if any, that you encountered when implementing accessibility measures? 

Our studio, and our main larger venue, are based in the Island, a former police station and listed building, which is run by a charity, Artspace Lifespace. Due to the age of the building and the limited funds of the charity, the venue is not fully wheelchair accessible, and has no accessible toilet. We overcome this by seeking to book alternative venues when needed, and/or by arranging with the Courts building next door and Rough Trade shop over the road for our participants to use their accessible toilets if needed.

6.What advice would you give to other businesses thinking about making changes to their accessibility? 

The most important piece of advice we can give is to engage with a range of people who have different access needs, and really listen to their experiences and suggestions. Invite groups to your venue to experience your services, ask for their feedback, and act on it. There are lots of advocacy groups in Bristol who can help with this – Bristol Autism Support and The Hive Avon, for example, both offer auditing services, visiting venues and services and discussing approaches to accessibility. Many also offer training for staff.

Create an accessibility page on your website which is easy to find, and explains what you can offer. Free tickets, drinks etc for carers are particularly well received, especially as families might pay a lot to enter an attraction and then have to leave early because their child is overwhelmed or dysregulated.

Also, be honest about your limitations. If you can’t make your venue wheelchair accessible, or you can’t offer a quiet space, explain why, and think about what else you could offer, or how you could get around this.

It’s often the smallest things that make a difference. If an autistic child is dysregulated, rather than tutting or turning a blind eye, try approaching the parent and asking how you can help, or whether they would like a drink or a quiet space. If a wheelchair user enters your venue, speak to them first and not to their partner, carer or friend. When someone with a disability wants to use your service, see it as an opportunity, not an inconvenience. 

7.Did you use any particular resources, tools or partners (e.g. audit services, training providers)? Which would you recommend for a business just getting started? 

We consulted with families in the Bristol Autism Support group when creating our accessibility document and social story, and we have previously spoken to lots of other groups and attended various training courses. As mentioned above, there are plenty of advocacy groups who are ready and willing to advise.

8.Are you planning any further changes to your accessibility? New products, expansion etc.  

We have recently applied for funding to run a project with two charities – one which supports adults with learning disabilities and autism, and one which provides support groups for people with brain injuries – to enable us to run accessible workshops and a mural project. The idea will be to involve service users in the mural project, giving them meaningful work experience and ownership over the project, while they help to improve their environment through artwork. We hope to expand on our funded projects in the future through our social enterprise, Graft Community CIC, and work with a wider range of groups across the area.

9.Can you share one example from a customer that demonstrated the measures you had implemented had made a difference? 

In summer 2024 we ran a funded workshop for families from the Bristol Autism Support group. This is a photo and testimonial provided by one parent from the group, shared with permission:

“At the time Toby had been out of school for almost two years so this workshop was a great opportunity for him to take part in an activity with others in a safe and nurturing environment. He loved it and the staff were really friendly and relaxed with him. Thank you. He’s got his artwork up in his room.”