New Committee Wants People With Disabilities Involved in Nightlife

Punk frontwoman and professor Cynthia George grew up frequenting Nashville’s Rock Block and other indie music venues. Accessing nightlife in town changed when she started using a walker following a car accident in 2022. At times it’s challenging enough that she’ll leave the walker at home. 

“If I leave it, I’m a risk, because I’m a fall risk without it,” she tells the Scene. “But there are some environments that just have so many barriers that I would not be able to go if I took my walker, and that means that a person in a wheelchair would not be able to go at all.” 

George’s experiences inspired her to create a committee within the Mayor’s Office of Nightlife, the Disabled to the Front advisory group. 

George spoke with the Scene about her plans for the committee, as well as how bars and venues can better accommodate people with disabilities.

She Needs Committee Members

George is looking for people with disabilities to share their experiences in nightlife and meet with her regularly to chart the path of the committee.

Her ethos for the group stems from the riot grrrl feminist-punk movement of the ’90s, when female-fronted bands like Bikini Kill and Bratmobile would chant “girls to the front” in an effort to protect women at their concerts. Identifying as an “old riot grrrl” herself, George wants to put together a packet of best practices to allow people with disabilities to get more involved in nightlife, and do so safely.

Then she’ll elevate it to RAMPD (Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities), a national group, so that night mayors in other cities can use the same standards. (She says Nashville’s night mayor, Benton McDonough, was one of the most receptive compared to her peers in RAMPD’s experiences with officials in other cities.) 

Parking and Transportation Are Priorities

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Transportation and parking are the first concern for many people with disabilities looking to attend a nighttime event, George says. They can’t just get a rideshare the same way non-disabled people can. There must often be room for a walker or wheelchair, and room to unload at the destination. Sidewalks, curbs and construction zones can be treacherous. 

If the attendee drives, some venues don’t have disabled parking, or allow the performing band to park there. A simple fix is ensuring the disabled spot is used only by someone who has a disabled tag, she says.

Privatization of parking is also a problem, George adds. A person with a disabled tag can park in municipal lots for free according to state law — but meters and private parking are less accessible.

She’ll Collect Her Own Data

A Tennessee State University professor and behavioral scientist, George is all about data. One of the events she wants to organize with the committee is a night out in downtown Nashville. For the event, a group of disabled people will go out for fun while also collecting data on the problem spots for accessibility. 

“Every single time I go anywhere downtown, it is always an adventure — just in and of itself,” she says. “How many times am I gonna have to lift my walker? Am I gonna need physical assistance? Can I park there? Is there going to be a bump that I can’t get over?”

Venue Communication Is Important

George acknowledges that many of Nashville’s independent music venues are struggling just to make ends meet, but they can offer small services to make things more accessible. Even venues without an accessible bathroom can work with a nearby business to allow patrons to use theirs, she suggests. 

Because each person with a disability needs different accommodations, it’s important for venues to monitor email or other messaging platforms to answer questions patrons may have, and relay those concerns to the staff on the day of the event. 

“We want to keep our nightlife and our music venues open,” George says. “We love them, and so it is about creating that opportunity to have those conversations and make sure that those [accessibility] standards are met. They have been overlooked not because they hate people with disabilities, but just because the system does not support these policies.”

People With Disabilities Want the Dignity of Risk

George says people with disabilities are often sheltered and at the mercy of caregivers’ interests and abilities. They want adventure, she says. 

“We’ve got good money,” she says. “We want to come and buy drinks and pay for tickets and buy merch, and have a good time, just like anybody else.” 

“People with disabilities really are in a phase of the movement where we need disability joy, and going out at night and having equal access to those spaces is important.”