In the Netherlands, several foundations focus on the improvement of the position of citizens with disabilities in the cultural sector. Examples of these foundations are Special Arts (which aims to improve the artistic participation of people with disabilities) and 5D (which tries to enhance the position of people with disabilities in the performing arts sector). In addition, initiatives such as Creative Access (focused on sign language or subtitles) and Disabled Led Theatre are used to improve the accessibility of performing arts, particularly for citizens with vision problems.[1]
National legislation includes the Participation Act, which focuses on the improvement of inclusivity in the labour market. One of the goals of the law is to stimulate cultural organisations to hire people with disabilities. The Netherlands ratified the UN-declaration on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2016. The convention ensures people with disabilities to have equal rights in society regarding, for example, housing-, education- and cultural facilities. A plan was constructed in 2017 by the Ministry of Public Health, Well-Being and Sport to implement the guidelines of the convention in the Netherlands.
In the policy letter of 10 November 2022, then-State Secretary Uslu outlined plans to improve accessibility in the cultural and creative sector for people with disabilities should. The government applies the social model of disability, which focuses not on the impairment itself but on the barriers present in the environment. Since the ratification of the UN Convention in 2016, cultural institutions have been legally required to make their offerings accessible. In her policy letter for 2023–2025 (“Meerjarenbrief 2023-2025”), Uslu also highlighted additional investments in accessibility to remove both visible and invisible barriers.
As stated in the policy notes, there are several initiatives within the cultural sector that promote accessibility, such as the Multisensory tour at the Van Abbemuseum and initiatives by Stichting Komt Het Zien. However, in practice, accessibility often still falls short, and institutions do not always know how to take effective action. Therefore, Uslu calls for baseline measurements and the use of existing tools such as the Codes. She also emphasizes the importance of cooperation between cultural institutions, people with lived experience, support organizations, and governments, which ideally leads to concrete policies and course of action.
In 2025, a report was published concerning the Knowledge Hub for Accessible Culture (“Kennispunt Toegankelijke Cultuur”), in which the Minister of Education, Culture and Science (OCW), Eppo Bruins, describes how the ministry has worked on a proposal to improve accessibility in the cultural sector. The knowledge hub is intended to support cultural institutions in becoming more inclusive, especially for people with disabilities. The proposal includes, among other things, a digital toolbox offering practical training, an online platform for connecting stakeholders, and an “accessibility radar” to help people with disabilities identify accessible venues within the cultural and creative sector. A budget of €500,000 has been reserved for the implementation of these plans.
[1] Keulemans, Chris. 2018. “De segregatie die niemand wil en die niet nodig is.” Boekman 115: 44-47.
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