People with a disability - attendance at cultural events

A 2003 survey by the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed that over 40 per cent of people with a disability went to the cinema. According to the 2003 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers, one in five people in Australia reported that they had a disability which restricted their everyday activities and which had lasted, or was expected to last, for at least six months.

Attendance at cultural venues or events by people with a disability(a)

Cultural venue or event	Percentage of people with a disability attending (%)
Cinema	43
Library	34
Animal or marine park or botanic garden	29
Theatre or concert	25
Museum or art gallery	20

(a) In the 12 months prior to interview.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia: Summary of Findings, 2003 (cat. no. 4430.0).

The proportion of people with a disability attending cultural events barely changed between 1998 and 2003.

In comparison to attendance at cultural events, 29 per cent of people with a disability attended sporting events as a spectator, and 28 per cent took part in sport or physical recreation. Over one-quarter of people with a disability did not take part in any cultural or sporting activities.

Young people with a disability were more likely to attend cultural venues than older people with a disability. According to the 2003 survey, 87 per cent of children aged 5–14 years with a disability had attended a cultural venue or event, compared to only 47 per cent of people aged 75 years and over.

Specifically, the largest difference was for cinema attendance, where 68 per cent of children attended compared with 20 per cent of people over 75 years. The smallest difference was for theatres or concerts where 23 per cent of children attended, compared to 19 per cent of people over 75 years.

Overall, women with a disability attended more cultural venues or events than men. The difference was most noticeable for theatres or concerts with 29 per cent of women attending compared to 22 per cent of men.