Going to a festival as a neurodivergent person can be tough - but there are ways to recharge

Here is the latest breaking news from around the world: Going to a festival as a neurodivergent person can be tough - but there are ways to rechargeImage source, Beth MayburyImage caption, Beth Maybury feels some festival staff have not taken the hidden nature of her disability seriouslyByAnnabel Rackham, Culture reporter and Beth Rose, Disability affairs reporterPublished1 hour agoMaking sure festivals are accessible isn't just about having enough disabled toilets - there's a lot that has to be considered. So when X user Jas posted, external to say she had been denied access to a space for neurodivergent people at Radio 1's Big Weekend in Sunderland last month, it raised questions about how those with conditions such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia are accommodated at big events. "Not all disabilities are visible," Jas wrote - showing the difficulties that occur when dealing with these conditions, which aren't easy to spot from the outside.

It comes after recent interventions from MPs and the equality watchdog around accessibility at festivals, making it a hot topic among organisers. We've spoken with festival-goers who have invisible disabilities to hear their experiences - and the solutions. 'I packed up and found a Travelodge'All of us are neurodiverse, external, meaning our brains are different, but more than 15% of people in the UK are neurodivergent, meaning their brains process information in a different way to what is considered typical.

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Beth Maybury says she has struggled with being taken seriously by festival staff because of the hidden nature of her disability. It means she's had to find ways to recharge throughout a weekend - such as returning to her tent for a break. She says festivals give her a chance to "feel free" as someone with ADHD who often "masks" how she feels - meaning she is hiding or suppressing her natural neurodivergent traits.

"You can sing at the top of your lungs, you can get emotional about who's on stage, nobody's going to judge you," she tells the . But even though she loves it, she can get "overwhelmed very easily". Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Linkin Park headlined Download Festival this year, which has rolled out new accessibility measures"There are a lot of crowds and that can be difficult.

There can be a lot of mud, and I get really sensitive to it when I can feel it's all over me. "Kate Graham describes herself as a "triple threat" with ADHD, autism, and dyspraxia - and can relate to Maybury's experiences. Graham says festivals are a great place to try new activities but are often "loud with nowhere quiet to hide (except a portaloo!

)" and "overwhelming if too many people are in a crowded area". She tells the that after one particularly bad festival she "packed up and found a Travelodge". Calls for festivals to do moreThey aren't alone in calling for some festivals to do better.

The story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.