Jess

Jessica Hoodlass - Hull Community Member

I was involved in the creation of Nice Twice Club by coming to community conversations were met up and talked about a lot of things like venue accessibility, representation, transition, transport, mental health and lots more.

We got to choose different topics which we were passionate about, I chose venue accessibility, representation, awareness and understanding.  I am passionate about accessibility because I feel like all places should be accessible to everyone, people with and without disabilities. Accessibility should include hidden disabilities.

In 2023, we started Nice Twice Club. Nice Twice Club is important because at the moment, not all venues are accessible to everyone’s needs. I think it’s important for venues to recognise that all disabilities are important. I want to see the Nice Twice Club sticker in all venues windows and not have to worry about where I can and can’t go.

We decided to hold an exhibition to raise awareness. We did this to share our own personal experiences through our own art forms. I showcased two songs called ‘Happiness’ and ‘My life’. “My life” was about my life with having epilepsy and a moderate learning delay. I wrote about my seizures and that it doesn’t always stop me from doing things, sometimes I just need a bit of help. I hadn’t thought about displaying my song lyrics in an exhibition before, it was nice that people had chance to read my lyrics. This was my first exhibition where I have submitted my own work.

It’s important to hear other people’s experiences on how their disabilities affect them, as they can be different from mine. It has been important for me to learn from other people, I am not just thinking about if it’s accessible for me but accessible for others.

One of my favorite places to go in Hull is Yankee Land. The staff are really friendly, the food is good and the garlic sauce is banging!