From Fangirl to Music Journalist

On accommodations in live music, hearing loss, and being a disabled creative.

​By Katherine Chung

We have all been fans of something—whether it’s sports, music, TV shows, movies, or books—and sometimes, that passion becomes more than entertainment; it becomes a way to cope, connect, and escape. Music and entertainment have been my passions for as long as I can remember. As a child, my world revolved around TV shows and movies. I did not realize until later that music was the secret ingredient binding them all together. From television theme songs and cinematic cast numbers to holiday celebrity covers and high-profile musical guests, I  consumed everything musical. What started as a child’s love for network television evolved into a lifelong, conscious dedication to the art of entertainment and pop culture.

In 2016, I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes and faced the devastating loss of my sister. Navigating these desolating trials alongside hearing loss and vision challenges, I turned to pop culture for healing. Early advocacy from figures like Nick Jonas and Marlee Matlin sparked my passion of writing about disability representation. These experiences led me to where I am now, in my music journalism career working on disability advocacy in the music industry.

The true impact of my mission clicked during college at Olivia Rodrigo’s SOUR Tour in Washington, D.C. Security guards outside to assist disabled patrons, trained staff inside, free water, and proper elevators showed me the true power of inclusive design. It proved that when a venue is fully accessible, music fans with disabilities don't need exceptional treatment—they get to experience pure, uninterrupted joy like everyone else.

I began my career by launching Young Adult| One Day at a Time in college to cover my health, student life, and inaccessible concert experiences. This early portfolio earned me my first music journalism mentorship, which concluded with an assignment to pitch, attend, and review a concert. Though the website is still online, I now write exclusively as a professional journalist.

The biggest issue I had when I arrived at the venue was that I had to stand in a long general admission line to get inside the building after receiving a media badge. I only had my phone for concert review notes and wallet. As a diabetic, this meant I had to eat before the show to raise my blood sugar. And as someone living with Mitochondrial Disease, this also meant I had to stay hydrated and have enough energy to see the show while standing. After the concert, I struggled to hear what the artist was saying on stage in my concert videos because fans were screaming and clapping, and my hearing aid did not pick up all the noise.

Recently, I hit my third anniversary as a music journalist. I have gotten so many amazing opportunities. However, I always miss festivals, record label jobs, and other in-person interviewing opportunities because they are inaccessible. In-person interviews, red carpets, media events, and outdoor venues are highly inaccessible since they rarely provide tickets weeks or months in advance and often lack seating, closed captioning, or sign language interpreters. Accommodations are not available unless you bring your own. This leaves me with one option, which I have been doing for the last three years: attending Zoom meetings and writing online for music publications.

" Instead of looking for a disabled music journalist to admire, I realized I had become a role model for other disabled creatives."

Fans aspiring to work in the industry are often told that participating is how you work in the industry. What is participation if it is not accessible to everyone? I wish that there were more disabled interviewers at media events, red carpets, and on my TV. Wouldn’t it be amazing if the person interviewing your favorite celebrity got the accommodations they needed—instead of struggling to get into an event, like The Grammy Awards, NYFW, or Billboard Music Awards? 

It takes a lot of courage, perseverance, and bravery to accept that most parts of the press and media teams that I want to be a part of are inaccessible. Every time I go to a concert as a fan or press, I take photos of the ADA section to see if it has a view of the stage. I ask venue staff about my ADA bag check to see if it is okay to bring snacks in for Diabetes. I write long, negative reviews on Google about inaccessible venues. I use my words to make small changes that can be big changes in the future. While we have a long way to go in implementing and building accessible venue elements, I hope that more opportunities in the music industry open up for disabled creatives. We deserve to be seen, heard, and read about.