Martha Edwards wrote:
snip

> I wish we had a way to test for economic hardship and could have a sliding
> scale, the way CDSS has for membership. But I can't think of a dignified way
> to put it. In the coming years we will probably have to figure this out.
> 
> M
> E

We do. It might be called self identifying if one needs a name for it.

In Victoria many Folk (of the people) related activities that aren't 
dirt cheap (1) are priced with just that approach, a tiered entry rate 
that participants select themselves (2). Signs, e-mails or announcements 
  are often constructed as Admission: $8 Waged/$5 Unwaged; $8 or $5 
un(der)employed or sometimes simply as $8/$5.

This choice of categories speaks to what folks believe they can afford 
for that activity with no apparent embarrassment associated with it. It 
avoids surmising that only students and/or seniors have limited or no 
income and offering discounts where they do no or little actual good.

Speaking to community building and accessibility of social and cultural 
activities, one may see how such an approach might be partly responsible 
for assisting these goals.

Travelling regionally I've been quite surprised at the absence of 
similar policies. Maybe it's something we can offer having learnt from 
our dance and music friends of the need for Fragrance Free events which, 
generally, we've locally adopted as policy.

Cheers, John

J.D. Erskine
Victoria, BC

(1)(Folk club - Victoria Folk Music Soc. $5 http://victoriafolkmusic.ca/ 
&  Victoria English Country Dance Soc. $3 http://www.vecds.bc.ca/ both 
weekly, 50/yr and about 38/yr.)
(2)(Victoria Contra Dance series $8 waged/$5 unwaged 
http://victoriacontradance.com/ Many house concerts are $12/$8, $12/$10 
or so e.g. http://www.pondsidemusic.com/).