Author: Sternberg, Pat

Publication Year: 1979

Media Type: Report

Summary:

For too long the theatre community has gone along with the rest of society in ignoring a large group of our citizens. For the most part, this failure has not been intentional or out of malice, but simply from ignorance. How could we handle a blind group in our audience? What would we do with a deaf person? We don't have the money to build ramps or widen doors, or....what can we do? These are questions that come to mind. What are the barriers in your theatre? Usually the greatest barriers to the world of the disabled are those built by attitudes - not concrete or wood.

Abstract:

For too long the theatre community has gone along with the rest of society in ignoring a large group of our citizens. For the most part, this failure has not been intentional or out of malice, but simply from ignorance. How could we handle a blind group in our audience? What would we do with a deaf person? We don't have the money to build ramps or widen doors, or....what can we do? These are questions that come to mind. What are the barriers in your theatre? Usually the greatest barriers to the world of the disabled are those built by attitudes - not concrete or wood. Most people who have not been around the deaf or blind, have not been with the mentally retarded or who have not had a friend who was physically handicapped have misconceptions about each of these groups.

In 1973 Congress enacted legislation to benefit all handicapped citizens. It was not until 1977, however, that the law was fully implemented. The new federal law called The Rehabilitation Act (Public Law 93-112) contains Section 504 which states:

No otherwise handicapped individual in the shall, solely by reason of his handicap, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.

504 and the Performing Arts points out that the basic objective is to insure full participation, a matter that may frequently require little more than an open mind.

The same booklet continues with this challenge, In most cases, accommodations for the handicapped will require more imagination than expense, more innovation than equipment....an implicit challenge to arts professionals. The New York State Council on the Arts prohibits discrimination against handicapped persons on the basis of physical or other disabilities. This challenge can be more specifically aimed at theatres, and our OOBA theatres have the opportunity to show the way.

Program accessibility is not a matter of money. It is a matter of caring and being committed to sharing the theatre with new audiences.

CONTENTS
504 and the Performing Arts.
Begin at the beginning.
General suggestions.
Designate one person who is responsible.
First steps.
Welcoming the physically disabled.
Welcoming the blind.
Welcoming the retarded.
Welcoming the deaf.
Some inspiration: what other groups are doing.

1. TDF - TAP
2. The Folger Theatre Group.
3. Omaha Magic Theatre.
4. Alliance Theatre.
5. West End Symphony Orchestra.
6. Happiness Bag Players.

Arts & Intersections:

Categories: Accessibility