In the United States, around 27 percent of adults have some type of disability according to the Center for Disease Control. Inadequate accommodations in theaters can cause challenges not faced by the able-bodied population in fully experiencing performances.
Some accessibility tools for plays implemented in theater include captioning the performers’ dialogue, audio description of the action on stage, American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and sensory-friendly performances without sudden loud noises or flashes of light. Alex Lonati, Community and Artistic Programs Manager of SpeakEasy Stage Co., said that implementing new accessibility initiatives in theaters has certain obstacles, but it’s essential for the disabled population to be able to experience theater alongside their larger communities.
More professional theaters in Boston are working to provide these services to those who need them, including the Wheelock Family Theatre (WFT). Audience Services Manager Jamie Aznive said that WFT has prioritized accessibility from its opening and continues to evolve.
“Wheelock Family Theater was actually founded with accessibility in mind. So since the theater’s inception, we have always done ASL-interpreted performances,” Aznive said. “We were the first theater in New England to offer audio description in 1991. Then in 2004, that’s when we started offering open captioning.”
Tools such as captioning make theatergoing more accessible for those who are deaf or have hearing loss. Jen Wells is able to speak from personal experience, as she has significant hearing loss. She said that it’s very difficult to follow the story on stage when captions are not available.
“Just recently we went to see ‘Newsies’ in London, and I got the assisted listening device and they weren’t working,” Wells said. “It was just so hard to hear the musical. I could kind of understand it, but during intermission I found the theater manager and he was so apologetic. He found me a new one and it made a world of difference, just to be able to hear what was going on, and to follow and not feel like I was lost.”
Other theaters, such as SpeakEasy Stage Company, also provide touch tours for blind and visually impaired theatergoers and sensory-friendly performances for those triggered by sudden flashes of light or loud noises.These unique performances include less flashes of light and sudden noises, fidget materials, a quiet space outside the theater, and more relaxed theater expectations. These expectations ensure that everyone feels comfortable and safe in how they react to the performance.
Lonati said that it was powerful to see the impact that sensory-friendly performances have had on patrons.
“A younger boy came to see “The Prom” and was on an iPad for most of the performance, but by the end of the show, the last dance number, [he] was standing in his seat dancing along and making full eye contact with the actors in the front. It was so emotional to see how much that meant,” Lonati said.
Despite the need for accessibility in theaters, theater companies face challenges that inhibit them from implementing certain accommodations. Drama teacher and co-director of the state festival play Mark Vanderzee said that ASL-interpreted performances and captions are difficult to implement in high school theaters due to how costly they are.
“If we were to do a captioning system, that requires a lot of technology, not just the hardware but the software as well,” Vanderzee said. “ Outside of just the technology and the incorporation of the technology, there’s also the human resource that needs to be put in it, and what you’re going to pay for either the captioning subscription, the services, or paying somebody to do that work. With ASL interpretation, it’s money in terms of peoples’ time.”
But Vanderzee said that small steps towards accessibility should be made, despite certain barriers, to result in widespread change.
“I think the fear oftentimes is like ‘Oh if we’re going to do one thing, we need to do it all. We can’t just do this part,’ but in fact, incremental steps are important,” Vanderzee said.
Aznive also said that in order for change to occur, theaters need to know what they should be focusing their efforts towards.
“You don’t know what you don’t know, I like to say. So the more that you learn, the more that theaters can learn, even if they’re not ready to provide the service, if they know that these things exist for them to be able to provide, then that’s something that they can work and strive towards,” Aznive said.
Wells said that ideally, every performance would be captioned and that this would enhance the theater experience.
“I think it’s even helpful for people who don’t have hearing loss. I know that my kids now always watch TV with captions and there’s nothing wrong with their hearing. [It’s] because people mumble, or there’s music,” Wells said.
Making theaters more accessible and inclusive is one of Lonati’s greatest passions. She said that art should be available to all.
“Everyone should feel comfortable in this space, and everyone deserves access to the arts,” Lonati said. “It does take some time to build the audiences because theater has not historically had a reputation of being inclusive, especially to the disabled community, but as we build audiences and earn a reputation of doing the work correctly and making a space that is inclusive, accessible and exciting, then hopefully more people will attend and participate.”
