Edwards Thesis (FINAL DRAFT)

© COPYRIGHT By Helen Evelyn Edwards 2019 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED DEDICATION To my father, who motivated me since I was a girl to get a master’s degree. To my mother, who prayed every day for my sanity. To my husband, who encouraged and supported me throughout the process. To my God, who provides strength and wisdom in all things. We did it. ACCESSIBILITY AUDIT OF D.C. THEATRES: LOCAL ACCOMMODATION PRACTICES FOR DEAF AND HARD-OF-HEARING AUDIENCES BY Helen Evelyn Edwards ABSTRACT The goal of this study is to encourage consistent access to accessible performances for audiences with hearing loss and highlight their value, with the ultimate hope of further closing the gap between the hearing and hearing-loss communities through the facilitative power of the arts. The thesis analyzes accommodation strategies for patrons with hearing loss specific to small and midsize organizations as defined by expenses according to Theatre Communications Group. Information was collected regarding legislation, barriers to accommodation, and suggested practices from a variety of sources. To supplement the research, an audit was conducted to record offerings for the aforementioned target patrons within the Washington, D.C. area theatre landscape as defined by theatrewashington, in order to identify trends or additional real-world solutions to common barriers to accommodation facing smaller organizations. The culmination of the primary and secondary resources in addition to the research collected during the audit resulted in accommodation suggestions specific to small and midsize theaters. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This project would not have been complete without the guidance and support of many wonderful people. I am incredibly grateful for my Thesis Chair Sherburne Laughlin for her guidance, grace, and encouragement throughout the research process as well as during my time in the program overall. She helped me to see that I did have something of value to offer to our field and challenged me to work harder than I previously thought possible. I would also like to thank my second reader Ximena Varela for her positive energy and flexibility along the way. I’m also incredibly blessed my family and friends who loved and supported me throughout my time in the program; I truly could not have done it without you. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................................... II ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................... III TABLE OF CONTENTS ....................................................................................................................... IV LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................................. VI CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................ 1 METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................. 6 DISABILITY DISCLAIMER ............................................................................................... 9 2. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ................................................................................................... 11 DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING ...................................................................................... 12 REHABILITATION ACT OF 1973 .................................................................................... 20 AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA) ................................................................. 23 AUXILIARY AID AND SERVICE TECHNOLOGIES ............................................................. 27 REAL WORLD ACCOMMODATION EFFORTS IN THEATERS ............................................. 39 BARRIERS TO ACCOMMODATION ................................................................................. 42 SUMMARY OF LITERATURE FINDINGS .......................................................................... 45 3. GENERAL ACCOMMODATION PRACTICES .......................................................................... 46 4. D.C. THEATER LANDSCAPE ........................................................................................................ 54 5. SUGGESTIONS SPECIFIC TO SMALL AND MIDSIZE THEATERS ................................... 60 iv APPENDICES ......................................................................................................................................... 66 BIBLIGOGRAPHY ................................................................................................................................ 82 v LIST OF TABLES Table 1: D.C. Theatre Landscape by Group According to TCG ................................................... 55 Table 2: Accommodations Provided in the D.C. Theatre Landscape ........................................... 56 vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Budget Groups Defined by TCG ..................................................................................... 5 Figure 2: Percentage of Population with Hearing Loss ................................................................. 13 Figure 3: How Assistive Listening Systems Work ........................................................................ 29 Figure 4: 2010 Revised Regulations ALS Receiver Requirements ............................................... 31 Figure 5: Level of Difficulty Hearing by Age Group .................................................................... 32 Figure 6: Auxiliary Aids and Services Checklist ........................................................................ 38 vii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Access is an important aspect of an organization’s mission, maintenance, and potential for growth; the sooner nonprofit performing arts organizations realize this, specifically organizations with limited resources, the sooner they can tap into a largely ignored potential market. The goal of this study is to encourage consistent access to accessible performances for audiences with hearing loss and highlight their value, specifically in smaller organizations, with the ultimate hope of further closing the gap between the hearing and hearing-loss communities through the facilitative power of the arts. The passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in July 1990 signified a shift in the way that access was perceived by both individuals and public/private entities. The Act itself was a product of the mounting energy from disabled individuals and allies alike pursuing justice with tenacity. Nearly thirty years later, the momentum for generating creative solutions and innovative change, particularly in the field of the performing arts, has slowed considerably. Many of the same assistive listening devices introduced in the early years of the disability rights movement, circa the early 1950s, are still being utilized today by performing arts organizations. With few new assistive listening technologies emerging, and a modern world defined by innovation, auxiliary technology does not align with current patron’s expectations.1 1. Betty R. Siegel. Phone Interview with author. November 15, 2019. 1 Despite many years since the law was passed, and the various resources published publicly to guide organizations towards compliance, the general lack of understanding or readiness to engage Deaf and Hard-of-hearing audiences is still prevalent in the field. Numerous materials, such as journal and newspaper articles,2 3 published papers,4 and guidebooks5 have reviewed the progress of commercial and local live theatre venues towards becoming more physically accessible spaces, specifically for wheelchairs.6 Very few of those materials clearly discuss general needs of Deaf and Hard-of-hearing (D/Hoh) patrons or strategies for the implementation of assistive technology and services. Still fewer of those materials have detailed successful practices to overcome common barriers to accommodation such as cost of various aids and services and lack of staff training. Many of the sources fail to communicate the added value of such potential patronage to an organization and in some cases, to the hearing world at large. The lack of publication on the subject hints at a continued systemic societal problem; the isolation of these perspectives from mainstream society results in misrepresentation, under recognition, and ultimately, disenfranchisement with regard to the arts. Accessibility is an ongoing civil rights issue that is only just starting to regain visibility. 2. Alexa Baracaia, “Disability Act Adds to Theatre Burden.” The Stage. (1999) 3. Amy Hersh, “Theatres Creating New Programs for Patrons with Disabilities.” Back Stage 33, no. 3 (1992) 4. David Keith Ruebhausen, “Art Made Accessible: Redefining Accessibility and Cross- Cultural Communication for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing in the American Theatre Institution.” (Doctoral Thesis, University of Minnesota, 1996) 136-137. 5. National Endowment for the Arts et al., “Design for Accessibility; A Cultural Administrator’s Handbook.” (2000) 6. National Association of the Deaf, “Advocacy Letters for Theaters and Concert Halls.” (2019) 2 This research collected and documented widely applicable accommodation practices from the literature to accommodate D/Hoh audiences. This research should serve as a resource to address ambiguity around ADA compliance,

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