Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1991 - 61

should be made accessible," says Thompson M. Mayes, Assisranr
General Counsel wirh rhe I arional Trusr for Hisroric Preservarion. "However, if rhere's a way ro provide accessibiliry wirhour
harming rhe inregriry, we should do rhar."

Utilizing Community Resources
Once rhe decision is made ro resrore an old rhearre, rhe board
and sraff, when faced wirh a challenge beyond rheir skills and
knowledge, will seek our persons who can provide guidance and
experrise. The same philosophy should be employed when crearing a barrier-free environmenr wirhin a rhearre. "\Y/e recommend
early on rhar arrs groups form advisory commirrees of local people who have various impairmenrs," says Terry.
Working in parrnership, rhe disabled communiry is a rremendo us resource since rhey can help educare rhe board and sraff
wirh regularions, specificarions and suppliers. The advisory commirree may also find assisrance in local organizarions such as (he
Unired \X!ay, ciry and srare agencies and hospiral rehabilirarion
unlrs.
"Forging a parrnership ro solve problems is rhe only answer,"
says \Xfeidermann." or only have we learned a grear deal, bur so
has rhe disabled communiry. They've raken on more of an ownership role in rhe rhearre. We're nor graruirous. \Xfe're nor doing
rhis because whar we really wanr ro do is comply wirh rhe law.
\Xfe're doing rhis because we wanr rhem ro idenrify rhis rhearre as
rheir rhearre. This whole process has nor developed inro a very
adversarial relarionship berween srrong leaders in rhe disabled
communiry liriganr ro ger rhings done bur rarher in working in
parrnership ro help educare us. The advisory commirree should
conducr a sire visir and evaluare rhe rhearre's policies, programs
and pracrices. The Arts and 504, a guidebook published rhe
EA, is a parricularly useful resource for arrs organizarions eval uaring rheir currenr access and developing new ways ro become
more accessible."
The commirree should also examine orher rypes of barriers
such as arrirude and language barriers wirhin rhe organizarion.
For example, sraff members should nor presume rhar disabled
parrons and co-workers need assisrance and acr accordingly bur
rarher should polirely offer assisrance.
"Through close communicarion wirh disabled consriruenrs,
hisroric rhearres are making rheir programs accessible in rhe mosr
economical, efficienr and expedienr manner," says Terry. "They
are opening doors in ways rhar promore independence wirh digniry, developing new and larger audiences for rhe am. Hisroric
rhearres rhar are nor acrively concerned wirh accessible programming nor on Iv risk rhe loss of funds and invire lawsuirs, bur rhey
also are missing rhe opporruniry ro grow and learn abour many
able Americans who are inreresred in rheir programs and acrivities."

Audience Development
The arrs are for everyone. If hisroric rhearres are going ro presenr
programs for rhe public, rhen rhe whole public should be able ro
rake parr. Accessibiliry issues affecr nearly 43 million disabled
Americans-people who have physical or menral impairmenrs
rhar subsranrially limir one of life's major acriviries. [n addirion,
rhere are 30 million Americans 65 years and older who have similar challenges. In rerms of audience developmenr rhese numbers
carry grear porenrial. Ir behooves hisroric rhearre adminisrrarors
ro idenrify rhese audiences and rake a proacrive srep in markering
accessible faciliries and programs.
"Access didn'r mean wherher or nor rhere was a srep in rhe
way or wherher or nor rhere was a bar ro grab," says \Y/eidermann. "Bur acces became a focus on how inclusive we could

become in making rhis faciliry accessible ro rhe broadesr possible
communlry.
Each rime we overcome an accessibiliry obsracle, we become
more inclusive. We increase our porenrial audience. We garner
grearer supporr in a broader segmenr of rhe communif)'. So ir is
very mercenary in our rerms. We're doing rhis nor ro ger our of a
lawsuir. We're doing rhis ro ger more people buying rickers. To
ger people donaring. To ger more people arrending programs
here. Ie's audience developmenr. [r's donor developmenr. Ie's rrying ro be as responsive as we can."
John Frohmeyer, chairman of rhe Narional Endowmenr for
rhe Ans, echoes rhis senrimenr: "Arrs organizarions across rhe
counrry are working cooperarively wirh disabled consriruenrs ro
remove barriers and develop larger audiences for rhe ans. The
focus is inregrarion inro sociery's mainsrream for full paniciparion."
Hisroric rhearre adminisrrarors also need ro rhink abour
backsrage access for anisrs wirh disabiliries. \Y/hile performing ar
rhe Samuel Clemens Cenrer for rhe Performing Arrs, [rzak PerIman helped call arrenrion rhrough a newspaper inrerview of rhe
difficulry in gerring from rhe ground level ro rhe srage. "He
helped focus access in a broader sense of performers who have a
righr ro basic digniry and ro be able ro rake care of rhemselves
coming inro a rhearre," says Weidemann. As a resulr, rhe Ciry of
Elmira awarded a granr ro rhe rhearre ro insrall a wheelchair lifr
backsrage.

Financial Support
The passage of rhe ADA inro law will compel businesses ro airel'
rheir faciliries and make changes in cmploymenr pracrices. The
governmenr supporrs accessibiliry adaprarions by providing rax
incenrives and block granrs. There are rwo secrions of rhe Inrer-

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FAll

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1991