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To
assist theatres in their access
efforts, NJTA provides mailing
lists, loans equipment, markets
access performances to a mailing
list of more than 5,000 interested
individuals and organizations,
provides sensitivity training
for staff of member theatres,
and assists organizations in
their education of ADA and the
development of their long range
plans for ADA compliance.
Services
for People with Vision Loss
NJTA
works diligently to assist member
theatres in making their programs
accessible to patrons with visual
impairments through the establishment
of audio description services.
Audio description enables the
patron with visual impairments
to hear a live, concise description
of the action on stage in between
dialogue and song and is heard
through an FM transmitter. To
assist with the substantial
capital investment required
to launch the program, the NJTA
has purchased FM receivers and
headsets for theatres to share
in order to provide audio-described
performances to their patrons
with visual impairments.
In
addition, the NJTA's Access
Coordinator and Executive Director
have worked with the member
theatres in training staff and
volunteers to become qualified
audio-describers. The NJTA maintains
an updated list of qualified
describers willing to describe
at events across the state.
In an effort to expand the number
of qualified describers, the
NJTA has established a "mentoring"
program that allows the most
seasoned describers to work
with new describers to enhance
their abilities to effectively
evoke the theatricality of the
theatre's offerings.
As
a complement to the audio-described
performance, the NJTA has also
trained members of the theatres
to provide pre-performance "sensory"
seminars. These seminars allow
visually impaired patrons to
feel props, costumes, and set
pieces to further enhance their
theatrical experience. The seminars,
coupled with the audio description,
enable the patron with visual
impairments to have a complete
theatre experience with dignity
and independence.
Services
for People Who Are Deaf or Hearing
Impaired
The
New Jersey Theatre Alliance
served as the conduit to providing
funds for member theatres to
install assistive listening
systems in their theatres. The
Alliance maintains three assistive
listening systems that can be
loaned to theatres and other
arts organizations across the
state upon request.
In
addition, NJTA provides lists
of theatrical interpreters to
theatres as they prepare for
sign-interpreted performances.
NJTA
also assists theatres in making
arrangements for open captioned
performances.
Marketing
to People with Disabilities
Marketing
efforts include a semi-annual
Guide to Accessible Theatre
detailing upcoming audio-described,
sign-interpreted and open-captioned
performances to more than 5,000
individuals and organizations.
Additionally, all of NJTA's
publications include information
on accessible programming, including
audio-description, and are available
on tape, large print or Braille.
The organization's website has
been designed to provide on-going
information about special events
at member theatres, including
audio-described and sign-interpreted
performances.
The
National Endowment for the Arts
has lauded the New Jersey Theatre
Alliance and its access programs
and services as role model programs.
To
find out more about NJTA's
access programs and services,
contact Robert Carr at
rcarr@njtheatrealliance.org.
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