Disability Pride Month is an opportunity to celebrate disability, identity, inclusion and belonging. It is also a reminder that creating truly inclusive experiences require much more than accessible seating. It takes an organizational commitment to continually removing barriers.
At the New Victory Theater in New York City, that commitment has evolved into a culture where accessibility isn’t the responsibility of any one person or department. Instead, it is woven throughout the organization and shapes virtually every part of the attendee experience.
The first and only theater in New York City dedicated to year-round programming for kids and families, New Victory is recognized as a leader in accessibility. Numerous core supports are available at every event, while dedicated American Sign Language (ASL), audio-described and sensory-friendly performances provide additional accommodations. Guests can prepare for their visits through public or school social narratives, sensory awareness notes and even “Meet Your Seat” visits before attending a performance. The theater’s online accessible seating guide explains how guests can select seating based on their individual needs, and an access table with sensory tools, assistive devices and other resources welcomes audiences at every performance.
Anthony Colon
“It is our mission to make extraordinary performing arts a vital part of everyone’s life from the earliest years onward. And you can’t bring the arts to everyone if you don’t include everyone. Our board, our donors and our members [have] all helped to contribute to making things like our access table open at every performance,” says Anthony Colon, House Manager at the New Victory Theater. “It’s through this access table that we have the ability to offer sensory fidgets, access to our audio listening devices, large print and braille programs, earplugs, ear defenders, sunglasses for light sensitivity and sensory notes for each show. The list just goes on and on and on of all the things that we have to offer, and it’s really because of the support that we have from our community.”
Colon adds, “In today’s world, there are just so many hurdles to prevent families from having access to the arts, so the New Victory and New 42, [the parent organization of the New Victory Theater], are constantly finding ways to break down those kinds of barriers.”
At New Victory, accessibility planning involves everyone. Colon credits collaboration across departments for creating resources that answer questions many guests may not even think to ask.
“These amazing resources are the hard work of so many people who came before me, and I’m lucky that I get to continue to work with [these resources]. Through the combined work of our education, artistic planning, front of house, marketing communications and executive teams, the New Victory can take the fear out of visiting a new place by answering as many questions as you may have about the venue and your trip before you even arrive.”
And the process never stops.
“Before and after every show, our front-of-house team meets and talks about the experiences and questions that guests asked throughout the day, and then I take all this information and share it in our house reports so that everyone in the organization has a chance to hear what’s going on. Our marketing and front-of-house teams look for trends in these questions, and that helps provide content for our website and social media. Our education team also does a similar thing by gathering information from teaching artists and the teachers that we interact with. This info helps us drive what we produce on the guest-facing side, along with how we train our front-of-house staff in the future. What I’ve learned is that listening to your audience makes all the difference. We also work with some amazing consultants, [including] Aliza Greenberg, who is a leader in the world of accessibility, and of course, our friends at TDF.”
For New Victory’s sensory-friendly performances, planning begins while contracts are still being negotiated.
“As a producing house, most of our shows most likely have had some sort of life before they even made it to the New Vic. Because of that, the sensory-friendly shows start from the moment contracts go out,” Colon explains. “We share with the artistic teams behind the shows what happens at a sensory show, so they are prepared when they’re coming in, and we talk about what kind of changes need to be done so the show can be properly performed for people who need it. It starts literally before they even walk in the door.”
He continues, “Not every show we do gets the same kind of treatment. Some shows just can’t be turned into sensory-friendly [programming], but that is definitely something that we strive to find along the way … The [shows] are carefully selected, and every department at New 42 is invited to the final tech of a show.”
Laura Hamilton, Director of Artistic Planning, gets a special shout-out from Colon. She comes to those pre-opening performances with a list of sensory notes.
“It includes everything that we’ve learned about the show in advance. We’ve watched videos, we’ve talked [things] through with other people, and then everyone sits in the audience with our pens and papers, and some of our ushers [join us], too. We look for the things that need to be adjusted for future performances, or things that we need to include in our notes for guests … Then throughout the run of the show, our production team works with the artistic teams to help make those changes available for the day that our sensory-friendly performance actually happens.”
Even then, the work continues.
“These sensory notes are like a living document, and they’re updated as we receive different feedback from guests along the way,” Colon notes.
Colon is the first to acknowledge that every organization faces challenges when expanding accessibility offerings. “First of all, I think we all agree that we wish that this was available at every single performance,” he says. “That should be the industry standard, but unfortunately it is not. There are plenty of hurdles … One of the biggest issues is always, of course, budgeting for these kinds of resources.”
Colon explains that dates for ASL and audio-described performances are selected well in advance, allowing interpreters and others to become familiar with each production. Longtime partner Hands On plays an important role in that process and ensures an authentic ASL experience.
“The dates … are usually a bit into the run of the show, so the professionals involved have a chance to work the show, get used to doing it in this space, and then people from Hands On are able to come in, watch it and practice with the video from our lower lobby feed. Hands On does this wonderful thing where they actually have a Deaf director who works on the show because ASL is not directly translated from English. They’re then able to help get full concepts and thoughts put into sign language to ensure the show is properly translated for people who are using ASL.”
Accessibility in the Ticket Purchase Flow
One feature that immediately stands out on New Victory’s website is its accessible seating information. Rather than simply identifying wheelchair locations, the theater explains different options — including wheelchair seating, companion seating, designated aisle seating, autism-friendly seating and ADA seating for guests who are blind or have low vision. This helps guests determine the option that best fits their needs before purchasing tickets. Colon says those features in the ticket purchase flow didn’t happen overnight.
“This is years and years of work from our marketing and our ticketing services team that have been working hand in hand with Tessitura. We were one of the first New York City spaces to join Tessitura, and it took a lot of communication to know what we wanted and what was needed for our audiences. Communicating with your ticketing provider is how these things come about. And if enough of us speak to these needs, we can see the changes in the technology that need to happen for different organizations. I spent many years working on Spektrix [too] … and a lot of the things that we created with these ticketing services happened because we talked to them, and we said, ‘This is what needs to happen, because you make great technology … [and] we know what the guests need.’ Where did it come from though? Besides the need of it being out there, we did things like working with Seats on the Spectrum in collaboration with TDF and the mayor’s office. It was a wonderful tool to help find the best seats designated for people who are neurodivergent. And what we did is we also included a little QR code on the back of the seats so that we could receive survey feedback from anyone who was using these services and these locations.”
Colon adds, “So much of our seat designations are also a combination of logic, feedback and willingness to adapt when possible. If you want to make changes, you have to be communicating constantly, both with your guests and your ticketing system team. And don’t be afraid of criticism, because you can only grow and improve from it.”
Accessibility Is Everyone’s Job
Colon credits his supervisor, Rachel Lee, Director of Audience and Youth Engagement, for “perfecting the art of creating a solid standard operating practices (SOP) document” and emphasizing accessibility as part of everyday operations.
“Rachel recently said that building access is not one person’s job. I am the house manager. I’m not the manager of accessibility, and access is not in my title. But it also belongs to each of us in some way.”
That philosophy extends to New Victory’s front-of-house team, which is comprised primarily of New York City high school and CUNY post-secondary students through the Usher Corp program. They are trained to work in a theater and develop a range of skills they can use in other careers as well.
“[The SOP documents] coupled with building a front-of-house team filled with people who care about hospitality and accessibility has led to amazing successes,” says Colon. “Bringing that to the ushers in our program involves training through scenarios, on-their-feet practice and constant reviews. We do this through trivia games. We’ve had full-building scavenger hunts to talk about certain areas of the building, and workshops that help the information stick in new and unique ways. We also do a pre-show huddle before every performance and a post-show huddle after each one. Each week, we tackle a single accessibility or safety note so that we keep everyone sharp throughout the process. It doesn’t end with just one training. It is drilled into them constantly.”
He continues, “They know how to pull apart our collapsible seats if there is a surprise wheelchair user arriving. They know how to assist a guest and where they can and cannot touch someone, or how to help in the best ways, or how to even offer [help] without saying the wrong wording. Things that we talk about in these huddles are often tied to specific needs of the show. So, if a show has increased house holds, the note is about why we do holds for a show. [Another time, it could be about] why we keep people from going in and out of the doors when this part of the show is happening … Perhaps the wind changes in this old building, and if someone is doing a trapeze act, that affects the show. It’s a safety hazard. And when you teach teenagers why, they are more likely to remember themselves and implement it in their days.”
Thinking Beyond the Theater Doors
Colon points to New Victory’s partnership with the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), which provides approximately 2,000 complimentary tickets each year for residents, as another example of how broadly the theater defines accessibility. Yet when the initiative launched, staff noticed that many families weren’t taking advantage of the free tickets. Rather than assuming a lack of interest, they asked why.
“The overwhelming response was, ‘You’re thinking about once we’re in your doors, but how do we get there?’ For a family, $3 per person each way adds up,” Colon recalls.
The solution came from Lindsey Buller Maliekel, Vice President of Education and Public Engagement, and Siobhan Santini Pellot, Associate Director of Education and Family Engagement.
“Lindsey and Siobhan created a program that allows any guests in NYCHA housing to pick up an OMNY card, which is a round-trip fare, so they can get to and from the theater for each member of their family,” shares Colon. “It’s thinking beyond the doors of your own space, and it allows them to come see the show.”
Learning From One Another
Although New Victory has been developing accessibility initiatives for decades, Colon says no organization has all the answers.
“That’s when I send big thanks to organizations like INTIX, Queer Artists Salon, or Theatrical Happy Hour, because these are places that help build these communities, where I can always go back and talk to people. Other theatrical houses like Roundabout, Disney Theatrical Group, Little Island and more have some amazing programs already … that we were able to offer our suggestions and assistance with, and vice versa, [they] were able to share things with us. I also have so many friends at amazing organizations like the Museum Arts Culture Access Consortium (or MAC for short) and ConsultAbility, which is a consulting firm that does accessibility work, for continued education. They’re always doing some kind of workshop or something to help make sure that everyone is up to date on current language, current needs or maybe something that is you might not even realize that your theater is missing. These amazing friends and community are how we bounce ideas and share plans that will improve the experience for everyone.”
For Colon, improving accessibility isn’t only about removing barriers. It’s also about building community. His advice to organizations beginning or continuing their accessibility journey is refreshingly practical.
“First off, do something,” Colon says. “Don’t let fear of failure stop you from making any changes. I always suggest next [to] see what you can do without money. Is it additional training that you can offer, because you’re going to have to train people anyway? Add a section about access … I also say speak out and communicate. Get involved. Reach out to local organizations that are already servicing people with disabilities. If you don’t have the funding, maybe they can help you, or help you find a grant, something that can help bridge the gap. Not only will you be bringing in audiences that you might not otherwise have been able to come to the theater, but you’re also building community at the same time … In summary, don’t be afraid to push.”
Finally, he offers one last piece of advice to the live events industry.
“Learn from us. I don’t want that to sound pompous, but I do mean it. We’ve been doing this a long time. We have had many successes and many failures. Learn from what we do, look at our resources. Don’t be afraid to make connections with other places who are going the same path as you. We think often in the silo of our buildings, or our theatre companies or the ticketing services we work with, but there are so many others out there who are trying to go over the same hurdles. Don’t reinvent the wheel. We can do this together if we work and we do it as a community.”
You May Also Like
Want news like this delivered to your inbox weekly? Subscribe to the Access Weekly newsletter, your ticket to industry excellence.