WHEEL CHAIR FREINDLY THEATRES - WHERE ARE THEY?

I recently tried to obtain tickets for a certain “festival production” at a popular historical Subiaco theatre and was quite surprised and shocked to discover that they were not able to seat my friends due to the simple fact that they need to use wheelchairs instead of their own legs to get around.

Having worked at the particular venue, I was gob smacked! I knew we had moved much larger equipment than a wheelchair in and out of the building so I made a few personal inquiries of the Management and Staff and discovered that although access “could be possible” because the rear exit is wide enough and on level ground (to allow the bump in and out of road cases on castors) but the venue was not allowed to list itself as “Wheelchair Accessible” because it does not have Disabled Bathroom facilities. (Damned ridiculous expression – who would want to use a toilet that doesn’t work anyway?)

OK – jokes aside, this situation caused me to stretch my memory. As a recently retired Finley adjudicator, I must have visited every ITA Community Theatre in Perth and surrounding areas, not to mention the “Professional” venues in the Perth CBD, Subiaco and Southern Suburbs – and I can only recall one or two (from ­BOTH categories!) that are able to accommodate “wheelies”.

While I think that this is shameful of the Professional venues, I would like to think that as Community based theatres, in it for the love rather than the bucks, we take better care of our patrons.

And so started a quest - To locate and name all the “Wheelchair Accessible” community theatre companies within our City and surrounding suburbs in a list which can then be added to this website as a posting, there to remain as a searchable document that can be included on the FAQ page.  Or better yet – each company could add the information to their profile so that our less-than-able patrons are able to see where they are welcome.

In order to be able to refer to your venue as having “Disabled Access” you must be able to provide not just the correct width entry and exit doors (including Emergency Exits) but also specialized bathroom facilities fitted with Health and Safety approved support hand rails. Ideally this would be a “Unisex” room, as the majority of “helpers” are not necessarily the same gender as those being “helped”, however, I do know of one theatre that has the required facilities in the “LADS” and “LASSIES” rooms (But I am not quite sure how that works if assistance is required)

That raises the question “Which companies fit the bill?”

I am asking ALL theatre companies, particularly those in Western Australia, to add their name and address as either a comment or as a reply below if they are able to offer this service to their patrons and also ask those same companies to include the words “Wheelchair Accessible” on their promotional material for future productions.

 Just for the record, if it all seems too hard, please remember that there is a largely untapped market here for Community Theatre and that for almost every “Wheelie” there is a carer that travels with them…… So each additional seat that you could be selling is probably two.

Also, Grant and the Admin Team, (Sorry guys, I know this means more work!) would it be possible to include a button on the company profiles that indicated that they were able to accommodate our “mobility challenged” patrons?

 Please do not misunderstand me. 

I am not trying to name and shame any one company or venue. This is a very common situation, not just at theatre venues but almost everywhere. .

I am only trying to raise awareness and hopefully improve services for people who, as far as I can see, have been for the larger part simply forgotten about.

*Be nice to your tech's - or they'll turn out the lights and go home.*

Hi Graeme and everyone else,

The Old Mill Theatre is "wheel-chair friendly"

Two seats in the front row are removable so that we can access wheelchairs and we also have a "disabled persons" toilet, complete with wide door, handrail and low toilet and hand-basin. These were constucted by the City of South Perth a couple of years ago. 

 Hi Jeff, That is a pity and Yes, it does appear that the more modern buildings (or renovated ones) have had the  "Disabled Access" services installed.

On the "up" side though, I have been told that various grants are available to companies that wish to upgrade their facilities to accommodate mobility challenged patrons/customers/workers.

 However, I don't have all the details at hand but as soon as I have had chance to research this avenue further I will include the information on another posting.

*Be nice to your tech's - or they'll turn out the lights and go home.*

Taurean wrote:
> Also, Grant and the Admin Team, (Sorry guys, I know this
> means more work!) would it be possible to include a button on
> the company profiles that indicated that they were able to
> accommodate our “mobility challenged” patrons?

I used to work with a community agency supporting people with disabilities to participate in community recreation. Access and equity remain topics dear to my heart. I came across people who, with the best of intentions, labeled their facilities accessible because they were prepared to help carry wheelchairs up three steps to access the building. While it was fantastic to encounter this level of interest in supporting people with disabilities to participate, the whole point of having accessible facilities was that people could participate without dependence on others for simple things like reaching a room. Needless to say accessibility is about so much more than just wheelchair access. It might include hearing aid loops, lighting, signage, colour schemes... In the end it became apparent that independent auditing of facilities was the only way of ensuring accessibility.

For this reason I was reluctant to add an accessibility button to the venues section of the website.

Perhaps times have changed and people are more aware of what ensuring your venue is accessible means. I'd be very happy to have this discussion and review what we might provide.

Cheers
Grant

--
Director, actor and administrator of this website

I believe Garrick Theatre is in a similar boat as Melville - We have wheelchair access to the auditorium and have had numerous wheelchair audience members. The toilet facilities are not so. Again, we are working out of a building that has been around longer than Wheel Chair Friendly policy has been.

Absit invidia (and DFT :nono:)

Jeff Watkins

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New fields are available for venue listings to indicate whether the auditorium is accessible, whether accessible toilets are available and whether a hearing aid loop is available.

Please take a few moments to update your venue details.

Regards
Grant

--
Director, actor and administrator of this website

To Grant, for the rapid rework of the site, Lisa Skryp, for her invaluable assistance "behind-the-scenes" to help in the "practical" side of this thread, to those that (and those that will soon) proclaim their company's status publicly, I want to extend the hand of gratitude on behalf of so many frustrated would-be theatre goers who, thanks to your efforts, will very shortly have the information they need to move their entertainment AWAY from their televisions and  "organised events" and into doing what they really want to do.

You have helped many dependent people gain a little more independence.

This is a prime example of true "COMMUNITY" Theatre.

Not just being "in" the community, but helping it as well.

Thankyou,

Taurean (Graeme)

*Be nice to your tech's - or they'll turn out the lights and go home.*