Accessibility at Austin Area Arts

Welcome

Austin Area Arts is committed to providing equal opportunities for people with disabilities to participate and enjoy a wide range of program offerings. If you need a disability-related accommodation for a program, performance, or special event, please contact us at 507-434-0934 or via e-mail to accessibility@austinareaarts.org

Disability-related Auxiliary Aids and Services

Our staff are prepared to provide auxiliary aids and services for our participants and theatre patrons with disabilities. Auxiliary aids and services may include assistive listening devices, sign language interpreters, captioning, audio description, large print, braille, adaptive art supplies, or modified instructions. Note that some aids and services may take 3-5 days or longer to set up. Please contact our staff at the time of registration or sooner so that we discuss your specific needs and have the accommodation ready for your arrival at the program.

Service Animals

Service dogs are welcome at all Austin Area Arts programs. It is the expectation that the service dog will be kept under the handler’s control and shall not disrupt programs, performances, or showings.  Upon entry, staff may ask patrons for credible assurance the animal is a service dog and the nature of the disability-related service the animal is trained to perform. It should be noted that emotional support, therapy, comfort, and companion dogs, and dogs in training to be service dogs are not considered service dogs under the guidelines of the ADA and therefore not permitted in programs, performances, or showings.

Personal Care Attendants

People with disabilities are invited to participate in Austin Area Arts programs with their personal care attendant. A Personal Care Attendant (PCA) is a professional who provides assistance to individuals with disabilities such as personal hygiene, eating, toileting, transferring, safe movement, maintaining continence, and/or medication management. Usually, the PCA receives compensation for the PCA’s services, and the PCA is professionally licensed as a home health aide. The PCA’s attendance at a program may be necessary to enable the individual with a disability to participate in programs, services, or activities. The PCA is not a program participant and shall not participate in the program, service, or activity separate and apart from their client. Attendance by a PCA will be determined on a case-by-case, or program-by-program basis. For registration in Austin Area Arts programs, the program participant should indicate they will be accompanied by a PCA at the time of registration. Staff will evaluate if the caregiver is attending a program to support the person with a disability, or if the caregiver attending for their own benefit which may require registration and the requisite registration/admission fee. Where a PCA may be present in youth programs, a background check may be required. If the program participant or the PCA has misrepresented the purpose of the PCA or the PCA has acted as a patron as opposed to a PCA, the PCA and the guest may be expelled from the program. For additional questions on this policy, feel free to contact our ADA Coordinator at accessibility@austinareaarts.org

Austin ArtWorks Center

The accessible parking and accessible entrance to the ArtWorks Center is located at the back of the building. Access the parking lot from 2nd Ave NE or 3rd Ave NE. The retail gallery space is located on the first floor. An elevator is available for access to the galleries and classroom space on the second floor and the Clay Cavern on the lower level.