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ADA requirements refer to requirements set in place by the Americans With Disabilities Act. In other words, it means making sure you have taken every step possible to create reasonable options for those who have disabilities. If you own a venue that plays host to theater, music, spoken word, or even comedy, it is going to be your responsibility to make sure you are compliant with everything the ADA might demand of you.

While this does mean suitable wheelchair ramps, and other accommodations for those with noticeable physical disabilities, keeping up with ADA requirements can also mean considering groups you may not have thought about. For example, you may have a wheelchair ramp, but do you have accommodations for the deaf? For the blind? Are these things you need to worry about?

 

ADA Basics for Theaters

Do you produce or operate a venue or venues that offers films, music, or any kind of performing arts? If so, then you need to take ADA requirements seriously. It doesn’t get much simpler than that, but there are several things within that larger thought that you will want to keep in mind.

For example, solely in terms of ticketing, there are several elements to consider. You will need to offer accessible seats at your venue, which refers to a space that is specifically designed for a wheelchair, discusses DUI Lawyers in Stockton CA. Tickets for these accessible seats will need to follow all of the guidelines and conditions that apply to all other types of seating. Prices for these seats cannot be higher than prices for other seats/spaces. Furthermore, you will need to provide the same type of information for this seating that you would provide for anything else. There are also considerations for purchasing multiple seats, selling tickets to groups, and the practice of holding and releasing tickets for accessible seats.

Fraud prevention, ticket transferring, and the secondary ticket market are further elements to ticketing that you may need to address.

You may also need to train your staff in all of these matters. As you can imagine, the degree to which you will need to consider all of these things is going to be determined by the size of your venue, the number of individuals who normally come to your venue, and the number of employees under your management.

 ADA Considerations for Theater Managers

As a theater manager, you are going to have to consider a number of ADA factors.

When there are problems regarding the ADA compliancy of a venue, it generally doesn’t fall to the owner of the venue to deal with the problem. The company that manufactured the equipment that allows you to meet ADA requirements will not be there to address any potential problems. In a great many cases, it is going to be the responsibility of the theater manager to handle things.

It is worth remembering that generally speaking, problems with ADA requirements are not specifically the fault of the theater manager. Even so, common sense, proper training, strong employee support, and an eye for anticipating potential problems can help you avoid a number of headaches. Having a procedure in place to address problems in a proactive fashion is also a good idea.

ADA compliance will cover several different aspects of your venue. Make sure you are consistently meeting the compliancy demands for your entrance, your parking lot, your box office, your concession counter, your water fountains, your path of travel, and more. You will also need to address demands and ongoing challenges with your restrooms, assistive listening system, and your exits.

Finally, remember that different types of buildings will have different considerations, some older structures are not subjected to the ADA.

 Are You in Danger of an ADA Lawsuit?

You may have accessibility and seating taken care of for disabled patrons, but are you taking care of everything? A growing number of lawsuits, from Santa Cruz Auto Accident Attorneys, that are currently hitting the theater world revolve around the subject of closed captioning for hearing-impaired theater attendees. Theaters by law must provide their customers with auxiliary hearing aids and other measures. However, some argue that making such demands of theater/venue owners is in fact a violation of first amendment rights.

Ultimately, it is your call to make with hearing aids and other measures. Consider erring on the side of caution, where it concerns matters of ADA compliance, and make sure to consult with counsel to determine if you structure is subject to the ADA, and what can be done to ensure compliance.

If you want to work in theater, but you don’t really like the idea of becoming an actor, what kind of options are available to you? As you are going to discover with a little research, there are actually tons of possibilities awaiting those who wish to work in the theater.

To be sure, the educational requirements will vary from one theater job to the next. Other elements can also serve to play a role in how successful you are at connecting to the theater career that appeals to you. Even so, if you are eager to find a particular job in the world of theater, you won’t be disappointed.

Career Options in The Theater

Becoming a Theater Arts major can prove to be a fantastic foundation for your future career goals in the theater. A Theater Arts major can go on to a number of careers in theater. At the same time, having this degree can connect you to jobs in business, as an educator, in government, as a performer, or even in the world of publishing.

A Bachelor of Arts degree is one option. On the other hand, you may find that a Bachelor of Fine Arts is a better fit for what you would ultimately like to achieve. With the B.A., a student can focus on things like performing, history and/or literature, or even design and technology. For those who wish to explore things like actor training programs, you may want to put your focus towards a Bachelors of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) instead.

Talent agents, producers, singers, playwrights, editors, consultants, directors, and dialog coaches are just a few of the jobs you can achieve as a Theater Arts major. Furthermore, this is a major that is going to leave you with a number of skills and talents. You will have strong skills related to both presenting and performing. You will be able to manage projects, project strong skill sets as a leader, apply critical thinking abilities to a multitude of complex tasks, and so much more. As we mentioned before, you are going to wind up with a powerful foundation for your future. As a Theater Arts major, depending on what you ultimately want to do, the possibilities are more often than not going to impress you.

 Which Theater Career Is Right for You?

Will a Theater Arts major be the right step for you? Answering this question is actually a lot simpler than you might think. You are going to want to consider the talents you have at this moment. You will then want to consider the theater career that strikes you as ideal. You will then learn about the demands of that particular job, comparing these demands to the talents you have. If you see a correlation between these things, then you are ready to move to the next step.

You will now want to do as much research as possible on the theater career that appeals to you. This research is going to include the job market, the requirements for a degree, and the schools that are currently available to you. These are some of the most important things that you are going to want to keep in mind. n regards to a criminal record, especially when it comes to driving under the influence offense, this will not preclude a career in the theater. It is not a requirement for a successful career as a thespian to have a clean criminal record.

As you are going to discover, most of the theater jobs that you are going to come into contact with are going to come down to two things: You are going to want to have strong communication skills, and you are going to want to have strong organizational skills. If you can bring both of these things to the table, then you are almost certainly on your way.

 Begin Your Ideal Theater Career Today

Do you want to be a fight coordinator? A fencing master? A critic? A hairdresser? A lighting person? A puppeteer? A set designer? A technician? These are just a few more of the theater jobs that are currently available to you. Don’t be afraid to go after your dreams, but consider having a backup theater career path, just in case.

You should also keep in mind that one career sometimes requires experience with a different career. In other words, some people found that to get to their ideal theater job, they needed to first spend time with a different job in the theater. The possibilities are endless in showbiz.