Project title
Description of initiative
Accessible Theater is a pioneering and unique project dedicated to integrating accessibility measures in theater in Spain. Accessible Theater is a project focused on accessibility in the performing arts to reach as soon as possible to fulfill the dream that “all theaters are accessible to all people".
It was born in 2011 to ensure that all theaters in Spain provide accessible content to people with sensory disabilities and the elderly. The values on which the project is based are the democratization of access to culture, universal accessibility and design for all, and equal rights for people with disabilities.
The Project is made up of a multidisciplinary team of subtitlers, audio describers, philologists, accessibility technicians, audiovisual producers, sign language interpreters, engineers and cultural managers. Its work focuses mainly on the adaptation of plays incorporating subtitling, audio description and sign language, equipping cultural centers with FM hearing aid systems and creating inclusive experiences such as tactile visits and discussions accessible to people with visual disabilities. It also offers adaptation of hand-held programs in easy reading and audio-descriptions for people with intellectual disabilities and people with visual disabilities.
In the 12 seasons that this project has accumulated, it has allowed more tan 18,000 people (6,500 people with disabilities) have been able to enjoy the culture of a standardized and inclusive way. In addition, the project has provided employment to people with disability and mental disorder.
The Accessible Theater project has contributed to the progress of accessibility in the arts performing arts, making nearly 181 theaters in 73 different cities accessible (Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Murcia, Logroño, Granada, among others). 795 works have been adapted and 2,300 accessible performances have been made.
Accessible Theater particularly benefits the group of older people, people deaf and hard of hearing, blind and visually impaired people and people with intellectual disabilities.
In 2019 this project extends to Latin America. Thus, in the 2019-2020 period it was put The “More Accessible Theater” project is underway with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Sport, aimed at the internationalization of this model of cultural inclusion. The country selected to develop the activities of this project was Ecuador thanks to the collaboration with the Cultural Corporation Teatro Patio de Comedias of Quito, who in 2020 It turned 40 years old, being a reference theater in the cultural history of its capital Quito.
Themes: Culture and...
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Results, benefits, impact and lessons learnt
In the 12 seasons that this project has accumulated, it has allowed more tan 18,000 people (6,500 people with disabilities) have been able to enjoy the culture of a standardized and inclusive way. In addition, the project has provided employment to people with disability and mental disorder.
The Accessible Theater project has contributed to the progress of accessibility in the arts performing arts, making nearly 181 theaters in 73 different cities accessible (Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Murcia, Logroño, Granada, among others). 795 works have been adapted and 2,301 accessible performances have been made.
The project has contributed not only to guaranteeing the right of access to culture for all people, but also to raising awareness of the value of culture and art as a tool for social transformation to achieve the full inclusion of all people and to normalize their presence in the cultural life of their cities. The positive effect that accessing and participating in theater has on people has been proven: it generates positive feelings, provides vitality, helps establish social relationships in a safe environment, increases the feeling of belonging to the territory and social cohesion, decreases the feeling of loneliness and isolation.
Even so, to this day there are still barriers that make access to culture difficult for these people, since a lot of work has been done on physical barriers and progress has been made in eliminating sensory barriers thanks to technology, but in terms of accessibility Cognitive there is still much to do.