ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
We strive to make our performances, digital content, website, and facilities accessible to all people. If you have questions, need assistance, or require an accommodation not mentioned below, please call us at 212.967.7555 (voice) or [email protected]. In addition, please feel free to approach any staff member during your visit for support. We are here to help.
Resources
RESOURCES.
Patrons who are Blind or Have Low Vision.
Digital Content for Patrons Who Are Blind or Have Low Vision
Audio Described Digital Content
If you find the digital content below does not offer the level of access you require, please email us at [email protected] for assistance.
In-person Services for Patrons Who Are Blind or Have Low Vision
Alternate Formats
Large Print Playbills are available at all Public and Delacorte Theater season performances one week after the production has officially opened.
Braille Playbills are available at all Public and Delacorte Theater season performances one week after the production has officially opened. Both large print and Braille may be obtained from the house manager or ticket taker upon entering the theater of your attending performance.
Audio Playbills, 508 and WCAG AA compliant PDFs, designed to be used with a screen reader will be available under the Production Details on each production's page one week after the production has officially opened.
Other Public Theater print materials will be made available in alternate formats upon request with at least three weeks' notice. To request a document in an alternative format, please contact Audience Services by email at [email protected].
Audio Description
Scheduled Audio Description is set in advance for select Public and Delacorte Theater season performances throughout the year. Using a single earpiece connected to an FM headset, patrons who are blind or have low vision can listen to trained audio describers give live, verbal descriptions of actions, costumes, scenery, and other visual elements of a performance. Audio describers start pre-show notes approximately 15 minutes before the performance begins. Tickets for events that will be offered with audio descriptions may be purchased by calling us at 212.967.7555, visiting our box office, or online. Tickets may also be purchased by visiting our audio descriptions partner website TDF.org.
Patrons who wish to listen to the description must pick up a headset. Headsets are distributed free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis at the theater entrance by speaking to a House Manager, Ticket Taker, or Usher before a scheduled audio described event.
Audio Description by Request is also available at The Public Theater. Requests to audio describe non-designated events must be received at least two weeks before the event by the Director of Audience Services at 212.967.7555 or [email protected]. These requests are subject to the availability of a describer and are provided at the discretion of the management.
Patrons who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.
Digital Content for Patrons who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
American Sign Language Interpreted Digital Content
Streaming on Demand: The Public's American Sign Language YouTube Playlist
Open Captioned Digital Content
All Public Theater videos on YouTube include Closed Captioning: The Public on Theater YouTube
All Joe's Pub videos on YouTube include Auto Captioning: Joe's Pub on YouTube
In-person Services for Patrons who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Assistive Listening Devices
Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs) amplify and clarify sound by cutting down or eliminating ambient noise. FM radio assistive listening systems are installed in all of our theaters, and headsets may be used at any seat. Headsets with induction neck-loops are available for patrons who use hearing aids and cochlear implants with a "T" switch. Ask your audiologist whether your hearing aid or cochlear implant has a "T" switch (telecoil) and how to use it with an assistive listening headset.
Headsets are distributed 30 minutes before performances free of charge and on a first-come, first-served basis at the entrance to every venue at The Public by speaking to the House Manager, Ticket Taker, or a member of the Host Staff at Joe's Pub. Patrons may acquire a headset at the Box Office of the Delacorte Theater for Free Shakespeare in the Park.
American Sign Language Interpretation
American Sign Language Interpretation is scheduled for select events throughout our Astor Place and Free Shakespeare in the Park seasons. Tickets in the sign-interpreted section can be purchased online, by calling Audience Services at 212.967.755 or by email [email protected].
American Sign Language Interpretation by Request is available at The Public Theater as well. Requests for sign language interpreters, cued speech transliterators, or oral interpreters for non-designated events must be received at least two weeks before the Director of Audience Services event 212.967.7555 or [email protected]. These requests are subject to the availability of an interpreter and are provided at the management's discretion.
Upcoming American Sign Language Interpreted Performances
Open Captioning
Open Captioning is scheduled for select Public Theater events throughout the year. During these events, an experienced captioner scrolls up to three lines of text onto a four-foot-long LED sign in sync with the performance downtown at The Public. Tickets in our open captioned sections may be purchased on our website by selecting a seat that has been designated as Open Caption accessible, by visiting our box office, or by contacting our captioning partner TDF.org.
Open Captioning by Request is available at The Public Theater. Requests to caption non-designated events must be received at least two weeks before the event by the Director of Audience Services at 212.967.7555 or [email protected]. These requests are subject to the availability of a captioner and are provided at the management's discretion.
Patrons who have Mobility Disabilities.
Accessible Entrances
All entrances to the building, theaters, and restaurants are accessible. Accessible paths for our venue seating areas vary per space and may require assistance from the staff. Please visit our Venue Accessibility page for additional details on each space.
If you have any questions or concerns about accessibility during your visit, please feel free to speak to a member of our staff upon arrival or email us in advance at [email protected]. Elevators operate between the basement and the third floor of the building. The Newman has a separate elevator used to access wheelchair-accessible seating.
Accessible Seating
All venues have wheelchair- and scooter-accessible locations where patrons can remain in their wheelchairs or transfer to theater seats. Patrons who cannot or do not wish to transfer from their wheelchairs to a theater seat should request wheelchair-accessible locations when ordering tickets. Wheelchair-accessible seating may be purchased by phone, in person, and online. For personal assistance selecting accessible seats or for more information about accessibility for a person with a disability, please call us at 212.967.7555 or email us at [email protected].
Accessible Restrooms
All public restrooms are wheelchair accessible. Companion care restrooms are available by speaking to a member of our staff for assistance.
Courtesy Wheelchairs
At The Public and The Delacorte, courtesy wheelchairs, including bariatric and wheelchairs with elevating leg-rests, are available on a first-come, first-served basis upon arrival. To request a wheelchair before your arrival, please email us at [email protected] or call us at 212.967.7555 for assistance at least 48 hours before you plan to attend a performance.
Patrons who do not usually use a wheelchair are encouraged to bring a friend or companion to assist them in maneuvering the wheelchair. Staff cannot leave their posts to assist patrons in moving around our locations.
Venue-Specific Accessibility At The Public
Patrons who have Intellectual Or Developmental Disabilities.
Sensory Considerations for Performances
Production effects and content sensitivities vary from person to person, and we encourage you to contact us ([email protected] or 212.967.7555) if you have questions about any production.
Sensory Friendly Options
At the box office, staff can provide earplugs, noise-canceling headphones, and fidget toys. Please return the noise-canceling headphones after the performance.
Tips for Digital Content
Here are a few suggestions for viewing or listening to any of our digital content at home:
- Adjust the volume to a comfortable level.
- Pause recordings to take a break and return to them at any time.
- Adjust the brightness of your screen.
- Review the performance details for information about what to expect.
- Contact Audience Services at [email protected] or call 212.967.7555 (voice) with any questions.
PARTNERS IN ACCESSIBILITY.
Hands On
Hands On is a non-profit arts service organization whose mission is to provide access to New York’s vibrant arts and cultural mainstream for the Deaf and hard of hearing communities. Hands On has coordinated interpreted performances at the Delacorte Theatre since 1984 making possible access for thousands of Deaf and hard of hearing audiences to one of New York’s most iconic and exciting summer events.
TAP
TAP is an accessibility department within TDF, a not-for-profit service organization for the performing arts. Since 1979, TAP has sought to make theatre accessible, enjoyable and affordable to people with disabilities. The TAP audience is comprised of individuals of all ages who are hard of hearing, deaf, partially sighted, blind and on the autism spectrum, as well as people, who for medical reasons, cannot climb stairs, require aisle seating or use wheelchairs. TAP services include open captioned, sign language interpreted, audio described and autism-friendly performances.
YAI
YAI, yai.org, and its network of affiliate agencies offer children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities a comprehensive range of services. YAI is committed to seeing beyond disability and providing opportunities for people to live, love, work, and learn in their communities.
Founded in 1957 as the Young Adult Institute, YAI remains at the forefront of an extraordinary movement aimed at empowering people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. YAI has assumed responsibility for those originally served by the HAI organization and assisting those with disabilities in acquiring ADA Accessible tickets for Free Shakespeare in the Park.
If you are interested in reserving a ticket for yourself and one guest please contact:
by email: [email protected]
by phone: 347.701.3114