Legal Decision Puts All Broadway Theaters at Risk

[zainmax]

Posted: 10/29/17 at 8:19pm

https://www.forbes.com/sites/marchershberg/2017/10/29/legal-decision-puts-broadway-theaters-at-risk/#1973c40357d4

Do you think that the theaters have any good defensive arguments?

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 10/29/17 at 8:45pm

Really interesting stuff. Some (pretty basic) questions I have:

- How would providing tactile interpretation services logistically work at a Broadway show? Like, where in the theatre could a deaf-blind patron receive such services without disrupting the show for the rest of the audience?

- Would each of the 41 Broadway theaters be required to have a tactile interpreter on call for every performance? Or would these interpreters show up to the theaters as-needed based on the audience? That would implicate a significant difference in cost. 

[annang]

Posted: 10/29/17 at 8:53pm

The case was remanded to the lower court for further fact finding on undue burden. There’s no mandate here. 

[Fosse76]

Posted: 10/29/17 at 9:10pm

BroadwayConcierge said: "Would each of the 41 Broadway theaters be required to have a tactile interpreter on call for every performance?"

No. Offering a special performance where this is available, if only once a year, would satisfy the ADA.

[dearalanaaaa]

Posted: 10/29/17 at 9:21pm

A soultion: every show becomes deaf west spring awakening. We get Deaf Evan Hansen, and the Deaf comet of 1812

[gypsy101]

Posted: 10/29/17 at 9:25pm

being both deaf and blind really must be terrible, i couldn’t even imagine.

[kaykordeath]

Posted: 10/29/17 at 11:24pm

BroadwayConcierge said: "Really interesting stuff. Some (pretty basic) questions I have:


- Would each of the 41 Broadway theaters be required to have a tactile interpreter on call for every performance? Or would these interpreters show up to the theaters as-needed based on the audience?That would implicate asignificantdifference in cost."

I wonder if they could make it the responsibility of the production to comply...

[CallMeAl2]

Posted: 10/29/17 at 11:28pm

BroadwayConcierge said: "...where in the theatre could a deaf-blind patron receive such services without disrupting the show for the rest of the audience?"

Couldn't this service be provided equally well at home? What's the point of even being in the theater?

[dramamama611]

Posted: 10/29/17 at 11:40pm

The community, the energy, being with the people you love?

It can't be any more distracting that at a movie....besides, that is not a valid point. The law protects the disabled, not the ables.

I would imagine, it would have to be requested with enough lead time to secure someone. I doubt a once after offering would be enough.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 10/29/17 at 11:46pm

So anyone who needs an interpreter contacts the theatre ahead of time, they contact someone who is on-call and they show up for that person. The theatre companies could have 1-2 people depending on how many theatres they own. It's not that hard to accommodate.

The Hamilton lawsuit was insane, though. 25 live audio descriptions per week, at a cost of $25,000 per month to accommodate maybe a handful of visually impaired people who see Hamilton? Record it once, the staging won't change.

[michaelhale]

Posted: 10/30/17 at 12:20am

This sounds much less of a burden on Broadway theaters than movie theaters. As people have said it could be requested in advance and be in a specific seat/area where there will be room for the interpreter as well, like wheelchair accommodations. With ticket prices as they are I don't think $250 every now and again to accommodate blind-deaf people who want to go out to the theater with family and friends to enjoy a show, or even by themselves- like regarding why they'd want to go in the first place: we're all theater fans, guys, do we not go to the theater just to go to the theater sometimes!

[Soaring29]

Posted: 10/30/17 at 2:52am

Are the interpreters sitting down next to the person or are they standing up?