At any given day throughout the State of New York, countless cultural organizations (theatre companies, museums, festivals) offer programming that provide only limited access to patrons with mild to severe hearing loss. To help make these events more accessible,
TDF (aka Theatre Development Fund) a non-profit service organization, in partnership with the
New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), administers
TAP-Plus. Founded in 1999, TAP-Plus awards grants of up to $5,000 for open captioning services to eligible cultural organizations throughout New York State. Any institution that currently receives NYSCA funding is eligible to apply for a TAP-Plus grant.
“During this difficult time, we’re grateful to NYSCA for continuing to fund this program that is essential for organizations to be able to provide access for people with mild to severe hearing loss,” said
Lisa Carling,
TDF’s Director of Accessibility Programs.
This year, 21 organizations throughout New York State will receive a combined amount of $87.000 towards providing this needed access for their audiences. They are:
Apollo Theatre,
Ars Nova,
Bristol Valley Theater,
Brooklyn Arts Council,
Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM),
Geva Theatre Center,
Harlem Stage,
Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival,
Irish Classical Theatre Company,
Jack Arts,
JCC Rochester,
Playwrights Horizons,
Second Stage Theater,
Signature Theatre,
Spanish Theatre Repertory Company (Repertorio Español),
St. Ann’s Warehouse,
Symphony Space,
Syracuse Stage,
Theater Breaking Through Barriers,
The New Group and
The Public Theater.
TAP-Plus helps this underserved constituency to enjoy the unique cultural experiences provided by these organizations. For more information, go to:
www.tdf.org/tap.
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TDF ACCESSIBILITY PROGRAMS consists of eight programs which make theatre-going possible for young people and adults with physical disabilities, as well as individuals on the autism spectrum. They provide a full range of services, including autism friendly performances of theatre productions; accessible seating for those with mobility issues; and open captioned, sign language interpreted and audio described performances of Broadway and Off Broadway shows for theatregoers with hearing and vision loss. TDF also trains theatres in the U.S. and abroad on how to set up open captioning programs and autism friendly shows, and offers an educational enrichment program for students who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind or with low vision. TDF collaborates with the Broadway League on developing and maintaining the website
theatreaccess.nyc.
ABOUT TDFFounded in 1968, TDF is a not-for-profit service organization dedicated to bringing the power of the performing arts to everyone. TDF’s mission is to sustain live theatre and dance by engaging a broad and diverse audience and eliminating barriers to attendance. TDF fulfills its mission with a variety of programs that expand access, cultivate communities and support the makers of the performing arts.
TDF is known for its theatregoing programs, including the TKTS Discount Ticket Booths and TDF Membership program; Accessibility programs (including open captioned, sign language interpreted, audio described and autism friendly performances); Education & Engagement programs (serving more than 12,000 New York City students annually and thousands of underserved individuals and veterans); as well as the TDF Costume Collection Rental and Research programs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, TDF continued to serve its constituents by crafting inventive virtual adaptations of its programs via Zoom and other streaming platforms. For more information go to:
www. tdf.org.
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