Audiences We Can Help You Reach
- TDF Accessibility Programs (TAP) has a membership list of approximately 25,500 people with physical disabilities, including 9,800 with mobility loss, 8,400 who are Deaf or hard of hearing, 5,100 who are blind or have low vision, and 2,200 who use American Sign Language as their primary means of communication. Services include accessible orchestra seating, open captioning, audio description and sign language interpreting.
- TDF Autism Friendly Performances has a mailing list of more than 10,000 families and presents special performances of Broadway shows in a welcoming and supportive environment for neurodiverse audiences, including individuals with autism or other developmental or cognitive disabilities.
How You Can Work With TDF to Reach These Audiences
Provide tickets for general TAP performances, which involves:
- For Broadway: 50 orchestra seats at half price, plus facility fee, for each of five different performances, preferably three matinees and two evenings, that include two wheelchair locations and five aisle seats (no partial views) each
- For Off Broadway: 20 orchestra seats at half price, plus facility fee, for each of five different performances, preferably three matinees and two evenings, that include one wheelchair location and three aisle seats (no partial views) each
Provide tickets for TDF-sponsored open captioned, audio described or sign language interpreted performances, which involves:
- Block of 125 orchestra seats at half price, plus facility fee
- Current script and access to show for service providers’ rehearsal purposes
- Technical accommodations for TDF service providers, i.e.: dedicated line for open caption operator to plug in LED display and laptop; suitable location of audio describer’s transmitter; lighting for interpreters
- Killed/comped seats, first/second rows for blocked sightlines, services providers, assisting TDF staff; audio describer, different location needed, typically box seats or sound booth
- Assurance of no additional expense to TDF or your show for providing these accessible performances through TDF/Local One letters of agreement
Provide tickets for TDF-sponsored Autism Friendly Performances, which involves:
- A weekend matinee with an earlier start time to avoid Times Square theatre crowds, i.e. 1 p.m. start instead of 2 or 3 p.m., along with a less congested atmosphere for patrons entering the lobby
- TDF buyout of entire house at 50% or less of regular box office price
- Designated performance off sale to general public with TDF as the only source for tickets
- Mutually agreed upon production modifications and lobby break areas
- Preview of show for autism consultants to vet production modifications and lobby break areas
- Signed letter of agreement stipulating that any additional costs associated with production modifications are paid for by the company and not TDF
- TDF/Local One letter of agreement ensuring no additional expense to TDF for sponsoring the Autism Friendly Performance
- Production photos provided by press office for pre-performance resource material; i.e. character guides
- TDF cast and house staff trainings at the theatre one or two days before the Autism Friendly Performance that last 20-30 minutes and go over aspects of autism, what types of behavior may occur, how best to interact with someone on the spectrum and what to do in case something unexpected happens
- TDF volunteers who are professionals in the autism field or have hands-on experience to assist at the performance, typically same number as house staff
- Willingness of the theatre to receive and store supplies for the performance the Friday before the weekend matinee. Supplies will be picked up the next Monday or Tuesday by TDF’s prearranged pickup service
Additional Information
Sometimes, producers are able to cover the cost of providing open captioned, audio described or sign language interpreted performances on their own. If this is the case and you are able to give us an allocation of tickets in the orchestra at half price in the designated seating area for the service being provided, we are happy to help market and sell some of the tickets for you.
Sometimes, producers ask us to sponsor open captioned, audio described, sign language interpreted or autism/sensory-friendly/relaxed performances of one or several shows and we don’t have the necessary budget. In this case, we are happy to recommend service providers for producers to contact on their own.
When producers offer their own autism/sensory-friendly/relaxed performances, we are happy to help spread the word on our social media platforms in lieu of selling tickets or sharing our Autism Friendly Performances mailing list.
More questions? Feel free to contact us at tap@tdf.org.
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