During the day I am a special educator. I have a strong passion for accessibility advocacy and quickly assess the locations we visit as a family to determine if they would be suitable places to visit with my students and to promote to my wider school community. Over the years physical accessibility has become something that is carefully thought out by architects and engineers but we are only beginning to really plan the acoustic and visual components of public sites that will make them accessible for our community members that require these modifications.
Since 2006 when they released their first Accessibility Strategy, The Sydney Opera House has made a conscious decision to make this Australian landmark accessible for everyone. They have become a leader within the Performing Arts community in this area.
Recently I was excited to hear about Sydney Opera House’s 2015 program of accessible performances and experiences for people with disabilities. Their strategy sees a number of accommodations and adjustments adopted across the setting to make it accessible for everyone. This includes Auslan-interpretation, audio-description and live-captioning of theatre, opera and concerts, pre-show sensory touch tours and excursions to familiarise children with sensory disabilities with the venue before they see a show.
To meet their philosophy of inclusion, the Sydney Opera House has also embraced a number of initiatives. I’m much impressed with the sensory-theatre production Oddysea which is a multi-sensory performance for children with special needs created by Sensorium Theatre. This company is dedicated to the transformative power of live performance for children with disabilities, and a first for an Australian performing arts centre. The Balnaves Foundation Open House Program is also an outstanding initiative providing $5 tickets to people who face barriers to accessing live performance at the House due to social and financial disadvantage. Who says only the rich can enjoy the Sydney Opera House!
At the Access program launch, Sydney Opera House CEO Louise Herron AM said: “Our vision for the House is of a space open to all and enjoyed by all. During the past decade we greatly improved access to the building and to the performances beneath its sails. In the next decade – our decade of renewal – access will be an even stronger focus. With the beautiful example of Oddysea as a starting point, we also look forward to offering more immersive creative opportunities.”
If you are interested in reading more about the Sydney Opera House Access All Areas initiative please head to sydneyoperahouse.com/accessibility.