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Spring 2008 July '08 September '08 October '08 November '08 December '08 - January '09
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The Orchard Theatre - Disability Access Policy The Orchard Theatre is firmly committed to enabling all our patrons to participate in our events equally and with dignity and respect. In order to further this commitment, The Orchard Theatre has adopted the Disability Access Policy set out in this document. For the purposes of this policy, “disability” is to be understood in the broadest sense of the word and covers all disabilities coming within the scope of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. KEY AIMS The key aims of this policy are to ensure that: 1. all our patrons are able to access and enjoy live entertainment, music, dance and drama; 2. disabled patrons are not treated less favourably for a reason relating to their disability than others to whom that reason does not apply; 3. all reasonable steps are taken to prevent any of the physical features of the Theatre (or indeed our practices, policies and procedures) from making it unreasonably difficult for disabled patrons to make use of our services; 4. all reasonable steps are taken to provide auxiliary aids and services to enable and assist disabled patrons in making use of our services; 5. disabled patrons therefore feel as valued and experience the same high levels of satisfaction with our services as our other patrons. REALISING OUR AIMS Set out below are some of the ways in which we have sought to realize our key aims. Staff The Theatre Manager has overall responsibility for looking after our disabled patrons’ interests and should be your first point of contact if you have any queries regarding this policy. At each performance at the Theatre, we also aim to provide at least two attendants who have been specifically trained in disability awareness and who will be available to assist disabled patrons in accessing our services. In addition, all our members of staff are provided with regular basic training in disability awareness and etiquette, are aware of this policy and are able to assist patrons with queries regarding disabled access to the Theatre. Those who need additional assistance The Theatre operates a scheme for those who need somebody to be present, in order to assist them to readily access the theatre and its services. Our Disabled Assistance Scheme allows members a free ticket so that they can bring an assistant with them at no additional cost. Joining is free and simple but necessary in order to combat fraud. There are two types of membership, Individual and Organisation, both require completion of an application form giving contact details and any information the disabled person would like recorded to assist with their visits. The applicant or their appointed representative will be required to sign a declaration that the person concerned is restricted in their ability to access the services provided in The Orchard Theatre without assistance. The Assistant must be able to help the disabled person access the theatre and its facilities, remaining with them to ensure their wellbeing and comfort. All tickets are subject to availability at the time of booking. The theatre reserves the right to review the availability of tickets within the scheme, to review a member’s eligibility and to revoke that membership following review. The application forms are available to be printed from this web site by clicking on the link below. The forms also provide details of eligibility for the different membership types. Access to the Theatre Parking The theatre has six on-site parking bays for the priority use of patrons who are members of the Disability Assistance scheme when attending a performance. A free car park entry token and permit is sent out to such patrons who request the facility at the time of booking, with the tickets for the performance. If any of these spaces are still available on the day of the performance, they will be offered to disabled badge-holders on a first come, first served basis (whether by telephone or in person). In addition to the on-site bays, there are five public disabled parking spaces in Suffolk Road to the right of the clock-tower and further spaces are available in the town centre and on the lower level of the Orchards Shopping Centre Car Park. Please note that, due to health and safety reasons, our staff are unable to assist disabled patrons in and out of their transport or mobility equipment. Inside the Theatre There is wheelchair/level access to the stalls, lower bar/café and disabled toilets, via a ramp to the right of the main entrance. Our staff at the lower café/bar will gladly assist those patrons who have difficulty directly accessing our Box Office. All of our stairs have handrails except those in the auditorium. Most of the seating within the auditorium is of the traditional raked amphitheatre style with steps to each row. In particular, the upper circle seating and steps are high and steep without handrails. Customers with mobility difficulties may wish to avoid this area. Wheelchair users are accommodated in six licensed spaces, three each side of the front stalls, adjacent to ramped emergency exits. Additional seating is provided next to these spaces for a companion. As the use of motorised mobility scooters in the busy public areas of the theatre may pose a hazard, disabled customers who are unable to access the Theatre by other means must inform the Box Office at the time of booking or (where tickets have not been pre-booked) immediately upon arrival. Our staff will then be able to provide those customers with information regarding the safe use of their scooter in the theatre. Customers who do not need to enter the Theatre on their mobility scooter are able to park them outside. The Orchard Theatre reserves the right to refuse admission to any customer, where it is believed by the Duty Manager that, at such time, admission would contravene the conditions of the licence and/or pose a higher than acceptable risk to public safety. Patrons who require particular seating arrangements in order to accommodate difficulties they may have in attending performances should contact the Box Office. Patrons and their carers/assistants are welcome to visit the Theatre prior to attending a performance in order to familiarize themselves with the Theatre’s layout. These visits can be arranged by contacting the Duty Manager on 01322 220099 or by email orchard.theatre@dartford.gov.uk The Box Office is briefed on the style of performances in case either a patron or their assistant require further information as to its suitability for that patron prior to deciding whether to book. Information is offered in good faith. However please be aware that the creative elements of a live performance may not have been finalised at the time of booking and may even be changed during the performance day. Warning notices advising of the use of stroboscopic lighting effects and pyrotechnic explosives are displayed in the entrance foyer on the day of the performances concerned. Further assistance for those with impaired hearing Hearing-aid systems The Theatre has installed two systems to help those with impaired hearing: 1 Firstly, the Theatre is equipped with an Infra-Red audio enhancement system. Both infrared headphone receivers and necklace style induction loop transceivers (which work in tandem with an existing hearing aid set to “T”) are available and can be pre-ordered when the initial booking is made and then collected from the Box Office before the performance commences. No fee is charged for the use of these receivers although a £5 refundable deposit is required. 2 Secondly, the Theatre is equipped with an induction loop system which can be used by those with hearing aids. In order to use the system, a patron should set their hearing aid to the 'T' position once inside the auditorium. The system works best if the patron is seated in the centre of the auditorium and so patrons who wish to use this service should inform the Box Office at the time of booking so that a suitable seat can be found. For loud music concerts these systems may not be suitable. The Box Office is able to provide advice as to whether these systems may be suitable in respect of any particular show. These systems are regularly checked to ensure that they are operating correctly. However, in the unlikely event that you experience any difficulty, please report the matter to a member of staff. Signed performances The theatre also arranges signed interpreted performances of selected shows from time-to-time. Details of these shows may be obtained upon request from the Box Office and will be included within the seasonal brochure and on the theatre’s website. To support easier communication there is a facility for exchanging written notes between staff and customers at our Box Office and other points of sale. Further assistance for those whose sight is impaired A seat space can be made available for the use of guide/assistance dogs. Please advise the Box Office at the time of booking, so that suitable arrangements can be made The Theatre is currently reviewing all our signs in order to ensure that they are in sufficiently large print and well-lit, so that those with sight impairments are able to read them. A Braille version of the seasonal brochure, this policy and the Disability Access Scheme are held in the Box Office. Large print versions of these documents, as well as of those programmes that are produced in-house, are also available with advance notice to the Box Office. Your comments We regularly review this policy as well as the facilities we provide to disabled patrons, in order to ensure that all our disabled patrons feel welcome at the Theatre. We greatly appreciate any suggestions you may have about how we could improve your access to, and enjoyment of, the Theatre and its facilities. Comment cards are obtainable from our staff upon request and are also available in large print. Alternatively comments can be made via Email to orchard.access@dartford.gov.uk or by post to “Access Policy” The Orchard Theatre, Home Gardens, Dartford DA1 1ED. | ||||||
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