This publication is the second edition of an accessibility guide to New York City's cultural resources. It will enable people with disabilities to judge in advance the physical and programmatic accessibility of New York City's cultural institutions. It does not rate sites or judge degrees of accessibility.

HAI (Hospital Audiences, Inc.) is proud that Access for All has become a tool for thousands of people with disabilities. As in the first edition, the data included reflects that which consumers regard as the most essential and practical and is in as concise a format as possible.

Methodology and Disclaimer

Every venue in this guide has been sent a copy of the information listed for verification and/or adjustment. In most instances, the venues responded.

Please note that the listing of a space in this guide, such as a restroom, does not imply that it is accessible. Instead, we have noted the presence or location of a feature and, to the extent possible, provided information to assist individuals in deciding if the feature is accessible to them.

HAI would welcome corrections to any inaccuracies that are found.

The galleries listed were chosen by individuals with knowledge of trends and artistic movements.

Glossary of Terms

The guide uses words which have developed a variety of meanings as various laws and standards have come about or been changed in recent years. For example, the New York City Building Code Accessibility Amendments of 1987 (generally known as Local Law 58), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as well as City and State Human Rights Laws, all of which apply to venues in New York City, each have somewhat different requirements and define key words in different ways. This guide is not a compliance manual for any of these laws and does not ask its readers to consult any of them to understand the information presented here; anyone seeking"to measure compliance with the various laws and standards should look to them and seek expert professional guidance.

The guide's goal is to make it easier for individuals with disabilities to know what they will encounter as they seek to patronize cultural facilities so that they will make more use of these facilities. Thus, set forth below are what this guide means when it uses these important terms.

In order to limit the size of each access guide entry, certain assumptions had to be made, citing relevant data only when there are exceptions to these assumptions. One key assumption is the existence of a wheelchair accessible, barrier-free route from outside the institution to each of the elements listed, unless otherwise noted, enabling most consumers with disabilities to arrive at their destination unescorted and without being dependent upon the help of others.

NOTE: USE OF THE WORD ACCESSIBLE

In most instances, the word "accessible" means that a space complies with all standards with respect to all disabilities or impairments, including visual, hearing, mental, as well as mobility .This is far different from saying that a space is only "wheelchair accessible". The latter term is used in the guide because few institutions have facilities in which all aspects are totally accessible.

NEW FEATURE!:

HAI has added a short description of pertinent entrance information especially useful to people using wheelchairs or those who would have difficulties with steps.

ACCESS INFORMATION:

Refers to information which a person with a disability can secure in advance regarding details on accessibility for a particular institution using the telephone number or address listed. For some venues, this is the box office; for others, it may be a particular office within the cultural institution. Names of individuals are not included as they may change. Where a telephone is listed with no number, the telephone number to be used is the one given in the institution heading. Fax numbers have been added where available; this is an important source for obtaining information for deaf and hard of hearing individuals.

AUXILIARY AIDS & SERVICES:

These are measures which a venue provides to ensure that no individual with a disability is excluded, denied services, segregated or otherwise treated differently. Listed below are examples.

Hearing:

• Assistive listening devices
• Telecommunication devices for the deaf (TTY's)
• Qualified interpreters
• Telephone hand set amplifiers
• Written materials
• Telephones compatible with hearing aids
• Closed caption decoders
• Open and closed captioning
• Video text displays

Visual:

• Qualified readers
• Taped texts
• Audio recordings
• Brailled materials
• Large print materials

PARKING:

SVI Permit (Special Vehicle Identification Permit) designates street parking legally permitted for people with disabilities. There are many specific rules which apply. For information or to apply for an SVI Permit call the New York City Department of Transportation Parking Permits for People with Disabilities (PPPD) Unit: (718) 433-3229 Monday through Friday. Lot applies to an outside facility and garage to an indoor facility. Parking in either lot or garage may be valet parking, where the consumer is asked to leave their car/van, or self park. Street parking rules may vary in different neighborhoods.

PASSENGER LOADING ZONE:

This term as used in the guide indicates that a space exists for a vehicle to pull up to load and unload passengers. Use of the term does not necessarily mean the venue complies with full ADA or Local Law 58 standards, which are often difficult given the realities of New York City traffic. Many have parking meters in front of their entrances, effectively eliminating such a zone. Others are on heavily trafficked streets, limiting a vehicle's ability to stop. If there are curbs between the entrance and the loading zone, then a curb ramp is needed.

CURB RAMPS:

Sometimes called curb cuts, these enable people using wheelchairs to get onto a sidewalk on their own easily, to cross from sidewalk to sidewalk, and to move between the passenger loading zone and a venue's entrance. Unfortunately, many curb ramps in New York City have lips or bumps, a fact that is noted wherever possible. Usually, wheelchair accessible ramps are no steeper than 1: 12. (The ratio refers to an elevation or rise of one unit for each 12 units of length, ~, one foot rise in a twelve foot run.) Ramps are assumed to be 1 :12 (or less steep, for example 1 :15), unless otherwise noted. A switchback ramp is one that reverses direction or zigzags.

ENTRANCE:

This term refers to the main entrance of an institution. If it is not accessible to people with disabilities and there is an alternate entrance which is more accessible, this alternate entrance is also listed with specific details about use, impediments and measurements. When steps are mentioned, any unusual aspects-steepness, irregularity, mild gradation, etc.-are noted. All measurements of door, including doors to internal spaces such as restrooms, stalls, etc., reflect the clearance available for a wheelchair user. For some venues located above or below ground in a building such as an office building, the write-up includes information which describes how the building entrance connects to the venue's entrance.

ALTERNATE ENTRANCE:

Throughout this guide, reference is made to the existence of alternate entrances when the main entrance is not wheelchair accessible, and if the alternate entrance provides any degree of improvement for people using wheelchairs. In these instances, specific details about use and impediments with measurements are provided. It is recommended that the consumer call ahead to determine if any special arrangements need to be made to have this entrance open upon arrival.

BOX OFFICE:

This term refers to the place where tickets are sold, including traditional box offices, information tables, and portable outdoor stands. All counters are assumed to be a maximum of 48" high and to have an area in front, simply called clear space, of 30" x 48" for a person using a wheelchair to approach. Unless otherwise noted, where several box office counters exist, side by side, the dimensions of the most usable are noted. This assumes, if closed, the venue will open a closed box office if requested.

ELEVATOR:

Elevators are either attended, i.e. run by an employee of the institution, or automatic. If automatic, information is given in order for people with a disability to determine if they can operate the elevator on their own. Elements selected include:

• Height of call buttons used to summon elevator
• Size of elevator-that is, if it would be difficult to accommodate a person using a wheelchair
• Whether buttons are Brailled and/or in raised letters
• Whether there are visual and audible signals
• Unusual doors, e.g. manually opened
• Location, if in area other than main entry

WATER FOUNTAIN:

Water fountains are either recessed into a wall (usually inaccessible to people using wheelchairs) or mounted on a wall. The key data listed for the latter is the height of the spout; it is assumed that there is a clear space of 30" x 48" for a person using a wheelchair to approach from an accessible route, unless otherwise noted.

TELEPHONE:

All telephones are assumed to be push-button unless otherwise specified. If a telephone is in a booth, it is usually inaccessible to someone using a wheelchair. If it is wall-mounted the key elements are:

• Length of cord
• Height of coin slot
• Presence of volume control

RESTROOM:

If people using wheelchairs can enter a theater lobby and the theater itself, but the public amenities (e.g., restrooms, telephones, water fountains) can only be reached by stairs up or down, this fact is noted. (In such instances, information about these amenities relevant to people using wheelchairs is omitted since, by definition, they cannot access them on their own). Where a venue has multiple restrooms, those that are most usable are noted. The key elements are:

• Women's, men's, unisex
• Size of stall (or dimensions of unisex room), where available
• Width of entrance door
• Width of stall/room doors, assumed to open out, unless otherwise noted
• Height of commode
• Presence of grab bars
• Height of urinal in men's room
• The wall to wall size of a stall or unisex room is given unless otherwise noted. In these latter instances, the smaller clear space is noted if the location of toilet, sink or grab bars could significantly reduce the size of the stall/room.

WHEELCHAIR LOCATIONS FOR THEATERS, CONCERT HALLS, AND PERFORMANCE SPACES:

It might be helpful for a person using a wheelchair to contact a venue in advance to avoid delay or difficulty at the performance in removing any seats necessary to accommodate the consumer By definition (ADA), a wheelchair location must be connected to an accessible (barrier free) route. Therefore. for those theaters which are up any number of stairs, even those in which people using wheelchairs have been voluntarily carried up stairs, the sp~ces utilized by individuals using wheelchairs on these occasions are not called wheelchair locations per se in this guide; rather, the history of people using wheelchairs attending the venue in question is noted. Likewise, spaces carved out in front of the first row with resulting difficult sight lines are also not labeled wheelchair locations, but their existence is noted. As of this writing, there are theaters in which aisle seats are sold to people using wheelchairs with the option to transfer. Should someone not transfer, they often will be located in an aisle, sometimes in front of an exit door and often on a sloped surface. The policies set forth in the guide are those presented by the venues.

EXHIBITS FOR MUSEUMS, GALLERIES AND HISTORICAL SITES:

The key elements are:

• Room to maneuver around exhibits (36" wide)
• Signage outside of venues
• Audio description of exhibits for people with visual impairments
• High-contrast signage, large print (18 point or larger), Braille
• Touch tours or tactile opportunities
• Signs at height that a person using wheelchair can easily view
• Access to replicas or models of areas which are inaccessible
• Signage in exhibits

Known Resources Available:

There are several resources available for deaf and hard of hearing individuals, as well as blind and visually impaired individuals, who attend Broadway and off-Broadway shows.

Sign Language Interpreted Performances:

• Broadway Sign language interpreted performances are provided by the Theater Development Fund's Theater Access Program (TAP). For more information: Voice: (212) 221-1103; TTY: (212) 719-4537; www.tdf.org
  Reservations are recommended and can be made in advance for Infared headsets or neckloops for Broadway shows by calling Sound Associates: (212) 582-7678. Reservations can be made for up to two headsets per show.
• Off-Broadway: Sign language interpreted performances for off-Broadway shows are provided by Hands On. For more information: Voice and TrY. (212) 627-4898. Several theaters work with this organization regularly and are noted where appropriate in the guide. Hands On also publishes a monthly calendar of events for the deaf community (www.handson.org).

Audio Description Services for People who are Blind or Visually Impaired:

HAI has created a program to enhance the theater-going experience for individuals who are blind and visually impaired. The program is called DESCRIBE! and has two components:

• The first is Program Notes, which features live description or pre- recorded audio cassettes giving an overview of the show: the theater itself, sets, characters, costumes and any special staging. This service is available for selected shows and can be enjoyed prior to the performance or by securing a cassette from HAI before the show.
• The second component is live Audio Description. HAI schedules a trained volunteer, located in the theater, to transmit a live description of the physical action on stage, during pauses in the dialogue, to audience members who are provided with a small receiver with one earpiece. Reservations for both the tickets, which have to be purchased either through HAI or the theater, and receivers, which are provided free of charge, must be made through HAI. For more information call DESCRIBE! at (212) 575-7663.