MYArts is a place where you–your art, your ideas, and your identity–matter.
The MYArts building was designed with accessibility in mind. As a new facility, we took care to make our physical spaces and our communications accessible to a wide part of our community. This includes single stall restrooms, a sensory room, prime accessible seating in the theater, and more. As an organization, inclusion is one of MYArts’ core values–we welcome all young people to experience the arts and we strive to foster a sense of belonging among all involved, and we have a strong commitment to growing access and equity to the youth, families, and communities who use our building.
Read below to learn more.
If you have any questions or requests regarding accessibility, please contact Jess Courtier via email at info@madisonyoutharts.org.
Mobility Needs
Around the Building:
- Elevator access is available at each public level.
- Entrances to the building (both from the street and the attached parking garage) are no-step on the ground-level and are equipped with power doors.
- Curbside drop-off is available at both the front entrance and in the parking garage.
- Wheelchair-accessible bathrooms, water fountains, sinks, soap and towel dispensers are on all floors.
- A limited number of courtesy wheelchairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
In the theaters:
- In the Starlight Theater, there is integrated and dispersed wheelchair and easy-access seating. These seating locations offer prime viewing of the stage.
- In the Sunrise Theater, there is flexible seating which provides easy accommodation for a wheelchair.
- Both theaters have no-step access to the stage and backstage areas.
In the classrooms and rehearsal studios:
- All of our classrooms and rehearsal studios are no-step and wheelchair accessible.
Multilingual Wayfinding
MYArts has signage on each floor, classroom, and shared space of the building clearly marked in three different languages: English, Spanish, & Hmong.
Blind or Low Vision Guests
MYArts has signage on each floor, classroom, and shared space of the building clearly marked in three different languages and in braille. The elevator interior also includes braille signage.
Service Animals
Service animals are welcome! If enrolling in a program or purchasing a ticket for a performance at MYArts, please let the arts organization hosting the event know so they can assist in accommodating you and your service animal.
D/deaf or Hard of Hearing Guests
Assistive Listening Devices are available in both theaters for people who are hard of hearing. They work by amplifying and clarifying sound, and by cutting out ambient noise.
Assistive Listening Devices come with an individual receiver—about the size of a small flip phone. There are two types of headsets available:
- The assistive listening device may be used with headphones (provide your own or borrow ones from MYArts) to provide amplified sound to each ear.
- The ear phone/neck loop lanyard can be used as the induction loop for those users who have T-coil enabled hearing aids or cochlear implants, inducing the received audio directly into these T-coil enabled devices.
Guests should discuss with their audiologist whether their hearing aid or cochlear implant has a “T” switch and how to use it with an Assistive Listening Headset.
Guests also have the option of bringing their own headset or earbuds to use with our receivers.
Please be prepared to leave an ID to borrow equipment.
All borrowed equipment should be returned to the concessions area after the show.
Tips:
- Keep listening devices away from cell phones. They may not work properly if they are too close to your phone during the performance.
- Find your seat and test the listening device before the show starts. Make sure you know where the power and volume buttons are, and find an usher for assistance if you have questions.
Seating Map & Social Story
For the seating chart for the Starlight Theater, CLICK HERE.
For the social story for visiting the Starlight Theater, CLICK HERE.
Restrooms
- MYArts has two types of restrooms:
- Gender Inclusive Restrooms: Single stall restrooms include lockable doors to provide privacy for individual users. All single-stall restrooms have changing stations.
- “She/They” and “He/They” Gendered Restrooms. Both of these gendered restrooms on the performance venue(s) level have a changing station.
Sensory Processing Needs
- MYArts has a dedicated sensory room (studio 1A) with adjustable lighting, noise-canceling devices, and a safe place to relax and decompress.
Breast or Chest Feeding Guests
Guests are welcome to breast or chest feed their child wherever they feel comfortable in the public lobbies of MYArts. There is a private wellness room for feeding or pumping on the third floor.
Wellness Room
The private MYArts wellness room is located on the third floor. It includes:
- Lockable Door
- Small Counter Space
- Comfortable Seating
- Soft / Adjustable Lighting
- Electrical Outlets
- Refrigerator
- Sink
- Changing Table
- Paper Towel Dispenser
- Garbage Can
Food
- A snack and beverage vending machine is available in the 3rd floor community room
- Food and beverages are not allowed in the theaters.
- Food and beverages may be consumed in hallways and lobbies throughout the building.
- Food and beverages may be consumed in most studios upon approval from your program director. Only water may be consumed in studios 2C and 2E.
