Accessibility
The Arden is for Everyone
Arden Theatre Company complies with all applicable federal, state and local statutes and laws to ensure accessibility to all who visit our theater.
- For Patrons with Mobility Concerns & Wheelchairs
- For Deaf or Hearing-Impaired Patrons
- For Blind or Vision-Impaired Patrons
- For Patrons with Sensory Processing Needs
- For Patrons who Require Medical Assistance & Service Dogs
When inquiring about Accessibility Services and Policies at the Arden, or if there is an Accessibility Service you do not see listed here, please call the box office at 215.922.1122, or email boxofficer@ardentheatre.org
Information and Services
For Patrons with Mobility Concerns & Wheelchairs
Accessible Seating
The Arden aims to seat all our patrons in locations that will make their theatre experience comfortable and enjoyable. We offer seating accommodations to patrons who use wheelchairs or have other accessibility requests, such as the need for an aisle seat, or to sit close due to concern with stairs or hearing/vision loss. Patrons who use a wheelchair can transfer to a theatre seat, or may remain in their chair and request for a seat to be removed.
You may choose your own seat when purchasing online, or can request these accommodations by calling the box office. If a performance is ever General Admission seating, please call the box office to reserve an accessible seat for that performance.
To best meet your seating needs, we encourage you to plan your Arden visit early. Please call the Box Office at 215.922.1122 or email at boxofficer@ardentheatre.org so that we can assist you with purchasing accessible seating.
Elevator
There is one elevator in the main lobby that will take patrons to the second floor who cannot or have concerns with using the stairs. The elevator is straight back upon entering the lobby, past the box office and concessions (directly under the ‘H’ in the “F. Otto Haas Stage” sign).
Patrons can use the elevator to reach the second floor for additional lobby seating and entry to any performances taking place on the Arcadia Stage.
For Deaf or Hearing-Impaired Patrons
Assistive Listening Devices
The Arden offers Assistive Listening Devices (ALD’s) for every performance in all three of our theatre spaces. Our ALD devices were recently replaced in the fall of 2019, thanks to a generous grant from the McLean Contributionship.
ALD’s amplify the sound coming from onstage and eliminates unwanted ambient noise. Any patron can use this service with a device and headphones provided by Arden staff. Patrons with hearing aids that have a t-coil setting are also able to borrow an ALD along with a personal neck loop that will connect the device to your hearing aids once the t-coil setting is enabled.
Should you wish to borrow an ALD during your visit to the Arden, check in with the Box Office when you arrive to request one. Please note that you will need to hand in proof of identification to borrow a device that will be returned to you after the performance.
Open Captioning (OC)
Open Captioning is a text display of all of the words and sounds heard during a production. This screen is visible to all patrons during the performance. When purchasing for a Captioned performance online, note as part of your order that you’re interested in having a best possible view of the captioning screen.
You can also purchase over the phone through our Box Office at 215.922.1122 and inquire to ensure that your seating location will provide a suitable view of the captioning screen.
Upcoming Open Captioned Performances for our 2024-2025 Mainstage Season:
AUGUST WILSON’S KING HEDLEY II:
Friday, March 21, 2025 at 7:00 PM and Saturday, March 22, 2025 at 2:00 PM
RENT:
Friday, June 6, 2025 at 7:00 PM and Saturday, June 7, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Smart Caption Glasses
Officially piloted in our 2023-2024 Season during Ladysitting, Smart Caption Glasses are a wearable closed captioning experience that uses a synchronized transcript of the play’s dialogue and sound effects. The Glasses are programmed to listen to the show as it is performed and display the captions in real-time, directly in the wearer’s eyes, while still being able to see the action onstage.
Upon request, patrons will receive a pair of glasses and an attached controller to tailor the viewing experience to their needs, including text brightness, color, size, position, and focus. These adjustments can be made at any time during the performance. An Arden staff member will guide patrons through how to use the device and hand them this informational pamphlet to refer to if needed once in the theater.
Inquire with the Box Office when purchasing or picking up your tickets about borrowing a pair of Smart Caption Glasses – or, include a reservation as a free add-on to your order when purchasing a valid performance online.
Smart Caption Glasses are available for performances of the 2024-25 Season:
AUGUST WILSON’S KING HEDLEY II:
Starting Tuesday, March 11, 2025
THE HOBBIT:
Starting Friday, April 18, 2025
RENT:
Starting Tuesday, May 27, 2025
Smart Caption Glasses at the Arden are made possible with the generous support of the Virginia Brown Martin Fund of the Philadelphia Foundation. The Smart Caption Glasses Project was made possible in the U.S. with generous support from: The Barra Foundation, The Knight Foundation, and The National Endowment for the Arts.
American Sign Language (ASL) Shadow Interpretation
Shadow Interpreting using American Sign Language (ASL INT) offers live ASL by interpreters who “shadow” the actors, following their movement onstage while interpreting the dialogue. This allows patrons who are Deaf or hard of hearing the ability to watch the actors and interpreters simultaneously.
Arden Theatre Company is proud to offer ASL Shadow Signing for our Children’s Theatre productions in partnership with Hands UP Productions.
Upcoming ASL Interpreted Performances for our 2024-2025 Children’s Theatre Season:
PETER PAN:
Friday, January 17, 2025 at 10:30 AM and Saturday, January 18, 2025 at 4:00 PM
THE HOBBIT:
Friday, May 16, 2025 at 10:30 AM and Saturday, May 17, 2025 at 4:00 PM
For Blind or Vision-Impaired Patrons
Audio Description (AD)
Audio Description for patrons with vision loss is live verbal commentary of the essential visual components of a production as it unfolds, such as the style and design elements, facial expressions, and visual jokes. The description is delivered in between the dialogue of a performance and is only picked up by the audience member wearing a specific Assistive Listening Device (ALD) provided by the Arden.
Check in with the Box Office when you arrive for an Audio Described performance to borrow an ALD tuned to receive the describer’s feed. Please note that you will need to hand in a Photo ID to borrow a device that will be returned to you after the performance.
Upcoming Audio Described Performance Schedule for our 2024-2025 Mainstage Season:
AUGUST WILSON’S KING HEDLEY II:
Friday, March 21, 2025 at 7:00 PM and Saturday, March 22, 2025 at 2:00 PM
RENT:
Friday, June 6, 2025 at 7:00 PM and Saturday, June 7, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Large Print Programs
Large Print Programs are available to borrow, typically about one week after the Opening performance of each production. Large Print Programs are for patrons with vision loss or impairment who have trouble reading the text within a standard-size program. All text has been enlarged to at least 18-point font for easier reading.
Check in with the Box Office when you arrive to borrow a Large Print Program. Please note that you will need to hand in a Photo ID to borrow a program and trade back after your performance, due to a limited number of prints.
Large Print Programs are made possible by Vision Resources of Central PA.
For Patrons with Sensory Processing Needs
KultureCity® Certified Sensory Inclusive Venue
The Arden has partnered with KultureCity® to enhance our ability to assist and accommodate guests with sensory needs.
Our goal is to provide an inclusive experience for all guests during all events. We strive to raise awareness of the needs and challenges faced by individuals with sensory processing needs by supplying our staff with annual training and by offering the resources and accommodations below to our guests.
KultureCity® Sensory Bags
KultureCity® Sensory bags containing special KCVIP badges, feeling thermometer, fidget tools, strobe-canceling glasses, and noise-canceling headphones are available to borrow (at no cost, by leaving an ID) at our Box Office. Sensory bags can be used for all abilities of all ages. We currently have 5 bags available to borrow.
Weighted Lap Pad
We have 1 Weighted Lap Pad available to borrow (at no cost, by leaving an ID) at our Box Office.
Quiet Area
The Independence Foundation Studio, located behind the Box Office on the first floor, is a designated Quiet Area for patrons who start to feel overwhelmed and need a space to take a break.
Please speak with an Arden staff member if you’d like to access this space.
Headphone Zones
Headphone Zones, areas that are typically loud, include both the Arcadia and Haas Stages, as well as the lobby itself.
Patrons with sensitivities to noise may feel more comfortable wearing noise-canceling headphones in these locations.
Social Story and the KultureCity® App
Download the KultureCity® App via one of the links below to get your social story to help you further with your visit to the Arden:
• Apple App Store: http://bit.ly/KCiphone
• Google Play Store: http://bit.ly/KCandroid
Want to view the Social Story online? Visit our venue page on the KultureCity website.
Social Narratives
New experiences and new spaces might be overwhelming for some patrons. We want to be sure you’re ready to enjoy your time with us.
Prepare for your specific performance experience by reading our Social Narratives. Introduced with Charlotte’s Web in our 2022-23 Season and based on the Social Stories format, these booklets are designed to give exact step-by-step expectations of your experience at the Arden from arrival to departure. Digital versions are available on each show’s page for both Children’s Theatre and our Mainstage productions. You can ask the Box Office about borrowing a physical copy as well.
For examples of our Social Narratives, see the ones we created for Once on This Island and Pinocchio.
Sensory Guide Video
Erin Clemens, on TikTok as @AspergerSadie, is a local author, public speaker, and autism advocate who generously created a Sensory Guide video for our patrons to showcase the various sensations one could expect when coming to our theater.
For Patrons who Require Medical Assistance & Service Dogs
Personal Care Assistants
Paid Personal Care Assistants (PCAs), Home Health Aides (HHAs), Nursing Assistants, and other paid disability services providers who accompany patrons with needs to our theater are welcome to attend our performances with a complimentary ticket.
Patrons who plan to attend a performance with a paid professional assistant should call our Box Office at 215.922.1122 to purchase tickets and inquire about a complimentary ticket for their assistant.
Service Dogs
The Arden welcomes patrons with Service Dogs (and Service Dogs in Training) to attend our performances. In accordance with Pennsylvania law and the Americans with Disabilities Act, acceptable Service Dogs perform specific services or tasks to assist a person with a disability. Emotional support and comfort animals are not always qualified as Service Animals under the ADA and thus may not be permitted.
Service Animals are required to be housebroken, kept on a leash at all times within the facility, and must be able to sit on the lap of or under the seat of the handler, not in the aisle or in a seat. Animals may be subject to removal in the event of disruption to the performance.
(Know your rights! In accordance with the ADA, Arden Theatre staff are only entitled to ask the handler of a Service Dog if the dog is required because of a disability, and what tasks the dog has been trained to perform. No further questions may be asked nor should be answered.)
