Belle’s dress was not described as blue; her apron not white. For eight visually impaired guests at The Naples Players’ 2023 production of Beauty and the Beast JR—Belle’s dress was thick and starchy. Beast’s ears were soft and fluffy, like a teddy bear. TNP invited visually impaired guests backstage to meet with the cast and interact with the set and wardrobe as part of the organization’s newer ‘touch tours,’ an offering that TNP aims to incorporate into all of its productions. The tours exalt the community theater’s recently updated mission statement that focuses on inclusivity.
TNP recognizes that art is healing and that experiencing art together amplifies the restoring effect. Studies from the National Institutes of Health show that isolation and loneliness disproportionately affect those with disabilities—a population that comprises roughly one in three adults in Florida. Engaging in the arts is shown to help manage complex and long-term conditions while boosting a positive sense of self and contributing to improved mental health.
TNP’s soon-to-be-completed renovation on its Naples’ Fifth Avenue South Sugden Theater adds a sensory-friendly viewing booth for up to six guests, where they can control the lighting and volume and get up and move around freely during performances. Theater companies like TNP also welcome diverse audiences with sensory-friendly or ‘relaxed’ performances—special showings of running productions with accommodations for people’s sensitivities to sensory stimuli. At Fort Myers’ The Laboratory Theater of Florida, once per show run, the team welcomes guests into a reduced-capacity theater where the audience can stand and roam. (Catch The Laboratory Theater’s next relaxed show on May 2 for the dark comedy Crocodile Fever.) Lights are dimmed rather than turned completely off, and patrons can have fidget toys. These performances challenge traditional theater etiquette—guests sitting still and being quiet—which may prevent those with conditions like attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), claustrophobia, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) from attending or feeling welcomed.
Further north at Florida Repertory Theatre, collaborations with Fort Myers-based Sally J. Pimentel Deaf & Hard of Hearing Center and Southwest Florida Council of the Blind help ensure everyone can take in the magic on stage. During one showing of every production at the Historic Arcade Theatre, the team offers audio-description—play-by-plays of what’s happening on stage via a provided earpiece (a service Alliance for the Arts also offers for the visually impaired)—and ASL interpretation, where a professional interpreter translates the dialogue into sign language. “Every patron deserves to have a full and vibrant theater experience,” Emily Yorgey, who works in development for Florida Rep, says. In Naples, Gulfshore Playhouse is offering an ASL-interpreted session for most of its productions; the next one is for She Loves Me on April 20.
With sound as an anchor for their mediums, performing arts organizations strive to go beyond ADA compliance. Artis—Naples installed a hearing loop system throughout its facilities, which amplifies the effect of any hearing aid or cochlear implant with telecoil technology (most medium- to high-end devices). The loop system sends sound directly to a receiver in the assistive hearing device, delivering crisp sound and eliminating background noise. People with mild hearing loss can pick up an iPod-sized device that transmits audio directly through a set of provided headphones. “If you are someone who isn’t wearing a hearing aid, but you feel like your hearing is not great, this can be an easy solution,” Artis—Naples’ David Filner says. For many deaf or hard-of-hearing music lovers, these systems provide the clearest, richest concert experience they’ve had in years.
It’s not just performing arts groups amplifying the reach of the arts. Galleries depend on bringing people in and getting them thinking and talking, and a key way of ensuring better access for diverse groups is to have them see themselves represented in the space. Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center (SBDAC) leads the way this year with its Divergent Inspiration exhibit in partnership with STARability Foundation, opening May 3. And, Naples artist Marvin Rouse is planning to make his big 2025 exhibit at SBDAC geared toward visually impaired audiences. The mixed-media artist is conceiving the works around how a person may engage with the pieces without sight, so all guests experience the art as intended—like reading the book in its original language versus a translated version. He’s creating the sculptures to incorporate braille and other tactile storytelling while tapping into a broader sensory experience through music and fragrance. “This is an opportunity to really tap into the creative process as an artist and bring the gallery experience to life for [the visually impaired],” Marvin says.
Art comes in many forms, and few works are more inspiring than the masterpieces Mother Nature creates. Cultural stalwart Naples Botanical Garden has made big strides toward cultivating access to the breadth of its outdoor facilities and programming. The gardens’ Sensory-Friendly Saturdays, held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. once a month, are free to individuals with ASD and other sensory-processing disorders (guests preregister online). The extended hours allow families who need additional assistance to enjoy the garden with minimal visitors, sounds and distractions, and with added games and activities to bond with other sensory-sensitive guests. This year, for the 20th anniversary of the Hats in the Garden’s pinnacle ladies-who-lunch fundraiser, the organization focuses its fund-a-need efforts on accessibility, with the goal of adding shuttle services around the expansive garden and other accommodations.
As local organizations transform arts experiences for people with disabilities, they enrich the scene for all of us. “When we gather as a community, we’re healthier and happier,” says TNP’s Nick Dalton, who is heading up TNP’s transformative inclusivity-centered programming. “We do it through play, which is the first way we learn, and through this shared experience, we leave changed.”
