An ADA Anniversary built for Deaf audiences first
Keith Brown closing the bill. The stage was built from freestanding LED tubes so the music stayed visible from anywhere in the room.
A Deaf-led bill
The Americans with Disabilities Act anniversary is usually marked with speeches. This was a show, and every act on it was Deaf.
- Keith Brown, hip hop performance
- Sheena Lyles, performing as Queen Foreverrr, stand-up comedy
- DJ Deaf Wish (Nate Hergert), opening and closing sets
- A puppet compère, performed by Myles, introducing each act
Access as production design, not an add-on
Access was built into the technical rider alongside the lighting and sound, not bolted on at the end:
- A live captioning system, with a CART provider working the performances
- ASL interpreters scheduled through the whole run of show
- Lighting and projection cues written so the music was visible as color and motion
- An art display and merchandise table run by Deaf artists
The run of show tracked interpreter activity and visual cues in their own columns, next to stage and sound. That is the difference between an accessible event and an event with accessibility attached.
From the night itself
Select any photo to open the slideshow
Delivered in partnership with Hillsboro Parks & Recreation and CymaSpace. Performers appeared under signed agreements. Photographs that show a child recognizably are held back pending a venue media release. Where a child appears in the images above, the face is turned away, out of focus, or obscured.