In partnership with former Technical Director Glenn B. Rust’s Graduate Thesis Project, Keep it Going presents an afternoon of new works that you can watch in the theatre or from the comfort of your own home!
Beginning the afternoon we will have Interrobang by Resident Playwright Arlene Malinowski followed by the final performance of Access Fellow Deb Stein’s HAND, Foot, HAND. Following the performances there will be a thirty-minute talkback and an afterparty!
Keep it Going is designed to highlight technologies and practices that allow for more accessible theatre.
-You can join us at the Russ Tutterow Theatre to see the performances in person or virtually at https://www.youtube.com/@chicagodramatists6747
-Live captions will be provided for both in-person and virtual audiences.
-Additional seating will be available both in the house and on the stage including wheelchair accessible seating.
-The event will be a relaxed performance. House lights will remain at half. Audience members are welcome to exit and reenter the space at any point for any reason. We will asked phones be silenced, but texting is allowed. Audience reaction is also encouraged. If something stirs a response out of you, or if you need to ask a question of the folks you’ve come with, feel free!
-Scent & Allergen Free Space
-Masking Recommended
The in-person performance is Pay What You Will with all payments made going to support the Access Fellowship. The Chicago Dramatists Access Fellowship for Deaf & Disabled Artists is in honor of Charles and Dorothy Malinowski, who were revered storytellers in the Deaf Community. Fellows receive two free classes, one free Script Lab, and more!
The virtual performance is completely free!
Whether you’ll be joining us at the Russ Tutterow Theatre or logging in on our YouTube channel to join the talkback in the chat, we cannot wait to see you there!
Accessibility: All-Gender Restrooms, Captioning, Sensory Friendly, and Wheelchair Accessible.
https://chicagodramatists.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/chicagodramatists/event.jsp?event=2064&
Join House of DOV in the Dance Studio for an intimate view of the rehearsal process and participate in the creation of a new work by Drew Lewis with live music by Family Junket.
Drew Lewis (he/him) is a performer, choreographer, composer and educator originally from Oak Park, IL. He graduated magna cum laude from Cornish College of the Arts in 2016. Drew has performed extensively with Sidra Bell Dance New York, C-LS, Project 44, Attack Theatre, The Joel Hall Dancers, The Lyric Opera of Chicago and in projects by Lucy Riner and Erin Kilmurray. In 2020, Drew formed his own small ensemble, House of DOV, whose debut performance was selected as a finalist for the Chicago Reader’s Best of 2021. House of DOV has since performed throughout Chicago, including the full-length Heavy Objects, commissioned and presented by Steppenwolf Theatre, and Drew has created works for many other venues and projects.
https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/dance_residency.html
On Sunday, April 28 from 8-10am, Lincoln Park Zoo is offering Sensory-Friendly Morning hours for guests with disabilities, chronicle illness, or Deaf to experience the zoo grounds and animal buildings in a comfortable and inclusive environment. Modifications include limited capacity and muted attractions. This is a free event.
Register for FREE tickets HERE.
During Sensory-Friendly Morning, Gift Shop will be open at 8am and Landmark Café will sell beverages starting at 8:30am. Endangered Species Carousel and Lionel Train Adventure will operate with music and noises muted. Not all animal buildings may be open, and some animals may not be in their public viewing spaces.
At 10am, the zoo will be open to the public and begin typical operations.
View the zoo’s accessibility map HERE and accessibility page HERE to help plan your visit.
Lincoln Park Zoo is certified Sensory Inclusive by KultureCity. Please download the free KultureCity app with Lincoln Park Zoo social story.
Guests may only enter at West Gate and East Gate, and they need to present their registration email to zoo ushers.
Paid parking is available at the zoo’s parking lot located at Fullerton Parkway and Cannon Drive (2400 N. Cannon Drive). The zoo is also accessible by train via the Armitage and Fullerton stations and by bus via the 22, 36, 151, and 156 routes.
All Lincoln Park Zoo events take place rain or shine. We have some wonderful animal buildings you can still enjoy if it rains, and the carousel is covered.
For any questions, please email access@lpzoo.org.
Accessibility: Sensory-Friendly
Set sail for an adventure like no other, full of twists and turns. Together we’ll meet indulgent Lotus Eaters and seductive Sirens who test our focus, and face terrifying monsters who test our wit and our courage. As we follow Odysseus on his Journey, the ensemble reflects on choice and agency and the hero in all of us…
A.B.L.E.—Artists Breaking Limits & Expectations—a Chicago-based nonprofit that creates theatre and film for, with, and by individuals with Down syndrome and other intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), is thrilled to return to Chicago Shakespeare Theater this spring with a re-imagining of the epic classic The Odyssey.
A.B.L.E’s production weaves music, movement, shadow puppetry, and scenes devised by the group into a powerful and joyful celebration of the choices we make, and the challenges we face along our journey. The vibrant adaptation features a neurodiverse cast of 44 performers, including 24 actors with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The performance in the Courtyard Theater on May 11, 2024 at 2pm will mark the two companies’ 7th collaboration, most recently having co-produced A Midsummer Night’s Dream last spring.
Accessibility: Sensory Friendly, ASL, captions
Love is a universal language; it transcends identity and culture. Love is more than a feeling; it is a tough invitation that encourages sacrifice and commitment. Love is a never-ending journey that is always beginning. But what is love in the absence of compassion and wonder?
#OTVTonight, your favorite intersectional Late Show, returns to MCA Chicago for an intimate evening filled with care and admiration for the stories that help us to cultivate a bond that is strong enough to heal, prepare, and transform unstable foundations.
Join us in the Edlis Neeson Theater for the premiere of handpicked titles inviting us to open a window into love, interspersed with artist interviews, live DJ sets, pop-up performances and more — all hosted by OTV’s Co-Founder and Executive Diva, Elijah McKinnon. Remember, the future of television is intersectional. If you don’t believe it, let OTV show you.
For live updates on #OTVTonight: A Window Into Love, visit bit.ly/otvtonight.
Accessibility: Sensory Friendly, ASL, English and Spanish captions, quiet spaces
https://visit.mcachicago.org/events/otvtonight-a-window-into-love/
Sensory-Friendly Morning is a free program for all people who benefit from visiting the MCA without large crowds and other sensitive environmental elements. This includes visitors with sensory sensitivities, disabilities, autism, PTSD, dementia, and more. On these mornings, lighting at the museum is dimmed, sounds from artworks and environmental noise is kept at a minimum, a quiet space is available to visitors for breaks, and a Chicago-based artist facilitates a sensory-friendly art-making experience.
Sensory-Friendly Morning aims to be a welcoming space to experience contemporary art in a judgment-free environment.
Children’s author and illustrator Arnold Lobel’s beloved characters hop from the page to the stage in the Tony-nominated musical A Year With Frog And Toad, based on his popular children’s book that follows two best friends – the cheerful, popular Frog and grumpy, but lovable Toad – through four fun-filled seasons.
A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD was originally presented on Broadway by Bob Boyett, Adrianne Lobel, Michael Gardner, Lawrence Horowitz and Roy Furman. The play had its world Premiere at The Children’s Theatre Company Minneapolis, Minnesota.
ACCESS Weekend |Sat, April 27th (9:30am: Sensory Friendly, 11:30am: ASL & Open Captions) and Sun, April 28th (9:30am: Sensory Friendly, 11:30am: Audio Description & Touch Tour – must confirm attendance two weeks prior to performance)
Sensory-Friendly Morning is a free program for all people who benefit from visiting the MCA without large crowds and other sensitive environmental elements. This includes visitors with sensory sensitivities, disabilities, autism, PTSD, dementia, and more. On these mornings, lighting at the museum is dimmed, sounds from artworks and environmental noise is kept at a minimum, a quiet space is available to visitors for breaks, and a Chicago-based artist facilitates a sensory-friendly art-making experience.
Sensory-Friendly Morning aims to be a welcoming space to experience contemporary art in a judgment-free environment.
Accessibility: sensory-friendly
https://visit.mcachicago.org/events/sensory-friendly-morning-8/
Calm Waters is an exclusive event for guests with disabilities and Veterans to explore Shedd Aquarium’s exhibits and experiences in a comfortable and accepting environment. Modifications for this event will include limited capacity and streamlined entry with advance registration.
Modifications for Calm Waters Include:
-Limited capacity and streamlined entry with advance registration
-A sensory friendly app
-A low-sensory animal spotlight
-An animal encounter opportunity
-Complimentary 4D experiences during the event
-Family members and companions are welcome.
-Audio description for the Animal Spotlight
Cost
Adults (12+)
Chicago Residents – $19.95
Non-Residents – $39.95
Children (Ages 3-11)
Chicago Residents – $14.95
Non-Residents – $29.95
Transportation to Shedd
Take CTA’s 146 Museum Campus bus to our door, or parking will be available for $30 in the surface lot between Shedd Aquarium and the Field Museum.
Drop-off is available at Shedd’s bus loop on the south side of the building.
Be sure to check for traffic and parking alerts.
Accommodation Requests?
Please contact us (312-939-2438) at least one week before the event.
Visitors with severe disabilities may be accompanied by paid personal care attendants (PCA). Please call 312-939-2438 to request complimentary companion tickets for a paid PCA.
Additional information available at: https://www.sheddaquarium.org/plan-a-visit/accessibility/calm-waters
Age Recommendation: PNC Family Series is recommended for children and adults ages 4 and older. However, children of all ages are welcome!
New Zealand’s leading contemporary dance company comes to Chicago for the first time.
Founded by Neil Ieremia, ONZM, Black Grace performs works that draw from Ieremia’s Samoan and New Zealand roots, reaching across social, cultural, and generational barriers. Rich in the storytelling traditions of the South Pacific, the works are highly physical and expressed with raw finesse, unique beauty, and power.
Black Grace brings its unique approach to movement and storytelling to the PNC Family Series with a special matinee performance for young audiences, narrated by Ieremia.
This afternoon is designed to offer a safe and welcoming experience for all, with additional resources available to patrons who may have sensory sensitivities. We are thrilled to foster an informal, judgement-free atmosphere where all audience members can respond to the performance in their own way: clap, dance, make noise, or observe quietly, it’s completely up to you!
Sensory-friendly services include:
1. A designated quiet play area located on Level 2 if you need a break from the performance
a. Need help find this quiet play area? Harris Theater staff are happy to direct you.
2. A Welcome Guide and sensory-friendly maps are available to help you understand what you will see and hear during your visit
a. Need to find a paper copy of these resources? Harris Theater staff on at our Welcome Table on Lobby Level 5 can help you!
3. Friendly faces of trained staff and volunteers, here to help guide your visit
ASL interpretation and Audio Description will be provided.
https://www.harristheaterchicago.org/performance/black-grace-family-matinee
Age Recommendation: PNC Family Series is recommended for children and adults ages 4 and older. However, children of all ages are welcome!
Jazzmeia Horn is a vocalist and composer, author, activist, educator, multi-GRAMMY Award nominee, and winner of the 2015 Thelonious Monk Institute International Jazz Competition. Praised by The New York Times as “among the most exciting young vocalists in jazz, with a proud traditionalism that keeps her tightly linked to the sound of classic figures like Nancy Wilson and Betty Carter, but a vivacity of spirit and conviction that places her firmly in the present,” Horn makes her Harris Theater debut with performances on the Mix at Six and PNC Family Series in 2024.
Horn, who will publish her first children’s book — based on her forthcoming album Messages — in 2024, is creating a special storyteller-style program for the PNC Family Series that will premiere on the Harris Theater stage. Blending works from her GRAMMY-nominated albums and stories from her life and career, the program will engage audiences of all ages in Horn’s unique sound and musical influences.
This afternoon is designed to offer a safe and welcoming experience for all, with additional resources available to patrons who may have sensory sensitivities. We are thrilled to foster an informal, judgement-free atmosphere where all audience members can respond to the performance in their own way: clap, dance, make noise, or observe quietly, it’s completely up to you!
Sensory-friendly services include:
1. A designated quiet play area located on Level 2 if you need a break from the performance
a. Need help find this quiet play area? Harris Theater staff are happy to direct you.
2. A Welcome Guide and sensory-friendly maps are available to help you understand what you will see and hear during your visit
a. Need to find a paper copy of these resources? Harris Theater staff on at our Welcome Table on Lobby Level 5 can help you!
3. Friendly faces of trained staff and volunteers, here to help guide your visit
Accessibility: ASL, audio description
https://www.harristheaterchicago.org/performance/jazzmeia-horn-family-matinee
A coyote howling. A home in disarray. A young woman alone. In Matthew Paul Olmos’ world premiere, Soledad Vargas is in the city, fighting for her family’s right to live on their land. When hope starts to dwindle, how far will she go, and what will she be forced to leave behind? A modern myth drawn from the real life struggles of displaced communities around the globe, a home what howls is a lyrically-rendered quest of youth activism standing against forces of injustice.
ASL Interpretation will be provided for this event.
https://www.steppenwolf.org/tickets–events/seasons-/202324/a-home-what-howls/
Strawdog Theatre Company in partnership with Chicago Loop Synagogue presents Hershel & The Hanukkah Goblins. In this musical adaptation of Eric Kimmel’s Caldecott Honor-winning book, a traveling troupe of actors comes to town to find no one celebrating Hanukkah. To save the holiday, they must tell the tale of Hershel of Ostropol & his quest to outwit the goblins who haunt the old synagogue!
Audio Description will be available for this performance in-person and via the live stream. Audience members must RSVP for in-person audio description by emailing accessibility@strawdog.org. There will be an in-person Touch Tour at 10:15am. Those tuning into the live stream will be able to watch a pre-show Audio Description.
Accessibility: Audio Description, Touch Tour, Sensory Friendly
https://www.strawdog.org/hershel
Sensory-Friendly Night at ZooLights Presented by ComEd and Invesco QQQ
Wednesday, December 6
4:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Admission is $7 (or free with promo code SensoryFriendly23)
All ages
Lincoln Park Zoo is offering Sensory-Friendly ZooLights, in which guests with disabilities, sensitivities, autism, dementia, or chronic illness as well as members of the Deaf community can experience the zoo grounds, animal buildings, and holiday lights in a comfortable and inclusive environment.
Sensory-Friendly ZooLights is for all people who benefit from visiting the zoo without crowds and other sensitive environmental elements. Modifications include limited capacity, static light displays, muted attractions, and music at low volume.
During Sensory-Friendly ZooLights, the Gift Shop and food and beverage locations will be open around Main Mall with all of ZooLights’ regular offerings. The AT&T Endangered Species Carousel and Lionel Train Adventure will operate with music and noises muted. Not all animal buildings may be open, and as always, animals have the option to go to their indoor or outdoor habitats.
CLICK HERE to purchase ZooLights tickets. Use promo code SensoryFriendly23 at checkout for your complimentary tickets while supplies last.
View the zoo’s accessibility map and accessibility page to help plan your visit. For more information on ZooLights, visit lpzoo.org/zoolights.
Lincoln Park Zoo is certified Sensory Inclusive by KultureCity. Please download the free KultureCity app with Lincoln Park Zoo’s social narrative either on iOS or Android.
FAQs
Where can I enter?
You can enter from:
East Gate, located in the zoo parking lot at Cannon Dr., and Fullerton Ave.
West Gate, located at Webster Ave., and Stockton Dr.
Fisher Bridge Gate, located between the zoo’s parking lot and Stockton Dr., on the bridge over Nature Boardwalk.
Is parking available?
Paid parking is available at the zoo’s parking lot located at Fullerton Parkway and Cannon Drive (2300 N. Cannon Drive). The zoo is also accessible by train via the Armitage and Fullerton stations and by bus via the 22, 36, 151, and 156 routes.
What if it rains?
All Lincoln Park Zoo events take place rain or shine. Animal buildings will be open and the carousel is covered.
What can’t I bring to Sensory-Friendly ZooLights?
There is no smoking at Lincoln Park Zoo for the health of the animals in our care. See our Code of Conduct here.
Pets are not allowed at the zoo, but licensed service animals are welcome.
If you have questions, please email access@lpzoo.org.
Experience Red: A Crayon’s Story like you never have before! This storybook video features Deaf American Sign Language master signer Crom Saunders signing the words to the animated book, with music and sound effects bringing the story to life. Then we’ll watch and play along with fun interactive games conducted by students and teachers from the Indiana School for the Deaf.
Crom will visit in person and play theater games with the kids after the video. This event will have a live interpreter.
Best for kids in preschool and elementary school and their family and friends.
More information at https://oakpark.librarycalendar.com/event/asl-storybook-red-crayons-story
Newark, NJ. Post-9/11. Two teenagers, brought to America as children, now face an unlikely foe: unexpected, unreciprocated love. Their friendship is no longer enough (for one of them) and their adopted country doesn’t love them back. Pulitzer Prize-winner Martyna Majok brings light to the sacrifices made by DREAMers, lovers and life-long friends in the heart-stirring and hopeful Sanctuary City—a story that fractures and transcends—crossing boundaries, borders and genres in search of a place to call home.
Sanctuary City will be the first Steppenwolf production that includes both a full membership series run, as well as a full run of student matinees as a part of the Steppenwolf for Young Adults series, providing a synergistic opportunity to cultivate more intergenerational audiences.
Audio-Described and Touch Tour:
Sunday, October 8 at 3pm
(1:30pm touch tour, 3pm curtain)
Open-Captioned Public Performances:
Thursday, October 12 at 7:30pm
Saturday, October 21 at 3pm
ASL-Interpreted Public Performance:
Friday, October 13 at 7:30pm
Relaxed/Sensory Friendly Public Performance:
Saturday, October 28th at 3pm
ASL-Interpreted Student Matinee:
Friday, November 3 at 10am
Spanish Language-Captioned:
Saturday, November 4 at 3pm
https://www.steppenwolf.org/tickets–events/seasons-/202324/sanctuary-city/
On Sunday, September 24 from 8-10am, Lincoln Park Zoo is offering Sensory-Friendly Morning hours for guests with disabilities, chronic illness, or Deaf to experience the zoo grounds and animal buildings in a comfortable and inclusive environment. Modifications include limited capacity and muted attractions. This is a free event, but it does require advanced registration.
Sensory-Friendly Morning is a free program for all people who benefit from visiting the zoo without crowds and other sensitive environmental elements. This includes guests with sensory sensitivities, disabilities, autism, PTSD, and dementia to name a few.
During Sensory-Friendly Morning, Gift Shop will be open at 8am and Landmark Café will sell beverages starting at 8:30am. AT&T Endangered Species Carousel and Lionel Train Adventure will operate with music and noises muted. Not all animal buildings may be open, and some animals may not be in their public viewing spaces.
At 10am, the zoo will be open to the public and begin typical operations.
View the zoo’s accessibility map HERE and accessibility page HERE to help plan your visit.
Lincoln Park Zoo is certified Sensory Inclusive by KultureCity. Please download the free KultureCity app with Lincoln Park Zoo social story. iOS Android
Guests may only enter at West Gate and East Gate, and they need to present their registration email to zoo ushers.
Paid parking is available at the zoo’s parking lot located at Fullerton Parkway and Cannon Drive (2300 N. Cannon Drive). The zoo is also accessible by train via the Armitage and Fullerton stations and by bus via the 22, 36, 151, and 156 routes.
All Lincoln Park Zoo events take place rain or shine. We have some wonderful animal buildings you can still enjoy if it rains, and the carousel is covered.
There is no smoking at Lincoln Park Zoo for the health of the animals in our care.
Pets are not allowed at the zoo, but licensed service animals are welcome.
For any questions, please email access@lpzoo.org.
Accessibility: sensory friendly
https://sensory-friendly-morning-at-Lincoln-Park-Zoo.eventbrite.com
Blown fuses, real and metaphorical, punctuate the action with flashes of pent up energy in this acclaimed play. The diminutive heroine frequently plunges the dilapidated house she shares with her alcoholic mother into darkness by playing her dead father’s records at a volume matched only by the soulful power of her vocal impressions. Little Voice has a hidden talent: she can emulate every chanteuse from Judy Garland to Edith Piaf. She hides in her room, crooning and dreaming of love, while her disheveled mother mistakes a seedy agent’s interest as affection rather than enthusiasm for the gold mine buried in her daughter’s throat. This is an engaging fairy tale of despair, love and finally hope as LV finds a voice of her own.
This is a sensory-friendly performance.
All gender, accessible restrooms are available on site.
Sensory-Friendly Morning is a free program for all people who benefit from visiting the MCA without large crowds and other sensitive environmental elements. This includes visitors with sensory sensitivities, disabilities, autism, PTSD, dementia, and more. On these mornings, lighting at the museum is dimmed, sounds from artworks and environmental noise is kept at a minimum, and a quiet space is available to visitors for breaks. During Sensory-Friendly Mornings, preregistered individuals and their families can visit the museum to explore exhibitions at their own pace, and join a Chicago-based artist for a sensory-friendly art-making experience. The museum is closed to the general public until 11:30 am; at that time, the lights and artworks return to usual operations.
Sensory-Friendly Morning aims to be a welcoming space to experience contemporary art in a judgment-free environment.
Accessibility: sensory-friendly, ASL interpreted, captioning, low lighting, quiet room, Spanish captioning, wheelchair accessible
https://visit.mcachicago.org/events/sensory-friendly-morning-6/
Kohl Children’s Museum was specifically designed to be inclusive of all children and adults regardless of ability. The Museum’s 17 exhibits and 2 acres of outdoor explorations are designed for play with a purpose and encourage linguistic, cognitive, motor, and social skills for children ages birth through 8.
Accessibility: sensory-friendly, quiet spaces, wheelchair accessible
On Sunday, July 30 from 10am to 3pm, Lincoln Park Zoo will host Sensory-Friendly Day at Farm-in-the-Zoo. Modifications include limited capacity. This is a free event, but it does require advanced registration.
Sensory-Friendly Day at Farm-in-the-Zoo is a free program for all people who benefit from visiting the zoo without crowds and other sensitive environmental elements. This includes guests with sensory sensitivities, disabilities, autism, PTSD, and dementia to name a few.
During Sensory-Friendly Day at Farm-in-the-Zoo animal buildings may be open, but some animals may not be in their public viewing spaces. There will also be low sensory activities.
Timed Entry Window: While registered guests will be let in before or after their one-hour timed entry window, guests are strongly encouraged to come during their timed entry window to help limit crowd sizes. Limited crowd sizes is one of the most important ways to make this day sensory-friendly. Thank you.
View the zoo’s accessibility map HERE and accessibility page HERE to help plan your visit.
Lincoln Park Zoo is certified Sensory Inclusive by KultureCity. Please download the free KultureCity app with Lincoln Park Zoo social story. iOS Android
pon arrival guests need to present their registration email to zoo ushers. This event is only happening at Farm-in-the-Zoo. The rest of Lincoln Park Zoo will have typical operations for the day.
Paid parking is available at the zoo’s parking lot located at Fullerton Parkway and Cannon Drive (2400 N. Cannon Drive). The zoo is also accessible by train via the Armitage and Fullerton stations and by bus via the 22, 36, 151, and 156 routes.
All Lincoln Park Zoo events take place rain or shine.
There is no smoking at Lincoln Park Zoo for the health of the animals in our care.
Pets are not allowed at the zoo, but licensed service animals are welcome.
For any questions, please email access@lpzoo.org.
Accessibility: Sensory-Friendly
KCM welcomes children with special needs and their families for an afternoon of learning and play focused on them. Our Museum campus is designed for universal accessibility with a purpose to encourage linguistic, cognitive, motor and social skills for all children ages birth to 8.
Accessibility: sensory-friendly, quiet spaces, wheelchair accessible
A celebration of the disability arts with some of Chicago’s best disabled artists and performers! Join us after the parade for short-films, live music, dance, art activities, and a fun photo op in the magnificent and air-conditioned Chicago Cultural Center!
https://www.reinventability.com/disfest
Accessibility: ASL interpreted, audio description, captioning, quiet space, sensory friendly, wheelchair accessible
LabE is a series of monthly cohort meetings addressing particular needs of disabled dance artists.
The LabE gathering on July 2nd is designed to be a safe, disability-centric space where artists can come together to share a work-in-progress, try out new ideas, workshop concepts, and experiment with new scores. Hosted by Maggie Bridger, this inclusive event is open to all artists who seek a supportive community where they can connect with peers who share similar experiences and offer and receive support, encouragement, and constructive feedback.
This gathering aims to foster community connections among Deaf, disabled, sick, neurodivergent, and Mad artists while providing a platform for artists to explore their creativity and showcase their unique perspectives.
If you are an artist who is interested in showcasing your art or working through new ideas, please reach out to Maggie at mbridg8@uic.edu to participate in this event.
LabE is a series of monthly cohort meetings addressing particular needs of disabled dance artists.
During our May meeting we’ll pool our knowledge around writing funding applications. Whether you’ve written several successful applications or are just beginning the process of writing your first application, this space is for you. Depending on the needs of the group, this may look like spending time quietly co-writing, passing around drafts to get feedback, discussing strategies for framing our work as disabled artists in applications, or developing a list of funding opportunities to share with the community.
LabE is open to all Chicago-area dance artists who self-identify as Deaf/deaf/hard of hearing, sick, mad, neurodivergent, disabled or living with a disability, and/or who have lived experience with disability or impairment. This space is particularly meant for those interested in exploring disability and impairment-informed modes of practicing dance.
Additional Access Information is available here:
https://highconceptlabs.org/news-2/labe-launches-at-experimental-station
For any other questions or requests regarding accessibility accommodations, please contact HCL’s Accessibility Coordinator, Yolanda Cesta Cursach Montilla (yolanda@highconceptlabs.org).
This spring, A.B.L.E. returns to the stage and our classical roots with a multimedia version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, updated for our social-media obsessed times. Our modern adaptation by A.B.L.E. teaching artist Emma MacLean focuses on the themes of connection and disconnection. The king and queen of the fairies are fighting, the mechanicals are rehearsing a play but no one knows their lines, and the Athenian teens keep changing their relationship status. Join ABLE’s ensembles – 34 actors with intellectual and developmental disabilities as we miss texts, drop calls, and wander love struck in the Athenian forest.
This multimedia production will weave Shakespeare’s words with original scenes, monologues, songs, and dances devised by our ensembles, as well as animated film sequences from VFX designer Brock Alter. The virtual ensemble will narrate the tale for us as the in-person ensembles take the stage Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
With your ticket, you have the option of participating in a 45 minute interactive workshop led by A.B.L.E.’s team of Creative Associates and Teaching Artists. Audiences can experience some of the games and activities A.B.L.E. used to bring their ideas to the stage, get a touch tour of key costume pieces and props, and try A.B.L.E.’s signature “dropping in” method. This exclusive opportunity is only available to 20 ticket holders each day – reserve your spot when booking your ticket.
Event Details:
Sunday June 11th at 2pm (pre-show workshop & touch tour at 12:30pm)
Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare Theater
800 East Grand Avenue
Chicago IL 60611
Tickets: All tickets are Pay-what-you-can, general admission
Online: ableensemble.com/events
Phone: 312.595.5600
In person: at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater box office
Access: Performances will be open captioned and dual ASL interpreted.
COVID Policies: To ensure A.B.L.E.’s immunocompromised performers and community members feel safe and welcome, all audience members must remain masked for the duration of their time in the theater complex.
This spring, A.B.L.E. returns to the stage and our classical roots with a multimedia version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, updated for our social-media obsessed times. Our modern adaptation by A.B.L.E. teaching artist Emma MacLean focuses on the themes of connection and disconnection. The king and queen of the fairies are fighting, the mechanicals are rehearsing a play but no one knows their lines, and the Athenian teens keep changing their relationship status. Join ABLE’s ensembles – 34 actors with intellectual and developmental disabilities as we miss texts, drop calls, and wander love struck in the Athenian forest.
This multimedia production will weave Shakespeare’s words with original scenes, monologues, songs, and dances devised by our ensembles, as well as animated film sequences from VFX designer Brock Alter. The virtual ensemble will narrate the tale for us as the in-person ensembles take the stage Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
With your ticket, you have the option of participating in a 45 minute interactive workshop led by A.B.L.E.’s team of Creative Associates and Teaching Artists. Audiences can experience some of the games and activities A.B.L.E. used to bring their ideas to the stage, get a touch tour of key costume pieces and props, and try A.B.L.E.’s signature “dropping in” method. This exclusive opportunity is only available to 20 ticket holders each day – reserve your spot when booking your ticket.
Event Details:
Saturday June 10th at 7pm (pre-show workshop & touch tour at 5:30pm)
Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare Theater
800 East Grand Avenue
Chicago IL 60611
Tickets: All tickets are Pay-what-you-can, general admission
Online: ableensemble.com/events
Phone: 312.595.5600
In person: at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater box office
Access: Performances will be open captioned and dual ASL interpreted.
COVID Policies: To ensure A.B.L.E.’s immunocompromised performers and community members feel safe and welcome, all audience members must remain masked for the duration of their time in the theater complex.
Children of all abilities can play and explore nature through accessible activities in The Morton Arboretum’s lush 4-acre Children’s Garden during this special Nature Play for All weekend event, organized in collaboration with Benedictine University and SEASPAR, the South East Association for Special Parks and Recreation. Activities include Painting with Nature, Planting a Seed, American Sign Language Storytimes, Pond Exploration, Sensory Hikes and Nature Scavenger Hunts. Nature Play for All will occur Saturday, June 10 and Sunday, June 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Children’s Garden is supported by International Paper. For more information, visit mortonarb.org.
Accessibility: ASL interpreted, quiet spaces, sensory friendly, wheelchair accessible
https://mortonarb.org/explore/activities/childrens-family-programs/nature-play-for-all/
Sensory-Friendly Morning is a free program for all people who benefit from visiting the MCA without large crowds and other sensitive environmental elements. This includes visitors with sensory sensitivities, disabilities, autism, PTSD, dementia, and more. On these mornings, lighting at the museum is dimmed, sounds from artworks and environmental noise is kept at a minimum, and a quiet space is available to visitors for breaks. During Sensory-Friendly Mornings, preregistered individuals and their families can visit the museum to explore exhibitions at their own pace, and join a Chicago-based artist for a sensory-friendly art-making experience. The museum is closed to the general public until 11:30 am; at that time, the lights and artworks return to usual operations.
Sensory-Friendly Morning aims to be a welcoming space to experience contemporary art in a judgment-free environment.
Accessibility: Sensory-Friendly. ASL Interpretation
https://visit.mcachicago.org/events/sensory-friendly-morning-5/
Join LYNX Project for the most-anticipated event of their 2022-23 season: the World Premieres of the 2022-23 Amplify Series. The Amplify Series commissions classical composers to set texts by autistic poets, who are primarily nonspeaking, to music. LYNX has commissioned over 40 writers and composers, generating over four hours of new music. The Amplify Series World Premiere Concert celebrates this year’s powerful and poignant new works, featuring the following poets, composers, and performers:
Poets:
Amelia Bell
Sofia Ghassaei
Matthew McGrath
John-Carlos Schaut
Parker Scheu
Composers:
Eugenia Cheng
Shane S. Cook
Corinne Klein
Paul Novak
Matthew Recio
Performers:
Veena Akama-Makia, mezzo-soprano
Pauline Tan, mezzo-soprano
Samuel James Dewese, baritone
Florence Mak, pianist
Michael Tran, clarinetist
Kimberly Jeong, cellist
Accommodations:
Relaxed performance atmosphere (movement, fidgets, stims welcome in our space)
Sensory-relief space outside concert hall
No clapping — handwaving and snapping for applause
For additional information about accommodations, or to make a request, please contact Michelle Ravitsky at michelle@lynxproject.org.
On Sunday, May 14 from 8-10am, Lincoln Park Zoo is offering Sensory-Friendly Morning hours for guests with disabilities, chronicle illness, or Deaf to experience the zoo grounds and animal buildings in a comfortable and inclusive environment. Modifications include limited capacity and muted attractions. This is a free event, but it does require advanced registration.
Sensory-Friendly Morning is a free program for all people who benefit from visiting the zoo without crowds and other sensitive environmental elements. This includes guests with sensory sensitivities, disabilities, autism, PTSD, and dementia to name a few.
During Sensory-Friendly Morning, Gift Shop will be open at 8am and Landmark Café will sell beverages starting at 8:30am. AT&T Endangered Species Carousel and Lionel Train Adventure will operate with music and noises muted. Not all animal buildings may be open, and some animals may not be in their public viewing spaces.
At 10am, the zoo will be open to the public and begin typical operations.
View the zoo’s accessibility map HERE and accessibility page HERE to help plan your visit.
Lincoln Park Zoo is certified Sensory Inclusive by KultureCity. Please download the free KultureCity app with Lincoln Park Zoo social narrative. iOS Android
Guests may only enter at West Gate and East Gate, and they need to present their registration email to zoo ushers.
Paid parking is available at the zoo’s parking lot located at Fullerton Parkway and Cannon Drive (2400 N. Cannon Drive). The zoo is also accessible by train via the Armitage and Fullerton stations and by bus via the 22, 36, 151, and 156 routes.
All Lincoln Park Zoo events take place rain or shine. We have some wonderful animal buildings you can still enjoy if it rains, and the carousel is covered.
There is no smoking at Lincoln Park Zoo for the health of the animals in our care.
Pets are not allowed at the zoo, but licensed service animals are welcome.
For any questions, please email access@lpzoo.org.
Accessibility: sensory-friendly
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sensory-friendly-morning-at-lincoln-park-zoo-tickets-617752734057
Limited capacity. Advanced registration is required.
Masking is required for this performance.
Using the pain scale as a primary source material, Scale places medicalized methods of quantifying pain in conversation with alternative ways of reading and attending to pain emerging from the disability community, ultimately proposing new ways of caring for the bodymind in dance. These complex interactions between medicalization, care, and community are explored through movement, video, and the use of access tools for both performers and audience members. Scale invites audience members to attend to their own embodied experience of the piece, offering pillows, blankets, and other care objects as tools for curating the way they engage with and experience the work. Scale poses questions around the ways that we perceive pain, ultimately reaching toward a more compassionate and disability-informed way of creating and performing dance.
Each performance is followed by a Crafting Care event that serves as a sort of informal “talk back” with some of the artists, as well as an opportunity to join in the crafting practice that informed much of the work of Scale. Audience members are encouraged to bring their own crafting projects, participate in a group embroidery project, or simply share space and chat about Scale in community with the artists and other audience members.
COLLABORATORS
Performers: Maggie Bridger, Jordan Brown, Joán Joel, Alex Neil-Sevier, Robby Lee Williams
Costumes and Visual Art: Reveca Torres
Sound Design: Shireen Hamza
Crafters: Margaret Fink, Sandy Guttman, Alison Kopit, Ashley Miller
Access information
ACCESS DURING PERFORMANCE
Captions, American Sign Language, audio descriptions, opportunities to rest, and sensory notes are incorporated into the performance in ways that we hope generate a unique, thoughtful experience for each audience member. The methods we’re using to incorporate these elements into the performance are experimental and may differ from the ways these tools are encountered in other arts spaces. We are continuing to learn, develop, and experiment alongside our community and welcome feedback on these elements, particularly from members of the community that rely on these various tools to access performance.
COVID Protocols:
Masking is required in the performance space. Mana Contemporary, though, is a shared building that does not require masking and there may be unmasked people outside of the performance space. You are welcome to bring your own mask or grab one of the high quality masks available to audience members in both adult and child sizes at the building’s entrance. All performers will be masked, though there is a moment in the work where performers layer masks one on top of the other, which may cause their masking to be less effective for a short period of time.
Arriving at Mana & Wayfinding:
All audience members will enter the ramped entrance to Mana Contemporary located on the west side of the building near the Throop street entrance to the parking lot. Audiences will then be guided through the building to the performance space by the performers, two of whom use ASL and will be able to guide Deaf and hard of hearing audience members. The first 30 minutes of the performance time is dedicated to audience arrival and getting situated in the performance space, so there is no need to rush or worry about arriving precisely on time. There is time to rest, chat, and get settled.
A library around the corner from the performance space will be used as a “quiet space” that folks can use to get a break from the performance, if needed.
Access Tools and Sharing Space:
The show runs about an hour and a half with the first half hour dedicated entirely to audience members arriving and getting settled for the performance. Upon entering the space, audience members will be offered access devices and care tools to help them feel as comfortable as possible throughout the performance. Some of the tools we have available are:
4 blankets
3 small weighted blankets
9 pillows
2 large beanbags
Yoga mats/exercise mats
Instant hot and cold packs
Stim tools
3 ear defenders
In addition to these, you are very welcome to bring your own tools/devices. We invite you to move, stim, rest, and generally make yourself comfortable during the performance. Our tools/devices will be cleaned with scent-free detergent/cleanser between each performance.
We ask that audience members refrain from wearing any scented perfume, cologne, lotion, etc. However, Mana Contemporary is a shared space where tenants will sometimes burn incense or use other scented products. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee a fully scent-free environment.
Alonzo King LINES Ballet returns to the Harris stage for the first time since 2015. The celebrated contemporary ballet company, whose mission is to nurture artistry and the development of creative expression in dance, through collaboration, performance, and education, will perform in a matinee program for children and families.
Accessibility: ASL interpreter, assistive listening devices, large print programs, sensory-friendly, quiet spaces, wheelchair accessible
https://www.harristheaterchicago.org/alonzo-king-lines-ballet/family
LabE is a series of monthly cohort meetings addressing particular needs of disabled dance artists.
The LabE gathering on April 2nd is designed to be a safe, disability-centric space where artists can come together to share a work-in-progress, try out new ideas, workshop concepts, and experiment with new scores. Hosted by Maggie Bridger, this inclusive event is open to all artists who seek a supportive community where they can connect with peers who share similar experiences and offer and receive support, encouragement, and constructive feedback.
This gathering aims to foster community connections among Deaf, disabled, sick, neurodivergent, and Mad artists while providing a platform for artists to explore their creativity and showcase their unique perspectives.
In-progress projects will be presented by Sydney Erlikh & Deb Goodman.
If you are an artist who is interested in showcasing your art or working through new ideas, please reach out to Maggie at mbridg8@uic.edu to participate in this event.
LabE is open to all Chicago-area dance artists who self-identify as Deaf/deaf/hard of hearing, sick, mad, neurodivergent, disabled or living with a disability, and/or who have lived experience with disability or impairment. This space is particularly meant for those interested in exploring disability and impairment-informed modes of practicing dance.
Additional Access Information is available at https://highconceptlabs.org/news-2/labe-launches-at-experimental-station. For any other questions or requests regarding accessibility accommodations, please contact HCL’s Accessibility Coordinator, Yolanda Cesta Cursach Montilla (yolanda@highconceptlabs.org).
Accessibility: captioning, sensory-friendly, quiet spaces, wheelchair accessible
Join LYNX Project for a performance celebrating the unique styles of our commissioned composers for this year’s Amplify Series, a project setting the poetry of primarily non-speaking autistic individuals to music. Snapshots of Every Voice celebrates what artists want to share through art song. Performances in this series showcase the diversity and richness of art song repertoire, allowing us to experience music that deeply resonates within us.
This performance will feature music by the season’s Amplify Series composers as well as a Q&A session following the performance:
Eugenia Cheng
Shane S. Cook
Corinne Klein
Paul Novak
Matthew Recio
The program will also feature a performance of Michelle Isaac’s 2020 commission from LYNX Project, “Hope”, with text by Benjamin Smidt.
Performers:
Quinn Middleman, mezzo-soprano
Samuel James Dewese, baritone
Florence Mak, piano
Accommodations:
Relaxed performance atmosphere (movement, fidgets, stims welcome in our space)
Quiet space outside concert hall
No clapping — handwaving and snapping for applause
For additional information about accommodations, or to make a request, please contact Michelle Ravitsky at michelle@lynxproject.org
https://www.lynxproject.org/calendar/2023/3/5/snapshots-of-every-voice-composers
Join us for our first gathering of LabE, a series of monthly cohort meetings addressing particular needs of disabled dance artists, such as studio access, development and production support, and platforms for promoting Chicago’s sick, Deaf and disabled dance artists.
During our initial meeting on February 5, we’ll gather to collectively compile a list of accessible dance studios, classes and performance spaces in Chicago. We’ll come together and build community while crowdsourcing our favorite spaces to rehearse, take class and perform in the Chicago area.
When: Sunday, February 5, 2023, 1-3pm Central
Where: This is a hybrid event. The in-person portion will take place at the Experimental Station (6100 S Blackstone Ave, Chicago, IL 60637). The online portion will take place via Zoom, with the zoom link sent out to all registrants in advance of the event. We are still experimenting with our hybrid setup and appreciate your patience and collaborative spirit in working out the kinks!
Who: Open to Chicago-area dance artists who self-identify as Deaf/deaf/hard of hearing, sick, mad, neurodivergent, disabled or living with a disability, and/or who have lived experience with disability or impairment. This space is particularly meant for those interested in exploring disability and impairment-informed modes of practicing dance.
Access Information: AI Captioning available via zoom. The first floor of Experimental Station, where the event will be held is wheelchair accessible, including accessible bathrooms.
We ask that all attendees wear masks for the duration of the event, but please note that Experimental Station is a public building and that there will likely be unmasked people in the building. For those unable to mask or to risk being in a public space, we are offering a virtual option to join the event via Zoom. Attendees will be asked to indicate whether they prefer to attend online or in-person upon registration, though the are welcome to switch their registration type and all registrants will be provided the link to attend on Zoom.
This event is intended to be relaxed, welcoming and comfortable for all in the space. We will have multiple forms of seating available, as well as a few stim tools. You are welcome to come and go, bring your own access tools, and move about the space as needed during the event.
Please refrain from wearing any scented perfume, cologne, lotion, etc.
Contact: Please reach out to Maggie Bridger at magbridger@gmail.com with any questions about access needs or requests for access services/tools not mentioned here.
Captions (virtual only), Sensory Friendly, Wheelchair Accessible, and Virtual
“Ok, so boom. / We ain’t friends anymore.” Sky and Lay Li were always in sync. But now their rhythms are changing; Sky likes swimming, and Lay Li is all about beauty. Sky, basketball; Lay Li, boys. Things just make more sense underwater and on the court. A world premiere adaptation of Mahogany L. Browne’s popular young adult novel, Chlorine Sky is an intimate coming-of-age story told in verse about two girls who are best friends—until they aren’t. Sometimes, growing up means growing apart.
Sensory Friendly
https://www.steppenwolf.org/tickets–events/seasons-/2022-23/chlorine-sky/
Play for All: Adaptive Sports Event for Children and Families with Disabilities
What: Calling ALL champions! At this event with Dare2tri, visitors will discover the endless possibilities for athletes with disabilities. All visitors are encouraged to participate in event activities, including roller sled hockey, handcycling, wheelchair racing, bocce, Judo, group exercise, and a See & Touch Prosthetics display.
Who: The first 500 children and families with disabilities who register will receive free admission!
Where: Chicago Children’s Museum
When: January 21, 2023 at 10 am to 12 pm (CCM opens to the public at 11 am)
The groundbreaking pop-culture musical sensation is reimagined in a new production.
Myth and spectacle combine in a fresh reinvention of The Who’s exhilarating 1969 rock concept album, Tommy—including the unforgettable anthems “I’m Free,” “See Me, Feel Me,” “Sensation” and “Pinball Wizard.” After witnessing his father shoot his rival, the young Tommy Walker is lost in the universe, endlessly and obsessively staring into the mirror. An innate knack for pinball catapults him from reticent adolescent to celebrity savior. Tony Award-winning composer Pete Townshend and Tony Award-winning original director Des McAnuff find powerful resonance reexamining this classic story for today.
https://www.goodmantheatre.org/show/the-whos-tommy/
Accessibility: sensory-friendly
A young violinist and her song collector boyfriend flee the confines of their Brooklyn apartment to the mountains of North Carolina, where the Appalachian music of Mira’s childhood is just the authentic inspiration they’re searching for. When they descend on her old family home, and an estranged grandfather she’s never mentioned, the unexpected complexity of past pain, prejudice, joy, and discovery reveals itself through the music that binds them. Featuring bluegrass favorites and the foot-stomping, hand-clapping finest of American roots music.
This is a relaxed/sensory-friendly performance. These performances are designed to make everyone feel safe and welcome at our theater. While these performances include changes to better support individuals with autism and sensory sensitivities, everyone is welcome to attend.
Some adjustments of note might include: lower sound level, the house lights will remain on at all times at a low level, we’ll have a designated quiet area for patrons who need to step away from the performance, patrons are free to walk around and talk during the performance, and cell phone usage and light noisemaking is allowed.
To purchase tickets, use the promo code NACCESS by phone 847.673.6300 or online to receive discounted tickets at a flat rate of $40 each (standard fees still apply).
https://northlight.org/events/the-porch-on-windy-hill-a-new-play-with-old-music/
Hailed as the “Godmother of Rock ‘n Roll,” Sister Rosetta Tharpe influenced rock icons from Elvis Presley to Jimi Hendrix. Bringing fierce guitar playing and sizzling swing to gospel music, Rosetta was a trailblazer, a young Black woman singing at church in the morning and the Cotton Club at night. This play with music chronicles Rosetta’s first rehearsal with a young protégée, Marie Knight, as they prepare for a tour that would establish them as one of the great duet teams in musical history.
This is a relaxed/sensory-friendly performance. These performances are designed to make everyone feel safe and welcome at our theater. While these performances include changes to better support individuals with autism and sensory sensitivities, everyone is welcome to attend.
Some adjustments of note might include: lower sound level, the house lights will remain on at all times at a low level, we’ll have a designated quiet area for patrons who need to step away from the performance, patrons are free to walk around and talk during the performance, and cell phone usage and light noisemaking is allowed.
To purchase tickets, use the promo code NACCESS by phone 847.673.6300 or online to receive discounted tickets at a flat rate of $40 each (standard fees still apply).
https://northlight.org/events/marie-and-rosetta/
Accessibility: sensory-friendly
The County Fair is coming, and the grand prize in the talent competition is a trampoline! Duck wants that prize, but with Farmer Brown watching around every corner, how will he hold singing and dancing rehearsals for Cow, Pig and Ewe? Hop aboard Farmer Brown’s truck and travel to the fair with this hit musical about sharing your talents and reaching for your dreams. From the team that brought you Giggle, Giggle Quack and Duck for President.
Autism/sensory-friendly performances are relaxed and sensory-friendly theatre experiences designed to be more accessible to those individuals on the autism spectrum or to others with cognitive/developmental disabilities.
https://ci.ovationtix.com/36647/production/1144669
Lincoln Park Zoo’s Sensory-Friendly ZooLights will be on Tuesday, November, 29 from 4:30-10pm.
During Sensory-Friendly ZooLights music will be muted or played at low volume, lights will be static, and crowd size is very limited.
CLICK HERE to purchase tickets via Eventbrite. Tickets are $5 each.
The Eventbrite page does contain more information about the event. For general ZooLights information check Lincoln Park Zoo’s website. For more information about accessibility at Lincoln Park Zoo, check-out the accessibility page.
ZooLights Sensory-Friendly Night tickets (promo code SensoryFriendly):
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/zoolights-sensory-friendly-tickets-nov-29-tickets-443603017567?aff=lpzwebsite2022
ZooLights general information:
https://www.lpzoo.org/event/zoolights/
Accessibility at Lincoln Park Zoo:
https://www.lpzoo.org/visit/accessibility/
For any further questions, please email access@lpzoo.org or bgreen@lpzoo.org or call 312-742-2067.
Sensory-Friendly Morning at the MCA is a free, sensory-friendly program for neurodiverse visitors of all ages. Preregistered individuals and their families can visit the museum before it opens to the public and explore exhibitions at their own pace. Lobby lights are less intense and a quiet space is available for breaks.
Sensory-Friendly Morning aims to be a welcoming space to experience contemporary art in a judgment-free environment.
https://mcachicago.org/Calendar/2021/01/Sensory-Friendly-Morning#about-this-event
The Gift Theatre presents the world premiere of The Locusts at Theater Wit.
When a serial killer frightens Ella’s small hometown of Vero Beach, Florida, she’s called down from FBI headquarters in Washington D.C. to come help. At home, she’s confronted by the life she left behind: her struggling family and the dark events of her childhood. A play that explores how lost souls manage their fear, and their desperate search for a way to survive in a world that threatens their existence.
Performing at Theater Wit-1229 w. Belmont, Chicago, IL 60657
Tickets available at theaterwit.org or by calling 773-975-8150
https://thegifttheatre.org/shows-events/the-locusts
Tickets: Previews $25. Regular run $38 – $45. Students $25. Seniors $35. Tickets are currently available at www.thegifttheatre.org, by calling (773) 975-8150 or in person at the Theater Wit Box Office.
Sensory-friendly performance: Saturday, November 19 at 7:30 pm
Audio-described performance/touch tour & conversation with the cast: Saturday, November 19 at 7:30 pm (touch tour begins at 6:45 pm)
It’s often said that social media is bad for our mental health, and while that can be true, the full story isn’t so cut and dry. At CHF, Nicole Wetsman, Health Tech Reporter for The Verge moderates a panel between Dr. Megan Moreno, a leading researcher on adolescent social media, and Margot Lee, a high-profile young adult influencer about how curating public images affect our well-being.
Open captions and assistive listening devices are available.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/verge-social-media/
You probably know that algorithms play a huge role in what we see online, but what happens to society when this type of curated content begins to influence our real lives? Join The Verge Deputy Editor Alex Heath and a special guest for a conversation about how personalized and relatable content on social media is redefining our feeds and creating a new lens through which millions view the world.
Open captions and assistive listening devices are available.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/future-feed/
We’ve all been told too much social media is bad for us, but why is that? At CHF, New York Times investigative reporter and author of The Chaos Machine Max Fisher explains how, through the pursuit of unfettered profits and maximum engagement, Big Tech has rewired our minds, and instigated a cultural shift toward polarization and misinformation. Join him and David Pierce (editor at large at The Verge) for a behind-the-scenes look at how social networks prey on psychological frailties, driving people to extreme opinions and actions.
A book signing will follow this program.
Open captions and assistive listening devices are available.
Join Reza Aslan (No god but God and Zealot) for the spellbinding tale of a martyr for democracy. Howard Baskerville was a 22-year-old missionary who went to Iran in 1907 and died fighting in the Persian Constitutional Revolution. Was he the “American Lafayette of Iran” or a naive “white savior”? In this talk, Aslan explores what Baskerville’s story illuminates about how seriously we take our democratic ideals and whose freedom we actually support.
Pre-order your book and gain access to a book signing and meet and greet with Aslan following this program.
Open captions and assistive listening devices are available.
In the wake of the midterm elections, join former presidential candidate, political activist, and spiritual thought leader Marianne Williamson for an intimate conversation with Sen. Nina Turner about the state of American politics. In an era of divisiveness, Williamson comes to CHF with a new vision for American politics built on social responsibility, democracy, and deep human values.
Open captions and assistive listening devices are available.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/marianne-williamson/
In 2010, Chelsea Manning disclosed thousands of classified US military and diplomatic records to the public while working as an intelligence analyst in Iraq. Since her initial sentencing and conviction, followed by early release, Manning has become a globally recognized whistleblower and activist. Join her in conversation with Nadya Tolokonnikova (of the feminist protest and performance art group, Pussy Riot) for a conversation about Manning’s memoir README.txt; and her journey fighting for institutional transparency, political activism, government accountability, and trans rights.
A book signing will follow this program.
Open captions and assistive listening devices are available.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/chelsea-manning/
Join Saturday Night Live alum, standup comedian, and caricature artist Kevin Nealon for an evening of stories: from backstage at SNL with Chris Farley and Dana Carvey to hanging out in Tiffany Haddish’s vegetable garden. At CHF, Nealon will chat with former SNL castmate Tim Meadows about his new book I Exaggerate: My Brushes with Fame (Abrams), a collection of original, full-color portraits drawn by Nealon himself alongside endearing personal stories of his famous friends.
Open captions and assistive listening devices are available.
A book signing will follow this program.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/kevin-nealon/
What happens when people get their news from the pulpit? At CHF, Bonnie Kristian (author of Untrustworthy and columnist at Christianity Today), Russell Moore (Editor in Chief at Christianity Today), and David French (senior editor at The Dispatch) unpack this question. Join them for a discussion about the power the evangelical church wields in shaping the political ideologies of its worshippers and the impact of this on America’s already prevalent knowledge crisis.
Open captions and assistive listening devices are available.
A book signing will follow this event.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/church-state-information-crisis/
Heralded as the “best short-story writer in English” by Time, and winner of the Man Booker Prize for Lincoln in the Bardo, George Saunders is the perfect author to help us make sense of our era through fiction. At CHF, Saunders sits down with Peter Sagal for a chat about his latest collection Liberation Day, featuring timely short stories exploring power, ethics, and justice through his trademark prose.
Open captions and assistive listening devices are available.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/george-saunders/
“If a law can’t protect a person from lynching, isn’t lynching the law?” asks Margaret A. Burnham, director of Northeastern University’s Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project, in her new book By Hands Now Known. At CHF, Burnham and Courtney Pierre Joseph (Assistant Professor of History and African American Studies at Lake Forest College) explain the ways America’s legal system allowed and encouraged racial violence during the Jim Crow era, how those atrocities extend into today, and what we can do to repair a broken system.
Open captions and assistive listening devices are available.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/margaret-burnham/
Seymour Hersh has been at the forefront of investigative journalism ever since his Pulitzer Prize-winning exposé of the Vietnam War’s Mỹ Lai Massacre. At CHF, Hersh sits down with David Greising, President of the Better Government Association, to talk about what Hersh has learned over the course of his storied career—from Vietnam to Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison and beyond—and why the public service of a free press is so important to protecting democracy.
Open captions and assistive listening devices are available.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/seymour-hersh/
Mass media rarely tells a three-dimensional story of violence in Chicago, but sociologist Sudhir Venkatesh does. At CHF, Venkatesh goes beyond perfunctory news coverage for a story about a community coming together to save a group of teenagers from gun violence. Join him for a conversation with Rudi Batzell about a national crisis and what it would be like to live in a society without guns.
Open captions and assistive listening devices available.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/sudhir-venkatesh/
The public has always been fascinated by conspiracy theories, but lately more people have started believing in them: from speculations about John F. Kennedy’s assassination to notions that 9/11 was an inside job. At CHF, Michael Shermer (founding publisher of Skeptic magazine) talks with Meghan Daum (The Problem With Everything, The Unspeakable Podcast) about the personality traits and societal factors at play in conspiratorial thinking and how we can counteract these narratives.
Open captions and assistive listening devices are available.
A book signing will follow this program.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/michael-shermer/
We often hear the legends of a musician’s “big break,” but what happens before that? In her memoir Maybe We’ll Make It, Grammy-nominated country singer-songwriter Margo Price gets real about the struggles to survive and succeed in a music industry that is often unkind to women. Aspiring musicians, join Price and CHF at the Old Town School of Folk Music for an intimate chat with Jes Skolnik about building a career, followed by a solo performance.
A book signing will follow this program.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/margo-price/
Jeff Garlin is a man of many talents: he is a writer, producer, director, actor, photographer, and stand-up comedian. His impressive filmography includes: Curb Your Enthusiasm, WALL-E, Toy Story 3 & 4, and Paranorman, among others. At CHF, Garlin returns home for a chat with fellow comedian Susie Essman about his career, his city, and his stand-up special: Our Man in Chicago, which features his signature style of storytelling and improv.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/jeff-garlin/
America is witnessing a frightening trend: the rise of extremist groups, like the Proud Boys, infiltrating our politics. At CHF, leading extremism reporter Andy Campbell (author of We Are Proud Boys: How a Right-Wing Street Gang Ushered in a New Era of American Extremism) sits down with Michael Fanone, a former Trump supporter, DC Metropolitan police officer, and author of Hold the Line. Together with Kathleen Belew (Associate Professor of History at Northwestern University and author of Bring the War Home), they’ll discuss how extremist groups have influenced violence in America and abroad, and what we can do to organize against the radicalism they espouse.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/extremism-america/
Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Will Bunch calls higher education the great political and cultural fault line of American life. Join Bunch and Associate Professor of Sociology and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Anthony S. Chen, as they explore the central question of Bunch’s latest book After the Ivory Tower Falls: How has the fracturing of American people into two groups (one educated and the other not) contributed to political, cultural, and economic unrest; and what can we do to bridge the divide?
At CHF, renowned legal scholar Daniel S. Medwed explains how America’s judicial system is stacked against the innocent. Join him and Lake Forest College legal studies professor Stephanie Caparelli for a conversation demystifying the procedural rules, systemic bias, and court culture that make up the barriers to exoneration. We’ll discuss how our justice system operates, what justice actually looks like, and possible solutions for the future.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/daniel-medwed/
Miranda July has gained a cult following over the span of her award-winning career as a filmmaker (Me and You and Everyone We Know and Kajillionaire), writer (No One Belongs Here More Than You), and artist (her latest project, Services, is both a sculpture and a book). Chill with July at CHF for a chat about her life so far – as recently highlighted in the release of her mid-career retrospective.
https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/attend/miranda-july/
For artist and MacArthur Fellow Rick Lowe, art doesn’t only hang on walls in museums, art is all around us. Art is street murals celebrating Black-owned businesses. Art is the Project Row Houses in Houston’s historic Third Ward. Art is the act we take as members of our communities. At CHF, Lowe reflects on community-based creative practices and the power of art to remake our public lives.
Chicago’s favorite holiday tradition for four decades.
Nearly two million theatergoers have experienced Chicago’s must-see annual holiday tradition, Goodman Theatre’s A Christmas Carol. With first-rate performances— starring award-winner Larry Yando as Ebenezer Scrooge for the 15th year—and “amazing sets, gorgeous costumes and eye-popping effects” (Chicago Reader), the heartwarming story of generosity’s triumph over greed comes to vivid life. Don’t miss this 45th anniversary production of “the best Christmas story ever told” (Time Out Chicago).
A Christmas Carol is appropriate for ages 6 and up. The production contains loud noises, bright lights, and images that may frighten very young children. Children under 5 are not permitted in the theater. For more information contact the box office at 312.443.3800
Direct from New York City and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, this Chicago premiere features hundreds of illustrated puppets, fuzzy Muppet-style puppets, hilarious actors on live cameras, and a live music soundtrack which bring the popular children’s books by Mo Willems to life in a new Manual Cinema show the whole family will enjoy.
Leonardo is a terrible monster. He tries so hard to be scary, but he just…isn’t. Then Leonardo finds Sam, the most scaredy-cat kid in the world. Will Leonardo finally get his chance to scare the tuna salad out of an unsuspecting human? Or will it be the start of an unlikely friendship? They will need to make a big decision: will they be friends or will they be controlled by their fears?
12TH ANNUAL COUNTERBALANCE
SEPTEMBER 24TH & 25TH, 2022
presented by Access Living, Bodies of Work, MOMENTA, and ReinventAbility.
IN-PERSON PERFORMANCES
(A virtual viewing option will be available in October)
Hoover-Leppen Theatre
CENTER ON HALSTED
3656 N. Halsted
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24
7:30pm
Doors open at 7:00pm
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
2:00pm
Sensory Friendly Performance
Doors open at 1:30pm
ACCESS FEATURES
Wheelchair Accessible, ASL Interpretation, Open Captioning, Audio Description, All Gender Restrooms
SAFETY PROTOCOLS
Masks Required
Proof of Vaccination
or Negative Covid Test
Aligned with the mission of representing marginalized voices, BWBTC has partnered with UIC’s Disability Cultural Center to tell the tale of the malicious Richard of Gloucester. Casting both non-disabled and disabled actors, this production will not only examine stage combat as a storytelling tool, but interrogate the divide between “regular” theatre and “theatre for the disabled”.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://babeswithblades.org/summer-2022-bwbtc-shakespeare-richard-iii/
Use coupon code (Access) for 20% discount!
Please note: Live captions will be available for all performances.
Aligned with the mission of representing marginalized voices, BWBTC has partnered with UIC’s Disability Cultural Center to tell the tale of the malicious Richard of Gloucester. Casting both non-disabled and disabled actors, this production will not only examine stage combat as a storytelling tool, but interrogate the divide between “regular” theatre and “theatre for the disabled”.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://babeswithblades.org/summer-2022-bwbtc-shakespeare-richard-iii/
Use coupon code (Access) for 20% discount!
Please note: Live captions will be available for all performances.
Disney Theatrical Productions and Broadway in Chicago are proud to offer a sensory-friendly performance of Disney’s THE LION KING. With the partnership of Aspire, local nonprofit experts in disability inclusion, the show will be performed in a supportive and judgment-free environment.
This event is open to the public, but customary theater rules will be relaxed. Audience members can stand, move, talk and make noise as needed.
Accommodations include:
-House lights left on at a low level
-Trained volunteers and professionals on hand
-Sensory support encouraged and available
-Designated quiet spaces
-Lower sound levels, especially startling or loud sounds
-Open Captions available
Ticket prices start at $33 and can be purchased online at: https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/07005CA3F57D44F8
Patrons may also call (312) 977-1700 (press 5)
OR
TTY: (800) 359-2525
OR
Email accessbility@broadwayinchicago.com
For groups of 10+, call Broadway in Chicago Group Sales (312) 977-1710
On Sunday, September 18 from 8-10am, Lincoln Park Zoo is offering Sensory-Friendly Morning hours for guests with disabilities to experience the zoo grounds and animal buildings in a comfortable and inclusive environment. Modifications include limited capacity and muted attractions. This is a free event, but it does require advanced registration. Tickets may be reserved at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sensory-friendly-morning-at-lincoln-park-zoo-tickets-393799554067
Sensory-Friendly Morning is a free program for all people who benefit from visiting the zoo without crowds and other sensitive environmental elements. This includes guests with sensory sensitivities, disabilities, autism, PTSD, and dementia to name a few.
During Sensory-Friendly Morning, Gift Shop will be open at 8am and Landmark Café will sell beverages starting at 8:30am. AT&T Endangered Species Carousel and Lionel Train Adventure will operate with music and noises muted. Not all animal buildings may be open, and some animals may not be in their public viewing spaces.
At 10am, the zoo will be open to the public and begin typical operations.
View the zoo’s accessibility map and accessibility page to help plan your visit.
Wheelchairs are available at Searle Visitor Center for temporary use by guests. Availability is first come, first served. Guests must deposit a picture ID or refundable $20.
Guests may only enter at West Gate and East Gate, and they need to present their registration email to zoo ushers.
Paid parking is available at the zoo’s parking lot located at Fullerton Parkway and Cannon Drive (2400 N. Cannon Drive). The zoo is also accessible by train via the Armitage and Fullerton stations and by bus via the 22, 36, 151, and 156 routes.
All Lincoln Park Zoo events take place rain or shine. We have some wonderful animal buildings you can still enjoy if it rains, and the carousel is covered.
There is no smoking at Lincoln Park Zoo for the health of the animals in our care.
Pets are not allowed at the zoo, but licensed service animals are welcome.
Tickets will not be available day of the event.
For any questions, please email access@lpzoo.org.
This off-beat buddy comedy pairs essential workers from two different worlds in the shared cab of a New York City garbage truck. Danny’s a white, blue-collar mansplainer hiding a heart of gold. Marlowe’s a Black, Ivy League-educated newbie learning the ropes from her old-school partner. When they’re thrown together to pick up what the world has discarded, they discover there’s more that binds them than taking out the trash.
This is a relaxed/sensory-friendly performance. These performances are designed to make everyone feel safe and welcome at our theater. While these performances include changes to better support individuals with autism and sensory sensitivities, everyone is welcome to attend.
Some adjustments of note might include: lower sound level, the house lights will remain on at all times at a low level, we’ll have a designated quiet area for patrons who need to step away from the performance, patrons are free to walk around and talk during the performance, and cell phone usage and light noisemaking is allowed.
To purchase tickets, use the promo code NACCESS by phone 847.673.6300 or online to receive discounted tickets at a flat rate of $40 each (standard fees still apply).
Kohl Children’s Museum was specifically designed to be inclusive of all children and adults regardless of ability. The Museum’s 17 exhibits and 2 acres of outdoor explorations are designed for play with a purpose and encourage linguistic, cognitive, motor, and social skills for children ages birth through 8. The Museum works collaboratively with community organizations to invite families with children with special needs to the Museum to explore the exhibits while closed to the general public. These FREE events, titled Everyone at Play, usually occur on specified afternoons. This provides opportunities for calm, creative, and collaborative play.
On Sunday, July 24 from 8-10am, Lincoln Park Zoo is offering Sensory-Friendly Morning hours for guests with disabilities to experience the zoo grounds and animal buildings in a comfortable and inclusive environment. Modifications include limited capacity and muted attractions. This is a free event, but it does require advanced registration. Tickets may be reserved at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sensory-friendly-morning-tickets-373533056427
Sensory-Friendly Morning is a free program for all people who benefit from visiting the zoo without crowds and other sensitive environmental elements. This includes guests with sensory sensitivities, disabilities, autism, PTSD, and dementia to name a few.
During Sensory-Friendly Morning, Gift Shop will be open at 8am and Landmark Café will sell beverages starting at 8:30am. AT&T Endangered Species Carousel and Lionel Train Adventure will operate with music and noises muted. Not all animal buildings may be open, and some animals may not be in their public viewing spaces.
At 10am, the zoo will be open to the public and begin typical operations.
View the zoo’s accessibility map at https://www.lpzoo.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/LPZ_Accessibility-Map_JAN-2022_v6.pdf
View the zoo’s accessibility page at https://www.lpzoo.org/visit/accessibility/
Wheelchairs are available at Searle Visitor Center for temporary use by guests. Availability is first come, first served. Guests must deposit a picture ID or refundable $20.
Guests may only enter at West Gate and East Gate, and they need to present their registration email to zoo ushers.
Paid parking is available at the zoo’s parking lot located at Fullerton Parkway and Cannon Drive (2400 N. Cannon Drive). The zoo is also accessible by train via the Armitage and Fullerton stations and by bus via the 22, 36, 151, and 156 routes.
All Lincoln Park Zoo events take place rain or shine. We have some wonderful animal buildings you can still enjoy if it rains, and the carousel is covered.
• Outside food and beverage is prohibited.
• There is no smoking at Lincoln Park Zoo for the health of the animals in our care.
• Pets are not allowed at the zoo, but licensed service animals are welcome.
• Lincoln Park Zoo’s Code of Conduct can be found at https://www.lpzoo.org/guest-guidelines-and-code-of-conduct/.
Tickets will not be available day of the event.
For any questions, please email access@lpzoo.org.
Join us for a live performance of songs from LYNX Project’s debut album, beautiful small things. These art songs, commissioned between 2017–2020 as part of the Amplify series, feature the poetry of neurodiverse young people who are primarily nonspeaking, set to music by celebrated classical composers. In addition to song performances, there will be a presentation on nonspeaking communication and readings of poems.
The Poetry Foundation and LYNX share a commitment to creating a welcoming and inclusive performance space. Sensory accommodations will be provided.
Poetry Foundation’s events are completely free of charge and open to the public. This reading will include live captioning and ASL interpretation. If you require any other accessibility measures, please contact us by emailing events@poetryfoundation.org.
All guests over the age of two must wear a mask inside the Poetry Foundation building. Guests over the age of five must show proof of vaccination and booster up to the level to which they are eligible for their age group. Guests over the age of 18 must show ID alongside their proof of vaccination. If you cannot meet these requirements, you will not be granted entry to the event. All in-person events will be made available online for free at poetryfoundation.org/video. Please note that some performers may choose to perform without a mask.
These guidelines are up to date as of March 7, 2022.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/events/156862/lynx-project-beautiful-small-things-in-person
Kohl Children’s Museum was specifically designed to be inclusive of all children and adults regardless of ability. The Museum’s 17 exhibits and 2 acres of outdoor explorations are designed for play with a purpose and encourage linguistic, cognitive, motor, and social skills for children ages birth through 8. The Museum works collaboratively with community organizations to invite families with children with special needs to the Museum to explore the exhibits while closed to the general public. These FREE events, titled Everyone at Play, usually occur on specified afternoons. This provides opportunities for calm, creative, and collaborative play.The event includes one-on-one interactive activities with trained, registered therapy animals and other partners, a quiet room for stimulation breaks, museum staff providing play support and guidance, and a free family pass for 4 to return to the Museum.EAP is generously supported by the Edmond and Alice Opler Foundation, the Pajeau Children’s Foundation and the Walter and Caroline Sueske Charitable Trust. Capacity is limited and registration is required.
In 1905, a Black seamstress named Esther sews her way out of poverty stitch by delicate stitch, creating fine lingerie for her Manhattan clientele while longing for a husband and a future. She finds common ground with a Jewish fabric merchant, a relationship they both know cannot grow. So when correspondence with a lonesome Caribbean man leads to a marriage proposal, she accepts. But as her new marriage quickly leads to regret, Esther turns back to her sewing machine to rebuild her life and refashion her future.
https://northlight.org/events/intimate-apparel/
When two strangers meet by letter during World War II, a love story begins. U.S. Army Captain Jack Ludwig, a military doctor stationed in Oregon, begins writing to Louise Rabiner, an aspiring actress and dancer in New York City, hoping to meet her someday if the war will allow. But as the war continues, it threatens to end their relationship before it even starts. Two-time Olivier Award-winning playwright Ken Ludwig tells the poignant story of his own parents’ unlikely courtship during World War II.
Ken Ludwig’s Dear Jack, Dear Louise is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com
Wired is an immense and intimate experience that traces the fine line between “us” and “them” through aerial and contemporary dance and the metaphoric use of barbed wire. The dancers of Wired spin and soar together in this meditation in sound, light, and movement on the gendered, racial, and disability stories of barbed wire in the United States, showing how this material shapes common understandings of who belongs. Barbed wire is designed as a material for containment. It is used, time and again, to limit individual and community movements and delineate boundaries as large as a nation state and as small as a personal fence. In Wired, this fraught material comes to highlight not only danger and contradiction, but also beauty and interconnection.
To create Wired, the artists of Kinetic Light—Alice Sheppard, Laurel Lawson, Jerron Herman, and Michael Maag—and their collaborators—composers Ailís Ní Ríain and LeahAnn Mitchell and scenic designer Josephine Shokrian—defy both gravity and assumptions about what dance can be. The artists of Kinetic Light see interdependence as a political position as well as an approach to making dance from a disability aesthetic: in which disability is a powerful creative and cultural force, and the many ways of accessing the performance are the art itself.
ASL interpretation and AD are available for all shows. There is no spoken dialogue in Wired. Audio description is available through Kinetic Light’s app, Audimance. More information will be provided to ticketholders by email in advance. Orientation to and demonstration of the app will be available in the lobby prior to all shows, along with a tactile exhibit that serves as an introduction to the Wired set, props, costumes, and theatrical elements.
Wired content and artistry will remain the same for all performances. The show shares many aspects of MCA’s Relaxed Performances. Audience members are welcome to exit and reenter.
Light haze is present in certain sections. There are no strobe lighting effects. Quiet spaces and stimulation kits are available for all performances.
The show will be livestreamed on Saturday, including ASL, with one channel being audio described. Friday and Sunday’s performances will offer an alternative lighting design.
Kohl Children’s Museum welcomes children with special needs and their families for an afternoon of learning and play focused on them. Our Museum campus is designed for universal accessibility with a purpose to encourage linguistic, cognitive, motor and social skills for all children ages birth to 8. Events attendees will experience: 17 hands-on Museum exhibits, One-on-one interactive activities with trained, registered therapy animals and other partners, Quiet room for stimulation breaks, Museum staff providing play support and guidance, A free family pass for 4 to return to the Museum.
https://www.kohlchildrensmuseum.org/outreach-programs/eap/