Accessibility
We are committed to making every person’s visit to the Theatres at UWaterloo enjoyable and to making arts accessible to all. We are working hard to constantly evolve and upgrade our facilities and services to provide an extraordinary theatre experience for all patrons.
Assistive Devices
The Theatres at UWaterloo currently have the following facilities and amenities to help make your time at our venue comfortable:
Hearing Assistive Devices
Hearing Assistive receivers are available for patrons with hearing disabilities and/or requiring hearing assistance. Our theatre is equipped with William Sound Assistive Listening Systems, in the headphones and ear buds styles.
If you would like to use our hearing assistive devices, you can ask the Front of House Manager on arrival to reserve one. There are no rental fees to use the device, though you will be required to leave a piece of photo I.D. There are limited devices available and will be offered on a first come, first served basis.
CART – Communication Access Realtime Translation)
Some events and performances will have professional writers provide word-for-word transcription of speech to text in real-time, to make them accessible to people who are culturally Deaf, oral deaf, deafened and hard of hearing. Designated seating is reserved for the best viewing of the stage and the screen. Please check with Theatre Manager in advance to confirm that CART is being used for a specific event.
Building Facilities
The Theatres have several features to make the building more accessible:
- Motorized door controls on our front doors
- Elevator
- Special access parking spots are available.
- Special access and companion seats, which need to be reserved at the time of ticket purchase.
- Special access washroom stalls with assistive bars.
Service Animals
Guide dogs or other service animals, including service animals in training, are welcome to accompany patrons to a performance. If you are planning to attend the Theatre of the Arts with a service animal, please advise the Box Office when you purchase your tickets. We will accommodate patrons and their service animals in select areas of the house where an aisle or legroom allows space for the animal, does not obstruct other patrons, and consider building fire codes and evacuation procedures. Seating is subject to availability.
Special effects during performances such as noise and lights may affect your service animal. Please contact Janelle Rainville if you have any concerns regarding specific performances. We are committed to making every effort to ensure the safety of our patrons, addressing special circumstances on an individual basis.
If a service animal is causing a disruption to other patrons, the owner and service animal may be asked to leave the performance. Owners are responsible for picking up after their animals.
Support Persons
We welcome all patrons with disabilities, and those who are accompanied by a support person. At no time will a person with a disability be prevented from having access to their support person while at the Theatre of the Arts. Support persons accompanying a ticket holder with a disability will be provided with a complimentary ticket. Please book these seats through the Box Office.
A support person is an individual hired or chosen by a person with a disability to provide services or assistance with communication, mobility, personal care, medical needs or access to goods or services.
Patrons may contact the Theatre Manager, 519-888-4767, for more information, or address the specific needs of their situation.
Feedback
We are working hard to constantly evolve and upgrade our facilities and services. We welcome your feedback and your ideas about how to make the Theatre of the Arts more accessible and enjoyable.
Please contact the Front of House and Box Office Manager, Melissa Zarnke:
- Call her at 519-888-4567 ext. 46570
- Email your feedback to theatre@uwaterloo.ca
- Speak to our Front of House Manager while on-site
Please also give your name and contact information (phone, email and/or address) so that we can follow up and respond in a timely manner.