In the United States, there are about 12 million people who have a hearing disability (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023, table S1810). This segment of the population often stops participating in social activities they love due to a lack of accessibility (Jiménez-Arberas, 2024). According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title III Regulations (2012), “[a] public accommodation shall furnish appropriate auxiliary aids and services where necessary to ensure effective communication with individuals with disabilities” (section 36.303). All places of public accommodation must follow these regulations unless they cause undue burden (ADA, 2012), which is defined by the ADA (2012) as a “significant difficulty or expense.” An example of undue burden is the inability to afford the extensive cost of implementing new employees, programs, services, and devices. Under the ADA Title III regulations (2012), theaters are listed as a “place of public accommodation,” so they must abide by the rules and provide equal access to everyone. Broadway and regional theaters often have several options for access for deaf and hard of hearing patrons such as interpreters and captioning devices, but smaller, educational theaters do not. This is largely due to the high cost of implementing new technologies and programs which smaller educational theaters do not have the means for. Educational theaters play a vital role in their communities as they serve as “third places” that provide affordable and accessible entertainment options that benefit the local community. Efforts should be made to turn educational theaters into places where deaf and hard of hearing patrons can feel welcome and heard. In order to fill this need at Salisbury University, a new connection can be forged between the Deaf Studies Program and the Theater Department. This relationship will be beneficial for the students, departments, and deaf and hard of hearing people in the community.

Third Places

Third places are spaces where people can come together to bond over a shared experience or activity and are important to promote diversity and inclusion for everyone. Sociologist Ray Oldenburg (1989) was the first to coin the term “third place” and described it as a neutral, relaxing place where people can come together. “First places” are the home, “second places” are the workplace, and “third places” are the “other” (Oldenburg, 1989). Oldenburg states “Without such places, the urban area fails to nourish the kinds of relationships and the diversity of human contact that are the essence of our city.” He expressed how communities need a location that can be accessible for all, regardless of income, disability, race, and culture. 

Theaters are a great example of a third place. While waiting for the show to begin, people can share their excitement and curiosity for the show. Afterwards, they can discuss the plot, characters, set, lighting, and other aspects of the show, allowing new friendships to be forged over these shared experiences. While third spaces are important for everyone to bond over shared experiences, they are especially important for deaf and hard of hearing individuals. This group of people are often overlooked and have feelings of loneliness in the world due to their disability (Jiménez-Arberas, 2024). When a community has a place where a deaf or hard of hearing person can feel visible and seen, this individual can participate in society in the same way as hearing individuals.

However, the majority of deaf individuals are unable to participate in theaters as they are inaccessible. A participant in Jiménez-Arberas’s (2024) study noted how they loved theater but had to stop going because “it’s [deaf accessibility in theater] a problem that it’s still not very developed at the street level.” Another participant notes they would love to do activities such as theater but are unable to do so due to inaccessibility (Jiménez-Arberas, 2024). Lack of accessibility can often prevent deaf people from doing what they love. By providing access on a smaller level in educational theaters, smaller deaf communities will be able to experience an accessible show within their community. 

Differences Between Professional and Educational Theaters

Professional theaters are typically for-profit, and their main purpose is to sell tickets and create a show (Cherbo, 1998). Since the commercial theaters strive to have a high revenue, they are more likely to have the means for accessible features for deaf and hard of hearing patrons. These accessible theaters are typically found in larger cities, such as Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C., and have a higher ticket price (League of Resident Theaters, 2024). The tickets typically start around $60 per person. On top of the cost of tickets, a deaf patron must account for transportation, meals, and potentially a hotel for their trip, unless they reside in one of the aforementioned cities. For example, these various costs add up to being several hundred dollars for Deaf and hard of hearing residents of Salisbury who would have to travel to either Baltimore, Philadelphia, or Washington D.C. to see an accessible performance. 

Besides the cost, the accessibility experience is not always high quality. Many theaters will have a singular performance with an interpreter, but if the theatergoer cannot make that date, they can request a captioning device (Baltimore Center Stage, 2024; Signature Theater, 2024; Wilma Theater, 2024). These captioning devices are often faulty and malfunction, causing a poor experience for the deaf patron (Jiménez-Arberas, 2024). Because of the overall financial cost and poor quality of the show for Deaf and hard of hearing patrons, the larger theaters can’t be considered a third place. This is why it is important to develop a feasible way to make educational theaters accessible for Deaf and hard of hearing patrons. 

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey 5-Year estimates, there are about 915 people in the Salisbury area that have a hearing disability out of a total population of 33,000 people, meaning 2.8% of people in Salisbury do not have access to local, live, affordable theater due to their hearing disability. This population of deaf people are currently unable to enjoy accessible theater within their community. 

In Salisbury, there are only three local theaters, one of them being the Salisbury University Theater Program. The second local theater is called Fultontown theater, which is a Salisbury University Alumni Theater Company, and the third theater is the Community Players of Salisbury. All three of these theaters are considered community or nonprofessional theaters. While there are other local theaters in the Salisbury community besides the Salisbury University Theater Program, upon researching their websites, none of these theaters offer deaf accessibility services, which further highlights the importance of this project. These two theaters will not be discussed any further in this paper, as this work focuses on educational theaters and not all community and nonprofessional theaters. 

Educational theater programs are considered to be community theaters (American Association of Community Theater, n.d.). An educational theater’s primary purpose is to teach the students the entire process of putting on a show, allowing students to learn a variety of skills such as communication and empathy (Arts Education Partnership, n.d.). These theaters are typically non-profit and rely on volunteer staff while also being important for their community (American Association of Community Theater, n.d.). According to the American Association of Community Theater (n.d.), community theaters benefit the local economy, are educational for both students and patrons, and create harmony within a community. The theater program at Salisbury University is an educational theater and reap the aforementioned benefits of community theaters. This program also has more affordable tickets compared to larger, commercial theaters, as seen in the prices of admission. The price of general admission is typically $15-20, alumni is $12-18, and students and faculty are $5-10 (Performing Arts Box Office, 2024).  

American Sign Language, Interpreters, and Statistics

The shows presented at Salisbury University can offer American Sign Language (ASL) interpreted performances to provide access to the local deaf community. Many deaf people prefer ASL as their main form of communication (Butler, 2019) and ASL is a useful tool that can blend communication, creativity, and emotion (Kochhar-Lingren, 2006). ASL can demonstrate complex ideas and emotions because body language, facial expressions, and movements express more power and emotion (Kochhar-Lingren, 2006; Schmitt, 2017; Tamayo, 2022). 

Although ASL is the preferred method of communication of many deaf individuals, there is a shortage of interpreters nationwide (National Deaf Center, 2022). This shortage is apparent on the Eastern Shore as there are only four certified interpreters in the area (personal communication, November 18, 2024). With the sparse number of interpreters, it will be hard to ensure availability for the performances at Salisbury University. By providing student interpreters, the interpreting students will be able to learn, and the local interpreters will be able to interpret for other events in the community. 

Past Procedures at Salisbury University

As of spring of 2024, the Salisbury University theater program attempted to provide ASL interpreted performances (personal communication, September 30th 2024). In 2023, the Salisbury University President stated the university will cover the cost of interpreters for various events around campus (Lepre, 2023). However, when the Theater Department requested an interpreter, they were told the amount of work that goes into interpreting a show is more than what is needed for a smaller assembly (personal communication, September 30th, 2024). Because of this, the Theater Department had to cover additional unexpected expenses such as needing a hotel for an overnight stay for the interpreter (personal communication, September 30th, 2024). As a result, the Theater Department has been doing cost-benefit analysis to see what modes of accessibility will be most beneficial overall (personal communication, September 30th, 2024). Currently, the Theater Department is debating between interpreted performances and captioning devices (personal communication, September 30th, 2024). While attempts have been made in the past, there are no official policies in place for deaf accessibility for the theater shows at Salisbury University due to the cost of implementing new devices, services, or programs. 

Captioning Devices

Handheld captioning devices are a common machine for deaf and hard of hearing people and they provide captions on a scrolling screen that stays in time with the show’s dialogue. Studies have shown that captions alone do not provide substantial comprehension (Lewis & Jackson, 2001). Visuals are necessary for understanding and proves that sign language, being a visual translation, provides higher comprehension than captions (Lewis & Jackson, 2001; Schmitt, 2017). One way to combat this is to change the font style and size to provide more information on characterization and volume of voices and sounds (Mevel et al., 2022). Even though captions have the ability to be artistic and visual through the use of different fonts, captioning devices are extremely costly, and thus unaffordable for educational theaters. 

Cost of Devices

According to Sound Associates Incorporated- a popular brand that sells captioning devices and programs, the cheapest captioning option starts at $4000 which includes access to an app patrons can download to view captions on their phones (Sound Associates Incorporated, n.d.). With this method, any deaf patron can download the application, as long as they have a smart device. A crew member would be needed to manually cue each of these screens to keep the captions in time with the show (Sound Associates Incorporated, n.d.). To then automate this process, a control station would be needed, which costs an additional $5000 (Sound Associates Incorporated, n.d.). Another option is to buy actual handheld devices, which cost $525 each (Sound Associates Incorporated, n.d.). These are small devices that the patron can use, regardless of whether or not they have a smart device. This option requires the control station to automate the captions, so the starting price is $5,500 for one captioning device (Sound Associates Incorporated, n.d.). Either option is extremely costly, especially for a small, non-profit, educational theater with a limited budget. 

The Inaccessibility of Assistive Devices

Although assistive devices are made with accessibility in mind, they are often not accessible in a number of ways. The captioning device that requires the application on the individuals’ phone is not beneficial for people without a smart device, thus excluding them from access. Assistive technology, like captioning devices, are also known to be faulty and malfunction. Often, the devices will lag and not keep up with the show, causing the person to miss information (Jiménez-Arberas, 2024). To demonstrate how technology can negatively impact access, film creator Chella Man made a short film demonstrating their experience using Google Meet and auto captions to talk to a friend. Their film shows glitchy video screens and inaccurate captions, exhibiting the issues deaf people deal with on a daily basis (Man, 2022). This film was going to be shown at a film festival, however after learning the festival was not going to provide interpreters or captioning devices, Man decided to pull his film from the festival (Galuppo & Odman, 2023). Captioning devices used at film festivals are often faulty and do not provide adequate access (Galuppo & Odman, 2023). While this example is specifically for online communication and film festivals, it applies to technology access in theaters. Captioning devices in theaters are the same as the ones used at certain festivals and are just as glitchy. The possibility of having faulty devices can prevent many deaf people from going to the theater. With this in mind, a new connection between the Deaf Studies Program and the Theater Department here at Salisbury University can be made in order to benefit the local deaf community, the university, and its students. This partnership will be inexpensive and valuable for all individuals involved. 

Benefits of the partnership between the Deaf Studies Program and Theater Department

 

Deaf Studies Department 

The Deaf Studies Department can use the interpretation of a show as a final project for the minor. Starting a few months in advance, the students can receive the script for the show and begin collaborating with a professor. The students and faculty can collaborate on translating the script into sign language. Several Deaf Studies students can learn different sections of the script so they can switch out throughout a show, allowing each student to have a more manageable section of interpretation. There can also be two or more interpreters at a time to display dialogue more efficiently between characters. Both options provide attainable opportunities for student interpreters. Being able to interpret a show provides the students with valuable real-world in terms of their future careers. Since this minor is recommended to be paired with Social Work, Psychology, Nursing and Education majors, this experience will help further prepare the students for interacting with deaf individuals in their communities and workspaces (Salisbury University, n.d.). Roy and Winston (2018) note that “roleplaying” activities are often used in ASL classes to mock real world experiences, and the authenticity of these activities are highly important for interpreting students. Working on a show would provide students the opportunity to practice their interpreting skills, which would benefit the students with highly important performance skills, advanced vocabulary, and learning how to work under high pressure. With 48 students in this minor currently, there are plenty of students who will learn from participating in and interpreting a show. 

Theater Department 

The Theater Department can benefit from the proposed partnership in several ways. If the department utilizes students from the Deaf Studies minor for interpretations, the additional costs of providing interpreters will be eliminated. Also, by having accessible performances, the Theater Department can sell more tickets to previously excluded patrons. With over 900 possible new patrons, the theater could make up to an additional $13,000 in ticket sales (U.S. Census Bureau, 2022). The performance students will learn how to perform in front of deaf and hard of hearing individuals and will gain an understanding of the basics of what accessibility services may be provided to such patrons. For example, in October of 2022, a lead actress in Hadestown on Broadway called out an audience member twice, mid-show for attempting to record the show on a “phone” (Evans, 2022).  In reality, the “phone” was actually a captioning device (Evans, 2022). This event calls for better education for actors in terms of accessibility services so that such unfortunate situations will not happen again in the future. 

University Benefits

This connection between departments would benefit the institution as a whole. Since the University covers the main cost of interpreters, the university will save money with this proposed program. The cost of hiring an interpreter is typically $80 per hour (Deaf Independent Living Association, 2024). With the large amount of work that goes into interpreting a show, the institution can expect to pay for several hours per performance and rehearsal. With student interpreters, the university will not have to hire and pay an interpreter. 

Conclusion

This valuable relationship between SU’s Theater Department and the Deaf Studies Department would be an inexpensive option to increase access for deaf and hard of hearing theatergoers in Salisbury. Educational theaters can become the ideal local third place that is enjoyable, sociable, affordable, and accessible to all. Although many departments, communities and individuals will benefit, limitations to this solution include the cost of additional pay for staff, as the Deaf Studies faculty may need to put in additional hours to help train the student interpreters. This partnership can be replicated at other universities that have both a Deaf Studies and Theater Program, enhancing accessibility throughout the country. Storytelling is for everyone, and everyone deserves to understand the story in the same way.