Access to Arts For Every Life^®

Art provides entertainment, escapism, expression, education and connection, all important aspects of the human experience. The Dr. Phillips Center’s vision, Arts For Every Life®, means ensuring the arts are accessible to all. We're committed to providing the resources and tools necessary to ensure every guest enjoys the same quality experience when attending our performances and events. We demonstrate this commitment by providing our guests with a well-rounded selection of accessibility resources to fit their needs.

For our guests who are deaf or hard of hearing:
American Sign Language (ASL) translators, assistive listening devices and captioning allow guests that are deaf or hard of hearing to enjoy hilarious bits in a stand-up comedy performance, the captivating plot of a musical and stirring lyrics in a concert.

At the Dr. Phillips Center, an ASL interpreter joins the first Saturday performance of every Broadway run and is available, upon request, for additional Broadway performances and non-Broadway shows. We also provide captioning through GalaPro, a revolutionary app that enhances the audience experience by delivering individual closed captioning to the guest’s mobile device. All content is provided in real-time, using speech recognition technology developed specifically for live performances and shows.

For our guests with vision impairment or low vision:
Audio description allows guests with vision impairment or low vision to experience dancers' movements in a ballet, the narrative actions of characters in a play and the details in the costumes and scenery in a performance.

We partner with Central Florida Audio Description Initiative to provide audio descriptions per request. A narrator observes the performance and offers detailed descriptions for these guests via earpiece. This technology allows guests to fill in any visual context holes–like an actor interacting with a prop in a significant way–and have a more fulfilling experience.

For our guests who need sensory-friendly options:
Sensory-friendly environments and tools help guests with a sensory processing disorder enjoy performances with the opportunity to enjoy decreased or increased stimulation as needed. These options are very helpful for people with anxiety, ADHD, dementia/Alzheimers, PTSD and, most of all, for people on the autism spectrum.

The Dr. Phillips Center is a proud Certified Autism Center™, designated by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards. We offer various sensory-friendly options for guests who need additional or less external stimulation. Aside from hosting sensory-friendly performances of shows, we are also working with AdventHealth to design a “quiet room” program. Starting Fall 2023, this resource will include items guests can borrow from our concierge to bring into the theater, including fidget tools, weighted blankets or ear protection.

To continue to ensure every guest has the best experience possible, we regularly upgrade the technology of our accessibility tools to keep up with the latest advancements and consistently make improvements based on guest feedback and suggestions from guest services colleagues who work closely with guests. Such feedback has resulted in implementing some of the most invaluable resources we currently offer, such as audio description and closed captioning services.