latest news headlines
A Revolutionary Solution to Access Seating
The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) has challenged theatres to provide their disabled visitors with an experience as valuable as that enjoyed by the rest of the audience.
In the key area of seating, this challenge has spurned a number of solutions - some more successful than others! Common problems still encountered include restricted views, difficult transfers from wheelchairs and above all a feeling of isolation from the rest of the crowd.
In response, designer Jackie Brown has teamed up with Audience Systems to develop an "Easy Access" theatre chair. Designed with the help of staff and patrons at the Royal Albert Hall, the chair's arms can be flipped up, the seat swivelled and the chair height raised or lowered, even when occupied. This all facilitates easy transfer into the chair, as well as helping to overcome restricted views. For comfort, the chair incorporates thick, high quality foams and a footrest; it is also built from the most resilient components for safety and durability. Based on feedback from staff at the Albert Hall, the chair is finished with locking castors to allow it to be repositioned wherever needed in the auditorium.
The chair started life as an MBA project for Jackie, who was inspired to create it following visits to various theatres with a friend whose mobility was limited. "Mostly, our experiences were great", she says, "but in some theatres, particularly listed buildings where for instance the ceiling height cannot be altered, there were limitations in what they could offer disabled visitors."
To develop the chair, Jackie started talking to those responsible for ordering access seating in theatres to find out what they would ideally like from such a product. As well as incorporating all the necessary functionality, it was also important that the chair should look like an auditorium chair, making it truly inclusive. Once the design had been completed and the prototype built by Audience Systems, it was installed in the Royal Albert Hall for four months, with those using it invited to submit feedback. As a result of their comments, the design was tweaked and perfected and a final prototype produced. Three are now in production for the Albert Hall.
"I refer to the chair as ‘Netta' after my friend who inspired its design", adds Jackie. Sadly Netta died earlier this year but it is hoped that the chair will allow others to enjoy the theatre as much as she did.
18th November 2008
HEADLINES
news archive
search stories
FOOTNOTE: Select the news type you require in the red band above; this will enable you to see the current news stories from that section
© 1999 - 2012 Entertainment Technology Press Limited News Stories
