Access to Theatre
Partners™ for Youth with Disabilities

The art of theater gives young people opportunities to express themselves freely, without judgment, and validates their feelings and experiences. For teens with disabilities, theater-based opportunities are especially meaningful, yet typically, youth have limited access to theatrical environments. Access to Theatre (ATT) recognizes this paradox and provides an inclusive theater arts experience for young people with and withoutdisabilities. No physical, emotional, developmental, or sensory impairment is considered an obstacle. Through arts instruction and the process of creating original theatrical productions, Boston youth ages 13-24 explore their creative abilities while developing self-esteem, friendships, and leadership skills.

In partnership with a variety of community and cultural organizations, ATT offers a year-round schedule of activities and services. The Summer Institute enables youth to explore all phases of theater. After-school programs provide further training and access to an array of artistic disciplines. Special events allow collaborations with guest artists, and ATT participants attend cultural performances throughout Massachusetts.

Understanding the importance of role models in youth development, ATT's mentoring component pairs participants and adults with similar disabilities. Peer leadership training, internships, and an independent-living program are integral to the program's success. In its 10-year history, the program has benefited 250 youth and adults, giving them more than 100,000 hours of instruction, facilitating more than 60 long-term mentoring relationships, and creating 16 original theatrical productions.

By providing 100 percent access at all times, ATT ensures that youth with disabilities, especially young people from low-income backgrounds, do not fall through the cracks when it comes to out-of-school programming. For many participants, ATT is their first successful creative experience outside the classroom. Because they are involved in every aspect of the program, ATT's young people gain a sense of control over their lives. In addition, since the program accentuates their strengths, youth are able to explore and share what is important to them, communicating a depth of understanding of both their community and the world. Access to Theatre demonstrates how truly capable people with disabilities are, altering perceptions of audience members, confronting common prejudices, and, ultimately, positively shaping the attitudes of the next generation.