Northlight Theatre | Accessibility

Northlight’s mission is to remove as many barriers of entry as possible for members of our community to attend our shows. On this page you will find more information on our many accessibility services. Our hope is to continue to expand our current offerings and make Northlight a space where all community members in the North Shore and Chicago area are welcome.

For more information about our accessibility services, please contact access@northlight.org.

AccessIBLE SEATING

Northlight is fully wheelchair accessible and offers select accessible seating in our theatre. Our lobby, entryway, and theatre are all fully accessible. In the theatre, Row G is at ground level and requires no stairs from lobby to seat. Wheelchair accessible seats are G102, 103, 104 and G312, 313, 314. You may select any of these seats when purchasing tickets to individual performances online, or inform the Box Office of your seating needs when purchasing by phone at 847.673.6300. If you are subscribing to the season, please make a note on your subscription form or inform the Box Office of your seating needs by phone.

Assistive Listening

For patrons who have some hearing loss, we offer a Radio Frequency (RF) Headset system. This two-part system features a radio belt pack and headset, and can be obtained from House Management (ID deposit required). In addition, our theater also features an induction loop for patrons using hearing aids or cochlear implants with a T-Coil.

Audio Description/Touch Tour

Each production in our season will offer one performance that includes audio description.

At an audio-described performance, patrons who are blind or have low vision will receive a wireless device with headphones. A professional audio describer provides carefully times narration of the onstage visual elements including descriptions of the action, scenery, costumes, and lighting.

A touch tour will begin two hours before the audio-described performance. A touch tour is a pre-show experience in which patrons who are blind or have low vision are invited into the theater for sensory introductions to certain props, costumes, scenic elements, and actors. Due to current health and safety protocols, patrons will not have access to the stage at this time.

Below is a schedule of all of our audio described performances:

Birthday Candles – September 30 at 2:30pm
Dial M for Murder – December 23 @ 2:30pm
Selling Kabul – February 17 @ 2:30pm
Brooklyn Laundry – May 4 @ 2:30pm
2 Pianos 4 Hands – July 27 @ 2:30pm

To take advantage of the Audio Description service, please contact Artistic Programs Manager Kristen Waagner at kwaagner@northlight.org or 847-324-1615, as tickets are limited to the equipment available.

(If no audio description tickets have been reserved 48 hours before the performance, the audio description service will be canceled for that performance.)

Braille/Large Print Programs

In addition to our traditional printed programs, Northlight also offers braille programs and large print programs for patrons who are blind or have low vision. These printed programs are available at our audio-described performances but may be requested in advance for any other performance by emailing Artistic Programs Manager Kristen Waagner at kwaagner@northlight.org or 847-324-1615.

Our braille programs are produced by Pittman Enterprises & Associates NFP. Pittman Enterprises & Associates has been in existence since 1999. It is a not-for-profit organization that has been giving back to the community by assisting businesses striving to achieve diversity, equity, and inclusion in communication by meeting the needs of blind and visually impaired individuals, while making sure materials are available in accessible formats, to ensure literacy for all. Sight and insight are gifts, but literacy is a right. Contact us by phone at 312-218-7528, by fax at 773-779-2763, or by email at pittmanenterprisesandasso@gmail.com.

OPEN CAPTIONING

Each production in our season will offer two performances that include open captions.

During open captioned performances, an electronic text display is positioned on each side of the stage, which shows what the actors are saying or singing and describes sound effects on stage for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing. A captioner will scroll through the dialogue in sync with the actors’ spoken word.

Below is a schedule of all of our open-captioned performances:

Selling Kabul – February 16 @ 7:30 pm & February 17 @ 2:30 pm
Brooklyn Laundry – May 3 @ 7:30 pm & May 4 @ 2:30 pm
2 Pianos 4 Hands – July 26 @ 7:30 pm & July 27 @ 2:30 pm

To purchase tickets, call 847.673.6300 and let the Box Office representative know that you plan to use the captions in order to obtain seats with best visibility.

Seat Selection: Please refer to the highlighted areas of the diagram below for optimal seating areas to keep captions in line of sight while looking at the stage. Captions are visible from the majority of the theatre, but may be more difficult to read from side angles, or require more back-and-forth turning to read captions and see the action on stage.

Click here to see seating chart.

Physical Scripts

A small number of physical copies of the script are available at the Box Office to be read before the show. These scripts are not for sale and may not be removed from the building. We offer this as an option for individuals in our community who might want to fully understand the content of our shows before attending. Please return the script to the box office after reading.

RELAXED/SENSORY FRIENDLY

Select productions will offer a relaxed/sensory friendly performance where the typical rules of the theatre for audience members are relaxed. Relaxed performances are designed to make everyone feel safe and welcome at our theater. While these performances include changes to better support individuals with autism and sensory sensitivities, everyone is welcome to attend a relaxed performance.

Adjustments of note:

-Lower sound level
-House lights will remain on at all times at a low level
-Designated quiet area for patrons who need to step away from the performance
-Patrons are free to walk around and talk during the performance
-Cell phone usage and light noisemaking is allowed

Below is a schedule of all of our relaxed/sensory-friendly performances:

Birthday Candles – September 20 @ 7:30 pm
Selling Kabul – February 16 @ 7:30 pm
2 Pianos 4 Hands – July 25 @ 7:30 pm

SENSORY GUIDES

This guide holds many different accessibility tools to make your experience at our show as comfortable as possible. Please be aware that not every element of this guide will be useful to each individual, therefore, please feel free to pick and choose which accessibility tools would be most beneficial to you. The guide includes a synopsis of the show, sensory warnings, and photos of what to expect when you arrive at the theater.

Dial M for Murder Sensory Guide
Selling Kabul Sensory Guide

Brooklyn Laundry Sensory Guide

VISUAL GUIDE

This guide is a useful tool for anybody who is unfamiliar with our theater. It includes photos and instructions on what to expect when you arrive including where to park, how to pick up tickets, and what the inside of the theater looks like.

Northlight Theatre Visual Guide

For more information or questions about Captioning, Audio Description, or Relaxed Performances, please contact access@northlight.org.