Now in its seventh season, the autism-friendly performances of Broadway shows through the Theatre Development Fund (TDF) has just announced its upcoming lineup of shows for 2017–2018.
While the season officially kicked off with an autism-friendly performance of Cats last month, offerings continue with The Lion King October 1, Come From Away December 3, Wicked February 4, and Aladdin March 4.
Founded under the umbrella of TDF’s Accessibility Programs, the organization began offering autism-friendly performances in 2011 to serve audience members affected by autism and their families. Disney’s The Lion King was, in fact, the first Broadway show in history to present an autism-friendly performance.
Read: MEET THE MAN WHO MAKES BROADWAY AUTISM FRIENDLY
These performances create a supportive environment, including designated areas in the lobby for people who need to step out during the show. Additionally, adjustments have been made to the show (from minimizing volume to eliminating strobe lights) to account for sensitivity issues.
For these designated performances, TDF purchases every seat in the theatre to make discount tickets available exclusively to families, groups, schools and more whose members include individuals on the autism spectrum.
For more information on TDF’s Autism-Friendly Performances, and to sign up for notifications about upcoming autism-friendly performances and when tickets go on sale (generally 6-8 weeks prior to the performance date, exclusively through TDF’s web site), visit TDF.org/autism.