By Simon Manda
The Western Cape Government and Artscape Theatre Centre will host an event on October 24, 2024. The event will show how committed they are to accessibility and continuing the fight against polio through strategic partnerships.
The fight against polio is one of the biggest successes in modern medicine. There were 350,000 cases of polio in 1988, but now there are only a few dozen. But the fight goes on because the virus is still common in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and millions of people who have survived polio around the world are still dealing with the effects of Post-Polio Syndrome, a condition that makes it harder to move and do everyday tasks.
Rotarians of District 9350, LIVEABLE, Unmute Dance Company, Gender Works, and the Western Cape Network on Disability are just a few of the organisations that are working together in partnership with Artscape. This partnership offers a unified way to deal with both healthcare lobbying and innovation in accessibility.
CEO of Artscape Marlene le Roux stresses the huge effect of the project: “At Artscape, we know that accessibility goes beyond physical changes like ramps.” As someone who got polio when I was three months old, I know that the effects last a lifetime. Through our relationships with Rotary International, the Western Cape Disability Network, and the provincial government, we’re bringing attention to the ongoing support that polio survivors need and showing that true inclusion means everyone having the right to participate with dignity.
Le Roux further added a call to all government institutions challenging them to follow Artscape’s ongoing active implementation to mainstream of persons with disabilities on all levels.
At the event, there will be a full “walk-and-wheel-about” tour that shows off Artscape’s innovative mobility features, such as the brand-new Loop Hearing System. With help from the Western Cape Government, this cutting-edge technology makes sure that hearing-impaired visitors can fully enjoy shows and events in all the venue’s theatres and foyers.
The event marks the start of a new project called the LIVEABLE Universal Access Office at Artscape. It is being run by accessibility expert Tarryn Tomlinson. “The Universal Access Office represents a significant step forward in making Cape Town more inclusive,” she says. “By creating this central hub for accessibility information and help, we’re making it possible for the public and private sectors, especially those in the tourism and hospitality industries, to get advice on universal design.”
Unmute Dance Company, an associate dance company at Artscape, will also be featured at the event. They will show how artists with disabilities can compete at world-class levels with the right tools and help with mobility. Their acts show that Artscape is serious about making accessible art more common and showing off the best in inclusive art.
At the end of the night, there will be a networking event at the Opera Bar where people can meet partners and other important people while celebrating the progress made in polio eradication and accessibility support.