Driven by its mission to serve as a gathering place for the community, the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center continues to make the performing arts accessible to all and was recognized for its efforts earlier this month with a Celebrating Abilities Award for Organizational Excellence. The award was presented October 6 to President Susan Stockton at the annual Celebrating Abilities Awards Program held at the Center.
"The Center is honored to have been selected for this award," said Tammy Ebben, director of event management and access services. "It's very important to our organization that all members of an audience are able to enjoy the performance. We have put a lot of thought into how to best serve our patrons and ensure they have the best experience possible." Ebben, who heads an accessibility committee at the Center, was recognized for her work as an advocate for accessibility earlier this year with The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts' LEAD Award for Emerging Leaders.Founded in 2008, the Center's accessibility committee is comprised of Center staff and community members who work together to identify access concerns and areas for improvement and provide solutions that ensure the arts are accessible and enjoyable to all. Recent initiatives have included the installation of hearing loop capabilities in the Center's Kimberly-Clark Theater and ticket office lobby to assist patrons who are hard of hearing. The committee has also played a pivotal role in continuing the Center's open captioning services for the 2011/12 Season which was made possible with a grant from Octoberfest.Videos