OCA Upgrades Hearing Impaired System at Segerstrom Starting April 21

The Orange County Performing Arts Center upgraded its Sennheiser audio system for the hearing impaired in Segerstrom Hall. The new system is radio frequency-based, replacing the original infrared system which will improve audio quality and availability throughout the hall with no dead spaces as could occur with infrared signals. Patrons with hearing impairment can take advantage of this free service at any performance. A lightweight traditional headset or earbuds plug into the receiver, which is the size of a cell phone and fits easily into a shirt or coat pocket. The new system will also be available for docent-led tours.

"The Center is very pleased to introduce this enhancement to its accessibility features," said Center President Terry Dwyer. "We are always looking for ways in which to improve our patrons' enjoyment of the performances, and this new Sennheiser personal audio system should have a positive effect on the Center experience for many audience members. We will continue to investigate additional ways to better serve all of our patrons, making the Center accessible and inviting to everyone in our community."

Assistive listening devices can be obtained on the Orchestral Level Lobby and available free of charge as a service to patrons. This state-of-the-art system will be available to audience members beginning April 21 with the opening of the Broadway show Dreamgirls. In addition to the assistive listening devices, the Center also schedules sign-language interpretation for each of its Broadway shows and preview talks prior to dance performances and multiple transfer arm seats on aisle ways for easy seat access for patrons with wheel chair or other mobility concerns. Emergency medical technicians are on site at all performances Orange County Performing Arts Center

The Orange County Performing Arts Center presents a wide variety of the most significant national and international productions of music, dance and theater to the people of Southern California. It is
committed to supporting artistic excellence on all of its stages and offering unsurpassed experiences, engaging the entire community in new and exciting ways through the unique power of live performance and an array of inspiring programs.

As Orange County's largest non-profit arts organization, the Center owns and operates the 3,000-seat Segerstrom Hall and intimate 250-seat Founders Hall, which opened in 1986, and the 2,000-seat Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, which opened in 2006 and also houses the 500-seat Samueli Theater, and the Lawrence and Kristina Dodge Education Center's studio performance space and Boeing.  Education Lab. These state-of-the-art facilities are united by a community arts plaza.  The Center's Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall and community plaza, along with facilities of the adjacent Tony® Award-winning South Coast Repertory and a site designated as the new home of the Orange County Museum of Art, are located at Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

The Orange County Performing Arts Center presents a broad range of programming each season for
audiences of all ages from throughout Orange County, and beyond, including international ballet and dance, national tours of top Broadway shows, intimate performances of jazz and cabaret, contemporary artists, classical music performed by renowned chamber orchestras and ensembles, family-friendly programming, free performances open to the public from outdoor movie screenings to dancing on the plaza and many other special events. It offers many education programs designed to inspire young people through the arts. These programs reach hundreds of thousands of students of all ages with vital arts-in-education programs, enhancing their studies and enriching their lives well into the future. The Orange County Performing Arts Center is proud to serve as the artistic home to the region's major performing arts organizations: Pacific Symphony, the Philharmonic Society of Orange County and the Pacific Chorale.

For more information, visit OCPAC.org. The Center can also be found online at Blogger, YouTube,
Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and Flickr.

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