Smithsonian Folklife Festival Accessible to Visitors with Disabilities

The Smithsonian Institution is committed to making the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival accessible and enjoyable for visitors with disabilities. The 2013 Festival features “Hungarian Heritage,” “One World, Many Voices” and “The Will to Adorn.”

The 10-day Festival, held outdoors on the National Mall between Seventh and 14th streets, will take place from Wednesday, June 26, through Sunday, June 30, and Wednesday, July 3, through Sunday, July 7. Admission is free. Festival hours are from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. each day, with concerts, special events and dance parties extending into most evenings.

Visitors with disabilities who need assistance are advised to report to the Information booths located at various points around the Festival site or to the Volunteer tent located in the Festival Services area near the Smithsonian Metrorail station’s Mall exit. A large-print version of the Festival’s daily schedule and food concession menus will be available. The Festival schedule is also available in audio format. A limited number of wheelchairs will be available at the Volunteer tent for loan.

American Sign Language interpreters will be on site daily to interpret selected performances and presentations. An additional ASL interpreter is on site each day and can be reached via the Volunteer tent for visitors with requests beyond the scheduled events. Real-time captioning will be provided for selected performances and presentations. Refer to the online Festival schedule for the times and dates of ASL and CART services, or pick up an updated schedule of interpreted events from the Volunteer tent or information booths.

Verbal-description and tactile tours are scheduled for Saturday, June 29, and Friday, July 5, at 1 p.m. for visitors who are blind or have low vision. The Festival will open at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 29, to host “Morning at the Mall” with pre-visit materials for families with children with cognitive and sensory processing disabilities. Visitors interested should RSVP for both events by calling (202) 633-2921 or emailing access@si.edu.

Performance stages, narrative stages, the Hungarian Kitchen, the Song and Story Circle stage are equipped with audio loops and loop receivers. The Smithsonian Folklife Festival welcomes all service animals.

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SI-260-2013