At any given day throughout the State of New York, countless cultural organizations (theatre companies, museums, festivals) offer programming that provide only limited access to patrons with mild to severe hearing loss. To help make these events more accessible, Theatre Development Fund, in partnership with the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), administers TAP-Plus.
TAP-Plus is a program that awards grants of up to $5,000 for open captioning or sign language interpreting services to eligible cultural organizations throughout New York State. This year, 18 organizations throughout New York State will receive $49,500 towards providing this needed access for their audiences. They are:
American Folk Art Museum, Big Apple Circus, Ltd., LAByrinth Theater Company, Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Garden, New York Folklore Society, New York Shakespeare Festival, Old Forge Library, Playwrights Horizons, Rattapallax, Second Stage Theatre, Signature Theatre Company, The Jewish Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The MIX Festival, The Museum of Modern Art, Theatre By the Blind, Theatre Talk Productions and Tri-Cities Opera Company.
Since TAP-Plus was established in 1999, TDF has awarded 158 grants totaling $337,840 to 68 organizations statewide. Through this program, TDF enables the underserved constituency to enjoy the unique cultural experiences provided by these organizations.