Accessibility
Accessible Experiences at OPAC
Every guest should be able to enjoy the arts with comfort, dignity, and ease.
The Oxford Performing Arts Center is committed to welcoming guests with disabilities and providing an enjoyable experience from arrival through the end of the show. Our team is happy to answer questions, discuss your needs, and help you plan your visit in advance.
Accessible seating may be purchased online, by phone, or at the Box Office. Accessible parking is available on the west side of the building, and guest drop-off is available along Choccolocco Street. Wheelchair escorts can assist guests from the entrance to their seats, and wheelchairs may be stored securely for guests who transfer into theatre seating.
Accessible seating is reserved for guests who need it and up to three companions. When available, additional guests will be seated as close as possible to the accessible location.
Complimentary assistive-listening devices are available at every performance. Guests may request a device at the Box Office and will be asked to leave valid identification as collateral. Sign-language interpretation may be available for select performances with at least two weeks’ advance notice.
Trained service animals are welcome inside OPAC. Our staff is also trained to assist guests with disabilities during emergency evacuations.
If you need an accommodation or have a question that is not addressed here, please contact the Box Office before your visit. We are glad to help make your experience at OPAC as welcoming and comfortable as possible.
Borrow a Wheelchair
Need a little help getting around OPAC? Ask to use one of our on-site wheelchairs to get from the door to your seat in the theater. Please keep in mind that you may not remain in the wheelchair during the event unless you have indicated that you need a wheelchair seating location.
Wheelchair Storage
For guests who wish to transfer to a seat from their wheelchair, we will store your wheelchair in a safe location. Our staff will make arrangements to return the wheelchair to you at the end of the event.
Accessible Seating
Accessible seating tickets are available through the OPAC website and the Oxford Performing Arts Center Box Office. Accessible/disabled seating is available in specific locations in the theater. When ordering accessible tickets, it is important to indicate that you need seating that requires the features of an accessible space so we can properly seat you.
Accessible Parking and Entrance
Accessible spaces are filled on a first-come, first-served basis located on the west side of the building. Please refer to the Parking section of this website for maps, directions and more information. A drop off zone is also located along Choccolocco Street in front of the venue.
Wheelchair and Accessible Seating Policy
Accessible seating is reserved exclusively for patrons with accessible needs and their companions. Patrons purchasing accessible seating may purchase one (1) accessible seat and three (3) companion seats adjacent to the accessible seat. Depending upon availability, seats for additional guests will be located as close as possible to the accessible space. This policy ensures that we are able to accommodate guests that need accessible seating.
The Oxford Performing Arts Center is committed to working with patrons on a case-by-case basis to adequately accommodate individual needs. All ticket sales are on a first-come/call, first-serve basis and will depend on ticket availability. There is no guarantee that any companion tickets will remain unsold. Please contact the Box Office with further questions.
Sign Language Interpretation
The Oxford Performing Arts Center is pleased to provide signed performances for our hearing-impaired guests for select events. Interpretation services are not guaranteed for every event; however, we will make every effort to accommodate each request with appropriate advance notice, at least two (2) weeks prior to the event. Please contact the Box Office at 256-241-3322 for further information.
Assistive Listening Devices
Assistive Listening Devices are available for hearing-impaired guests at all Oxford Performing Arts Center events. Please visit the Box Office and request an Assistive Listening Device. Guests will be required to leave valid identification such as a driver’s license as collateral. This is a complimentary service.
Service Animals/Guide Dogs
Pets are not permitted inside the Oxford Performing Arts Center. This includes emotional-support, comfort, and therapy animals that do not qualify as service animals.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, a service animal is generally a dog individually trained to perform work or tasks directly related to a person’s disability. An animal whose sole function is providing comfort or emotional support is not a service animal under the ADA and is not permitted inside OPAC. Service animals in training are permitted where required by applicable law.
Qualified service animals are welcome in areas of OPAC open to the public. They must be housebroken and under the handler’s control. Service animals should remain on a leash or in a harness unless that would interfere with the animal’s work or the guest’s disability. In those circumstances, the animal must remain under effective voice, signal, or other control and must stay with its handler, in the seating area and out of the aisles.
When an animal’s status is not obvious, OPAC staff may ask only whether the animal is required because of a disability and what work or task it has been trained to perform.
An animal may be required to leave if it is out of control, is not housebroken, or poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others. The guest will still be welcome to attend without the animal.
Emergency Evacuation Procedures
Oxford Performing Arts Center personnel have been properly trained in emergency evacuation procedures to ensure the safe evacuation of all patrons, including those guests with disabilities, in the unlikely case of an emergency. Please pay careful attention to the instructions from the OPAC staff during an emergency.