The six major stage facilities of the city of Barcelona (L’Auditori, the Gran Teatre del Liceu, the Mercat de les Flors, the Palau de la Música Catalana, the Teatre Lliure and the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya) have taken the initiative to promote access for people with disabilities, offering not only the current discounts of between 25% and 50% for the person with a disability and their companion, but also free access for the latter, when their need is accredited on the disability card .
The measure was announced on November 3 during the annual event of Apropa Cultura and is effective in most of these facilities, although it will be fully effective as of January 1, 2024. In this way, it is expected to motivate and improve participation of the group with high dependence on the usual cultural programming of these facilities.
The facilities involved already participate in Apropa Cultura, offering seats at a symbolic price for each show in their programming to social and health entities registered in the program, so that people in vulnerable situations can benefit from culture. The measure will mainly benefit the public with disabilities who until now had access on an individual basis.
The set of equipment highlights that just as they have agreed to make joint policies with the school public with the Cultivator or the young public, with the Vibe35, now it is time to favor this part of the population that has a disability, and especially, people who have the greatest need for support.
To be able to enjoy this advantage, it is necessary to have a disability card issued by the Generalitat de Catalunya that recognizes this condition, and, in some cases, that this need be specified (box “Need of 3rd person: YES”).
A 2019 study carried out by the Municipal Institute of People with Disabilities recognizes the economic harm suffered by people with disabilities compared to those who are not, which is why the measure has been very well received by the groups involved.
For its part, the Liceu has also made available another 10 seats in the stalls for people who travel in wheelchairs, bringing the total to 16 seats available for users, and another 20 for companions. The rest of the necessary adapted places can be arranged in the Platea markets that lack architectural barriers.
The audio description service offered live for all the operas staged in the Liceu’s programming is expanded thanks to the LiveVoice app service. You can follow the service as it was done until now through the support of image screens (TFT), but now the option to listen to the audio description from the LiveVoice app is also incorporated.
