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By Jan Benjamin
A number of years ago, I was called to give a
deposition in a trip-and-fall case involving an elderly lady who had
fallen on the stairs while exiting our theatre after a matinee. There
were only two steps leading from the theatre to an outdoor courtyard and
other than a skinned knee, the woman appeared and also said that she was
OK. I remember that the woman’s attorney tried to put me on the
defensive when I said something about the woman being elderly.
At the time, as a house manager in a busy Florida
theater, I had handled many trip-and-fall incidents. I didn’t know why,
but without exception, every one of them involved a patron more than 50
years old. This got me to thinking, questioning and trying to understand
just exactly what it is that happens as we age that makes us more
vulnerable to falling accidents. Is it a matter of balance? Do our eyes
not adjust to the change in light as well? Do we lose depth perception?
Do our muscles tighten as we sit for long periods, making us less agile
when we get up? The answer is yes, yes, yes and definitely yes.
As we look to the challenges and joys of diversity,
let’s not forget that the world is aging. Baby Boomers — those of us
born between 1946 and 1964 —make up 26% of the population in the United
States. By the year 2030, boomers will be aged 66-84 and still make up
20% of the population. That doesn’t begin to account for all of us who
will be over the age of 50 in 2030. Especially in the world of theater
and leisure, the boomers are the ones with the expendable income who
will continue to spend money on the entertainment our venues have to
offer. It behooves us to make the experience a user-friendly one for
them.
Friendly for All
Ages
At that same theater in Florida, we had just undergone an extensive
renovation with a new lobby and balcony seating. The architect had
carefully called for the use of eight shades of green in the facility,
which added nice accents throughout. However, even though the elevator
was clearly visible to me, just inside the main entrance, I kept getting
asked, mostly by senior patrons, “Where is the elevator?” The problem
was that the wall, elevator doors and frame were all the same color.
There was no signage, so senior eyes were blending it all together.
In the past month, I’ve toured a number of theatres,
both restored and brand new. I’m disappointed that designers aren’t
making our venues senior-friendly. In fact, I saw a number of stair,
aisle, exit, lobby and parking area designs that I would consider
senior-hazardous.
Architects now study a concept called “universal
design” in school, but somehow this isn’t translating well into our
public assembly facilities. Defined as the art of planning buildings to
be inclusive of everyone, regardless of age, ability, or physical
stature, universal design needs to become the standard if we’re to
continue welcoming an aging population.
I challenge my colleagues to have your staff put on
“senior eyes” for a day; I guarantee you that something in your building
will get better. Do you need more signage or signage with bigger
letters? Do you need to change a color scheme so that doors are more
visible? Do you need better lighting or reflective strips on your stairs
and aisles? Do you need more handrails in your balconies? Do you need
more seating in your lobby? Do your concessionaires offer decaf coffee
and sugar free fare? Are programs and collateral printed in a large
enough font? Do you have enough assistive listening devices? Can you add
more temporary disabled parking for certain performances?
Time Is On Our
Side
Here in Florida, it’s not unusual to have patrons in their 90s, and some
of our best event staff are in their late 80s or early 90s. I’ve found
that the commodity that seniors value the most is our time. Consider
hiring a senior coordinator who is friendly, outgoing, patient and
compassionate so that this staff member will devote time to recruiting,
training, scheduling and communicating with your senior corps. Part of
the job might be sending out birthday cards, attending funerals and
coming up with a rewards and appreciation program.
Also, seniors acquire and retain information
differently. What you say and how you say it at the event orientation
meeting could determine how professional and efficient your seniors
operate. Having an event information sheet to hand out to each person is
helpful; so is writing the key points on a flip chart or dry erase board
as you verbally review them. Encourage interactive participation by
asking questions that require a group response. This may be one reason
that teachers make great house managers.
Although there are many resources available on working
with seniors, we’re fortunate to have a built-in focus group. Let’s meet
the challenge of 2030 and all put on our “senior eyes.”
fm
Jan Benjamin has worked as an arts
administrator and theater manager in Florida for the past 12 years and
currently serves on the IAAM Diversification Committee. She can be
reached at
per4mingarts4u@juno.com .
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