Lotus Festival Accessibility

The Lotus Education and Arts Foundation is committed to providing arts programs that are accessible to audiences of all ages and abilities.

Festival events and public workshops occur in indoor venues conforming to the accessibility requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and outdoor venues (tents and parks) provide street-level access to all performances. Please see below for accessibility information specific to past and present Festival venues. Visit our venues page for locations associated with the upcoming Festival. Friendly volunteers are always available to assist patrons at workshops and at the Festival with directions and information about venue access.

Our office is happy to work directly with patrons requiring materials in other formats, including large-print program information available on request. 

While animals are generally prohibited in Festival venues, we DO welcome service animals that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability.

Accessible LotusFest Schedule (Google Spreadsheet)

Additional accommodations for special needs are available on request – please call us at 812-336-6599 for more information.

Frequently used Festival and workshop/performance venues include:

Buskirk-Chumley Theater (BCT): 114 E Kirkwood Ave
The Buskirk-Chumley Theater and the BCT Box Office have sidewalk-level main entrance doors. Accessible seating is available on the main floor, including an area for wheelchairs. The theater has two accessible bathrooms in the interior lobby on the main floor. Wireless assisted-listening headsets are available for all performances and are distributed by the house manager on duty. Service animals are welcome.

FAR Center for Contemporary Arts: 505 W 4th St
FAR is proud to be an AccessAbility business, designated by the City of Bloomington Council for Community Accessibility. All of our entrances, on both 4th Street and Rogers are wheelchair accessible, we have an interior ramp that allows access to all parts of the building. Our gender neutral family bathroom is equipped with a changing table. All restrooms are ADA accessible. Service animals are welcome.

Festival Store (Waldron Rose Firebay Theater): 122 S Walnut St

The Waldron Rose Firebay can be reached through an accessible door on the south side of the John Waldron Arts Center on 4th street. There is an elevator to all floors just beyond the entrance. Two accessible restrooms are on the third floor that are located just opposite the theater and within 15 feet of the elevator and entrance to the theater. Accessible parking is available in the 4th Street parking garage. Service animals are welcome.

First Christian Church: 205 E Kirkwood Ave
Wheelchair access is available from the west side of the building, using the doors facing Washington Street. Accessible bathrooms are located on both the lower floor and upper floor (elevator available). Service animals are welcome.

IU Bloomington 6th Street Stage: On 6th Street between S Walnut and S College
This tent is located on W 6th Street between S Walnut and S College Ave. Accessible ramps are available along the sidewalk on W 6th Street that give access to street level. An accessible port-o-let will be available on the sidewalk at the corner of W 6th Street and S Walnut. Accessible street parking is available near the Monroe County Courthouse. Other accessible parking is available in the parking garage located at the corner of 7th Street and S Walnut.

Lotus in the Park at Waldron, Hill, and Buskirk Park: 331 S Washington St
Waldron Hill Buskirk Park is ADA accessible. All park paths are paved, with sidewalk ramps located at all four corners of the park, and by the crosswalk near the Boys & Girls Club. The WHB Park parking lot has three accessible parking spots, with two additional spots on Lincoln Street across from the Boys & Girls Club. The Allison Jukebox Community Center has accessible restrooms with a ramped entrance and a loading area situated on Washington Street. Service animals are welcome.

Lotus One World Dance Hall (John Waldron Arts Center): 122 S Walnut St
The John Waldron Art Center has an accessible door on the south side of the building on 4th street, with an elevator to all floors just beyond the entrance. The elevator provides access to the third floor. Accessible seating is located in the theater in the first row by the entrance, with the ability to remove seats to make way for wheelchairs. There are two accessible restrooms on the third floor that are located just opposite the theater and within 15 feet of the elevator and entrance to the theater. Accessible parking is available in the 4th Street parking garage.

Old National Bank 4th Street Stage: On W 4th Street between S Walnut and S College
The stage for this outdoor venue is located on W 4th Street between S Walnut and S College Ave. Accessible ramps are available along the sidewalk on W 4th Street, and an accessible port-o-let will be available on the sidewalk near WFHB. Accessible parking for this venue is available in the 4th Street parking garage. Service animals are welcome.

Trinity Episcopal Church: 111 S Grant St
Wheelchair access is available at the Kirkwood entrance. Accessible bathrooms are located on the lower ground floor. Service animals are welcome.

Whittenberger Auditorium (First Floor, Indiana Memorial Union): 900 E 7th Street
The South entrance to the Indiana Memorial Union is accessible at sidewalk-level, and is the closest entrance to the Whittenberger Auditorium on the first floor. Another accessible entrance is located on the South West side of the building through Alumni Hall. Accessible parking for both of these entrances is located in the Owen Hall parking lot.

The Indiana Memorial Union also has accessible entry via the Biddle Hotel Lobby. Accessible parking is available in the Biddle Hotel Parking lot, next to circle drive off of 7th Street. Elevators are located in the hotel lobby, and provide access to the first floor.

Wheelchairs

Two wheelchairs will be provided courtesy of Mobility Aids Lending Library (MALL) for patrons who may need them during the event. The wheelchairs will be located at the Info Tent, located on Kirkwood Ave. between N Walnut St. and N Washington St, and can be rented upon request.

For Lotus in the Park on Saturday, 12-5 p.m, two wheelchairs will be available to rent at the Park Volunteer & Merchandise Tent, located near the Allison Jukebox Community Center.

Non Verbal Communication Boards

Thanks to a donation from the Autism Society of Indiana, Lotus is able to offer a new accessibility tool for use at the festival. Non Verbal Communication Boards are a visual communication tool that allow for greater understanding when verbal communication is not possible. These boards are available at five Lotus Festival venues, including Info Tent on Kirkwood, and the Park Volunteer & Merchandise Tent at Lotus in the Park.


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