Providing Services and Fulfilling Requests
General Overview
This page is focused specifically on offering services and fulfilling requests from patrons and visitors. For more information on employment practices that ensure access, visit the Employment of People with Disabilities page in the Hub. Ensuring that people with disabilities have full access to cultural spaces begins with a streamlined and respectful process for offering services and fulfilling accommodation requests. Such services and accommodations can include alternate formats and sign language interpreters, as well as reasonable modifications to policies, practices, or procedures that allow individuals with disabilities to have equitable experiences when they visit your organization. These services may be scheduled or embedded in day-to-day organization operations, and visitors should be able to request accommodations or modifications (particularly related to Effective Communication through Auxiliary Aids and Services) with ease, confidence, and care. To empower such requests, your organization should create both external (patron-facing) and internal (staff-facing) processes that are transparent and accessible.
You should share the accessibility services you provide, alongside establishing clear processes for requesting additional accommodations. Staff should have the information needed to provide information to visitors and understand how to respond to and accommodate requests. Above all, remember that compliance with civil rights laws like the ADA is a great place to start, and from there you can commit to exemplary customer service through an equity lens.
Implementation
Offering and fulfilling access service requests is about legal compliance first and foremost, but it is also about creating a culture of exemplary customer service and inclusivity. You have the opportunity to ensure that people with disabilities have the services and accommodations they need to meaningfully participate and engage with your organization. Consider these perspectives:
- Accessibility requests should not be onerous: A 2024 survey of individuals with disabilities and their caregivers indicated that only 6% of respondents find it “easy” to request services and have their access needs met at cultural organizations (Towards a Culture of Access, 2024). When you streamline the process of requesting and receiving accommodations or access services, you help remove the barriers that result in people with disabilities missing out on cultural opportunities. And you also help your cultural organization not miss out on engaging with a large subsection of your community.
- Proactively plan for and communicate about services: Providing a clear process for requests, as well as responding promptly to individual needs, removes barriers and reduces the burden on people with disabilities. It ensures that they can easily access the information and resources necessary to fully and meaningfully participate while feeling welcomed, valued, and empowered.
Cultural institutions should clearly communicate what accessibility services are available, as well as spell out the process for making accommodation requests. Follow these best practices:
- Provide a point of contact: Post a contact where guests can reach staff for accessibility information, including multiple contact methods (phone, email to reach a staff member), hours of operation and staff availability, and expected response times.
- Share information about currently available services: Use recognized accessibility icons (learn more in the Hub’s Access Symbols page) and list available services such as assistive listening devices, captioning, sign language interpretation, sensory-friendly accommodations, and wheelchair accessibility. Include details on when and how these services are available.
- Share information on making accommodation requests: Clearly state who to contact and how, the steps to request services, the timeline for submitting requests, and the expected response time. Provide multiple ways to request accommodations, such as email, phone to a staff member, or online forms.
- Share accessibility information in multiple locations: Ensure a dedicated, clearly labeled accessibility page is easily accessible on your website (ideally one click or one page turn from the main page), and share accessibility details on event, performance, or exhibit-specific webpages, brochures, and event promotions, especially if services or features are unique to specific events or exhibits.
Creating a supportive, inclusive environment starts with the mindset of staff. Staff should:
- Avoid making assumptions about what a visitor might need.
- Approach requests with a person-centered, solutions-based mindset (e.g., “How can we support your visit? We want to ensure the best experience for your needs.”).
- Be flexible and adaptable in their responses.
- Be ready to offer alternatives or know who to contact for assistance.
- Understand the importance of timely communication with guests, including confirming details at least 72 hours before an event.
To ensure effective service, staff must be well-prepared through ongoing training on:
- The services offered and the procedures for providing them.
- The process for receiving and fulfilling requests.
- Legal responsibilities, such as ensuring that individuals are not expected to provide their own services or pay for them.
- Institutional policies and procedures for fulfilling requests.
- Inclusive communication strategies.
- Who to contact for additional assistance.
- Specific mindsets that foster a person-centered, respectful approach to accommodating all guests.
Tailor training to specific roles and teams, ensuring all staff understand their individual contributions to access and inclusion goals. Ideally, these trainings should be designed and delivered in collaboration with people with disabilities.
Your organization must have well-defined written policies and procedures for accommodating requests and providing services. These should include:
- Clear processes for receiving and fulfilling accommodation requests.
- A service animal and emotional support animal policy and procedures and any specific guidelines for animal access and relief spaces. (For more information, visit the Hub page on Service Animal Accommodations.)
- A grievance procedure for addressing concerns or issues related to accessibility or accommodation requests. (For more information, visit the Hub page on Grievance Procedures.)
- An internal policy to ensure the regular maintenance and proper functioning of equipment.
- A centralized contact point (phone/email) for the public and staff, regularly monitored to facilitate timely responses.
- Post-visit or follow-up procedures to gather feedback for ongoing improvement.
Policies should be easily accessible and clearly shared with patrons and staff, ensuring transparency and ease of access. This can include website listings, printed materials, or other communication channels.
Building strong relationships and networks is essential for offering high-quality services. Your organization should:
- Develop partnerships and relationships with culturally competent and qualified service providers to meet various needs.
- Ensure that staff have the resources and support to respond to accommodation requests and assist visitors effectively.
Associated Legal Requirements or Obligations
Please note that, while this content was developed by people with expertise in the ADA and legal requirements related to access, it was created for informational purposes and should not be considered legal advice.
For more information under Title I of the ADA on employment practices please see the Hub page on Employment of People with Disabilities
- Title II of the ADA
- Reasonable Modifications to Policies, Practices, and Procedures (28 CFR § 35.130)
- Requires reasonable modifications to ensure full participation in public programs unless the modification would fundamentally alter the nature of the service. Reasonable Accommodation
- Primary Consideration in Choosing Accommodations ( 28 CFR § 35.160)
- Title II organizations must prioritize the individual’s expressed preference for modifications unless it creates undue burden.
- Reasonable Modifications to Policies, Practices, and Procedures (28 CFR § 35.130)
- Title III of the ADA
- Reasonable Modifications to Policies, Practices, and Procedures (28 CFR § 36.302)
- Cultural institutions must modify policies and procedures as needed to ensure people with disabilities have full access unless it would fundamentally alter the nature of the service.
- Effective Communication and Auxiliary Aids and Services (28 CFR § 36.303)
- Organizations must provide auxiliary aids and services to ensure effective communication with individuals with disabilities.
- Examples of Auxiliary Aids and Services: Sign language interpreters, Captioning, Assistive listening devices, Alternate formats of materials (Braille, large print).
- The service must be provided at no additional charge to the individual.
- Undue Burden/Hardship and Fundamental Alteration (28 CFR § 36.104)
- If an accommodation is deemed an undue burden, the organization must seek alternative ways to ensure access.
- If an accommodation would fundamentally alter the event, service, program or activity, the organization must seek an alternative to ensure access.
- Primary Consideration in Choosing Accommodations (28 CFR § 36.303(c)(1)(ii))
- Title III organizations must consult with the individual requesting accommodations but are not legally required to provide their first choice if another equally effective alternative exists.
- The best practice is to honor the individual’s preference whenever possible. 28 CFR Part 36 Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability by Public Accommodations and in Commercial Facilities (2010 ADA Title III Regulations with amendments issued through Dec. 2016)
- Reasonable Modifications to Policies, Practices, and Procedures (28 CFR § 36.302)
- Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
Accessibility in Federally Funded Programs (29 U.S.C. § 794). Any cultural institution receiving federal funding must ensure:
- Physical and program access for people with disabilities.
- Reasonable modifications to policy, practice and procedures to ensure full participation in programs.
- Provision of Auxiliary Aids and Services to ensure effective communication.
In addition to the Federal Regulations and standards outlined above, organizations should review state and local laws, which are sometimes more stringent than federal regulations. Looking at case law rulings can sometimes indicate how regulations are interpreted by different courts.
From Case Law:
The Childress v. Fox Theatre case clarified that captioning only one performance of a show did not provide meaningful access and that the venue needed to provide captioning if it received a request at least two weeks in advance, and respond to the request within 3 days. Additionally the venue needed to publicize the availability and process to request captioning, and to provide an accessible way (i.e. not just by phone) to request the service and purchase tickets. While this ruling is not the same as a legal requirement, it does create precedent for future rulings/cases and therefore, should inform the creation of related policies.
In the Argenyi v. Creighton University case, the court found that under the ADA Title III, a public accommodation must provide auxiliary aids and services if the individual with a disability needs these for meaningful access.
See also:
- ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)
- Auxiliary Aids and Services
- Effective Communication
- Fundamental Alteration
- Readily Achievable Barrier Removal
- Rehabilitation Act of 1973
- Safe Harbor
- Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
- Title I of the ADA
- Title II of the ADA or a Title II Entity
- Title III of the ADA or a Title III Entity
- Undue Burden/Hardship
- Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS)
- U.S. Access Board
- WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines)
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