Advocates for the disabled say Denver’s Ellie Caulkins Opera House, set to open to the public Thursday, is not easily accessible for people in wheelchairs.
The Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition was invited to tour the opera house and found that lifts designed to carry people in wheelchairs to the lower orchestra level were slow and difficult to navigate.
Also, lower-level seating near the orchestra is on a slope instead of being level for wheelchairs, said Kevin Williams, legal program director for the coalition.
Williams said he’s also concerned because ticket sellers at the box office were unsure about where lower-level seating for the disabled is located.
“This should have been corrected in the design phase,” Williams said. “We don’t know why they did what they did.”
Jack Finlaw, director of the Division of Theaters and Arenas, said the opera house isn’t complete and the city wants to meet with the coalition to discuss the concerns.
“We take concerns seriously,” Finlaw said. “We hope that once we have a real conversation, they will understand all the features of the building.”
Finlaw said some of the concerns raised are common whenever a building is new or renovated, especially concerning ticket sellers who may be unfamiliar with the new layout.
“Frankly, these are the normal bugs with opening any public seating facility,” Finlaw said. “A lot of fine-turning needs to be done. A lot of construction workers will be in the building until the end the year.”
Recently, the Physically Handicapped Amateur Musical Actors League Inc. performed in the building and wrote a letter praising the design.
“We are happy to report that our singers, each with significant physical disabilities, had a wonderful experience on Monday night,” the letter said. “They were able to negotiate the building well. Your staff was accommodating and helpful, but it was clear to our people that planning for access was significant as they noted the placement of ramps, elevators, doors and furnishings.”
Staff writer Felisa Cardona can be reached at 303-820-1219 or fcardona@denverpost.com.
