Grant Enables Orchestra to Welcome People with Disabilities to All Its Concerts

BOSTON – January 25, 2013 - Harron Ellenson, Executive Director of the Boston Landmarks Orchestra, announced recently that the Liberty Mutual Foundation has contributed $25,000 to the orchestra for its Breaking Down Barriers initiative for people with disabilities during its 2013 summer season at the DCR’s Hatch Shell.  The grant will ensure that braille and large print programs will be available at every concert; that ASL interpreters will become part of all programs that include the spoken word, such as the Landmarks collaboration with Commonwealth Shakespeare Company; that community outreach to organizations who work with people with disabilities will take place; that the Landmarks website will be fully accessible; and that trained volunteers will be on site to provide assistance to those who make use of a special drop-off location on the Esplanade adjacent to the Hatch Shell. Handicapped accessible toilets will also be available.

“We are pleased to help the Boston Landmarks Orchestra, in this core piece of its mission, to eliminate any hindrance for any person to attend and enjoy its free summer concert series at the Esplanade,” said Melissa MacDonnell, Liberty Mutual’s Vice President and Director of Corporate Affairs.

The Liberty Mutual Foundation does not just fund projects for people with disabilities but brings numerous non-profit organizations together to learn how to make their programs more accessible with practical and even technical advice. The Boston Landmarks Orchestra’s efforts in this regard have paid off over the last two seasons with more people with visual, hearing and mobility challenges attending its events. This grant will ensure that even more can be done to make sure that all people feel welcome at its concerts. 

About the Boston Landmarks Orchestra

The Boston Landmarks Orchestra is a professional orchestra that performs for free during the summer at the DCR’s Hatch Shell on the Esplanade and in the neighborhoods of Greater Boston. It brings together people from diverse communities to celebrate the common language of music through collaborations with Boston arts, cultural, education and social service organizations and the financial generosity of individuals, foundations, and corporations. Its season at the Shell takes place on Wednesday nights beginning July 10, 2013 and running through August 28, 2013.

###