Levitt Pavilion free concerts now provide an inclusive digital experience to bridge divides, inspire hope, and strengthen communities, across the US.
More than 750,000 people attend outdoor Levitt Pavilion concerts every year in one of 26 towns and cities across the US.
To provide equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) across the organization, Levitt Pavilion strives to combat injustice, structural racism, and oppression, through the power of free, live music in public spaces, bringing together a diverse range of people.
To support all members of the Levitt community, a variety of the Levitt Pavilion permanent venues have implemented Recite Me accessibility and language tools on their website to remove online barriers for those with disabilities, learning difficulties, visual impairments, and those who speak English as a second language.
The Levitt Pavilion permanent venues are each managed and supported by Friends of Levitt non-profit, permanent venues include:
- Levitt Pavilion Westport
- Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles
- Levitt Pavilion Arlington
- Levitt Shell Memphis
- Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks
- Levitt Pavilion Denver
- Levitt Pavilion Dayton
- Levitt Shell Sioux Falls
- Levitt Pavilion Houston
61 million adults in the US live with a disability that may prevent access to live music events, this may be due to online barriers or inaccessible locations. Features of the Levitt Pavilion concerts include:
Free concerts for the public
- Easily accessible locations
- Accessible online information and services
- Welcoming, open lawn settings
- Acclaimed, emerging talent to seasoned, award-winning artists
- Rich spectrum of music genres: R&B, country, rock, Latin, jazz, children’s, world, and beyond.
- State-of-the-art sound and lighting
Madeline Hart, from Levitt Dayton, commented, “Accessibility and inclusion are ingrained into the mission of all Levitt Pavilions. We break down the cost barrier to high caliber performing arts by removing the ticket, and by doing that we bring together an extremely diverse group of people to enjoy our concerts.”
The accessibility widget on the Levitt website provides users with a range of features including, screen reading functionality, multiple reading aids, customizable styling options, and an on-demand live translation feature that boasts over 100 languages including 65 text-to-speech and styling options.
Madeline Hart explained,
“At the Levitt, we have people of all abilities and many different cultures enjoying our music and connecting on the lawn. Utilizing the Recite Me toolbar was an obvious next step in helping our entire community have access to our information. We removed so many barriers to access on the lawn, it was a no-brainer to try and remove them on our website as well.
Those vulnerable to the digital world deserve to have access to the same opportunities, experiences, and services as those who do not face online barriers. Andy Thomas, Associate Director of Levitt Pavilion Denver, commented, “Accessibility is a priority for Levitt Pavilion Denver as we work to bridge cultural understanding and provide shared spaces inclusive of different backgrounds.
“Making our website a more accessible space reflects our overall mission and is an important step in making our resources available to all Coloradans. Having a tool like Recite Me is just another way of letting all the members of our diverse community know that they are welcome at Levitt Pavilion Denver.”
As Covid restrictions are lifted it is important to the Levitt Pavilion to ensure that performers can get back on the stage and all walks of life can enjoy live music under the stars. Letatia Teykl, Executive Director at Levitt Pavilion Arlington commented, “The heartbeat of the Levitt’s mission is inclusivity: Not only do we seek to make diverse live music experiences accessible to as many people as possible, but we also seek to increase access to performing opportunities (via our “Share the Stage”) for talented emerging artists.”
“The ability to review our website in languages other than English and take advantage of the audio-visual tools in Recite Me’s robust arsenal will open the doors for more people to discover each season’s lineup of Levitt artists, read more about the Levitt experience and how to plan a visit, view our schedule of concerts, and more.”
If you would like more information on how your organization can improve inclusion by utilizing assistive technology contact our team or book a real-time demonstration of our toolbar. Together we can provide equal opportunities and accessibility for all in our digital world.
