Accessibility Statement
The St. John’s Boys’ Choir (the “Choir”) offers an enriching experience in music education with an emphasis on vocal music, as well as the socializing experiences of shared enterprise, fellowship, cultural awareness, and touring for boys ages 8-15. The Choir promotes vocal music education in Central Minnesota and offers the unique experience of a well-trained boys’ choir to its audiences.
The Choir is committed to providing individuals with disabilities with an equal opportunity to participate in, benefit from, and be employed by the Choir. A person with a disability is someone who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such impairment, or a person who is regarded as having such an impairment.
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. § 794) provides that:
- cultural organizations, private or public, that receive direct or indirect federal funds or federal financial support must make programs, services, and activities accessible, including employment opportunities.
The Americans with Disability Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq.) provides that:
- cultural organizations, regardless of whether they receive federal financial assistance and whether they are public or private entities, must not discriminate against individuals with disabilities.
To advance the Rehabilitation and Americans with Disability Act (collectively, the “ADA”), the Board of Directors has memorialized its policy of providing individuals with disabilities with an equal opportunity to participate in, benefit from, and be employed by the Choir (the “ADA Policy”). The core principles of the Choir’s ADA Policy are:
1. No discrimination against individuals with disabilities.
Nondiscrimination will be mandatory. Nondiscrimination will be an integral and routine part of the day-to-day operations of the Choir. The Choir will emphasize to all employees and volunteers that compliance with accessibility requirements and nondiscrimination laws is mandatory.
2. Provide individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to audition for and participate in the Choir.
The Choir will provide individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to audition for and participate in the Choir. Special and reasonable accommodations will be provided to individuals with disabilities who audition for the Choir including, with some limitations, wheelchair access, American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation, and sheet music in alternative formats. Special and reasonable accommodations will also be provided to individuals with disabilities whose children audition for and participate in the Choir.
3. Provide individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to benefit from programs and performances of the Choir.
The Choir will provide individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to benefit from programs and activities in an integrated setting. Programs include activities that a cultural organization makes available to the public such as performances, tours, receptions, special events, and workshops. To the extent not otherwise limited, the Choir will ensure that all programs, activities, and events are accessible. Information and tickets to performances will be available to everyone, whether over the telephone, through the Choir’s website (www.sjbchoir.org) or in person at the performance. When requested in advance and available, performances will be ASL interpreted. Requests may be made over the telephone. The contact number to make a request will be made available on the Choir website.
4. Provide qualified individuals with disabilities with equal employment and volunteer opportunities.
A qualified individual with a disability will be provided an equal opportunity to benefit from the full range of employment and volunteer-related opportunities available to others. The Choir will not discriminate on the basis of disabilities in recruitment, hiring, promotions, training, pay, and social activities; raise questions about an applicant’s disability before a job offer is made and will make reasonable accommodations for the known physical or mental limitations of otherwise qualified individuals with disabilities unless doing so results in undue hardship to the Choir. Policies will include but are not limited to, reviewing position descriptions to ensure the descriptions are current, and accurate and do not exclude or screen out persons with disabilities and make sure application forms and interviewers do not ask, directly or indirectly, about a disability.
A qualified individual is someone who meets the definition of a person with a disability under the ADA and meets the legitimate skill, experience, education, or other requirements of an employment position that they hold or seek and who can perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation. A reasonable accommodation is any modification or adjustment to the work environment that will enable a qualified person with a disability to participate in the job application process or to perform essential job functions provided that the accommodation does not create an undue hardship.
Limitations
The Choir is a touring boys’ choir. Individuals are invited to participate in the Choir after an audition. Not all individuals that audition are invited to participate in the Choir. The invitation to participate in the Choir is based on the vocal music ability of the individual. Furthermore, the Choir performs in various settings and to a wide variety of audiences. The travel and/or physical settings that the Choir performs in may limit participation by individuals with disabilities or limit the benefit individuals with disabilities may receive from the programs and performance of the Choir. The Choir often performs in historic structures and cannot ensure access to individuals with disabilities. To the extent possible, reasonable accommodations will be made for individuals with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations may include reserving any accessible or preferred seating to individuals with disabilities, permitting guide dogs and service animals at performances, and providing alternative formats for programs if the request is made in advance of the performance.
Implementation and Review
Executive Director Implementation and Training. The Executive Director shall implement the ADA Policy. These responsibilities include training staff to understand and accommodate those with disabilities, serving as the accessibility coordinator for the Choir’s accessibility efforts, and guiding the organization, its staff, and volunteers toward the inclusion of individuals with disabilities and compliance with the ADA Policy. The Executive Director will determine if the travel and/or physical performance setting of its tour locations will limit participation by or the benefit individuals with disabilities may receive from the programs and performances of the Choir and whether reasonable accommodations may be made.
Board of Directors Review
The Board of Directors, through the Personnel Committee, shall review the ADA Policy and the implementation of the ADA Policy on an annual basis. The Board shall adopt appropriate disability-related policies and monitor their application as it would all other employment practices.