Accessibility For Patrons and Visitors With Disabilities

Patrons who are Blind or Have Low Vision

Live Audio Description

For blind and visually impaired audience members, Cal Performances partners with Gravity Access Services to offer live audio description for multiple performances on our season. Audio description is a live audio track spoken by a professional audio describer to audience members with visual impairments through a wireless headset system. It provides clear and engaging descriptions of the meaningful visual details of a performance.

Follow the links below to purchase tickets and reserve this service or contact the Ticket Office at 510.642.9988. If you already hold performance tickets, contact the Ticket Office to reserve a headset, or you may pick up a headset at coat check in Zellerbach Hall the day of the performance (if not all reserved).

2024–25 Season Live Audio Description Performances

Mummenschanz: 50 Years (Sun, Oct 27, 3pm)
Step Afrika!: The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence (Sun, Nov 3, 3pm)
Pilobolus: re:CREATION (Sun, Dec 1, 3pm)
Dorrance Dance: The Nutcracker Suite (Sun, Dec 15, 3pm)
Twyla Tharp Dance: Diamond Jubilee Featuring Third Coast Percussion (Sun, Feb 9, 3pm)
William Kentridge’s The Great Yes, The Great No (Sun, Mar 16, 3pm)
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (Sat, Apr 12, 2pm)
Grupo Corpo: 21 and Gira (Sat, Apr 26, 8pm)
Mark Morris Dance Group: Pepperland (Sun, May 11, 3pm)

Past Live Audio Description Performances

Ex Machina / Robert Lepage & Cirque FLIP Fabrique: SLAM! (Sun, Oct 6, 3pm)

Haptic Access Tours

Haptic access tours will be scheduled for select events (2024–25 Season events will be announced as they are confirmed with the artists). These tours are a live pre-show tour, lasting 20-30 minutes, that allow patrons to experience—through touch and their own movement— the space, performers, costumes and objects in addition to key movement elements in the performance.

Follow the links below to purchase tickets and reserve this service or contact the Ticket Office at 510.642.9988. If you already hold performance tickets, contact the Ticket Office to reserve a spot on the tour. Tours require reservations; reservations close 24 hours in advance of the tour start time. If no reservations are made, the tour will not be held.

2024–25 Season Haptic Access Tours Performances

Mummenschanz: 50 Years (Sun, Oct 27, 3pm; Tour begins at 2:15pm)
Step Afrika!: The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence (Sun, Nov 3, 3pm; Tour begins at 1:45pm)
Dorrance Dance: The Nutcracker Suite (Sun, Dec 15, 3pm; Tour begins at 2:15pm)

Past Haptic Access Tours Performances

Ex Machina / Robert Lepage & Cirque FLIP Fabrique: SLAM! (Sun, Oct 6, 3pm)

GoodMaps Explore

Patrons are invited to use our highly detailed indoor mapping via the GoodMaps Explore mobile application to help navigate Zellerbach Hall.

Digital Program Books

Digital Program Books are available for all performances and may provide a better reading experience.

Patrons who are Deaf or Have Hearing Loss

Assistive Listening Devices

Assistive listening devices (ALDs) amplify and clarify sound by cutting down or eliminating ambient noise.  Devices are distributed free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis. Guests attending events in the Zellerbach Hall or Playhouse may pick up a device from the Audience Services staff starting one hour prior to performances. Please request a device from staff as you arrive. A driver’s license or government-issued identification will be required as a deposit for the device.

For all other venues, advanced notice of at least two weeks is advised.

Sign Language Interpretation

Available by request. Persons who wish to request sign language interpreters should contact the Ticket Office when they purchase tickets or at least two weeks in advance of the performance to ensure the best possible arrangements. Patrons using a TTY, please contact us via California Relay Service by calling 711 or 800-735-2929.

Patrons who have Mobility Disabilities

All venues are wheelchair accessible. When ordering tickets online, please choose designated wheelchair locations for reserved seating performances.

Accessible Entrances

All venues have accessible entrances via ramps at the main entrance.

Elevators

Zellerbach Hall has an elevator that serves the orchestra and mezzanine levels. The Zellerbach Hall elevator dimensions: 49 inches wide x 45 inches deep.

Accessible Seating

All venues have wheelchair and scooter-accessible locations where patrons can remain in their wheelchairs or transfer to theater seats. Patrons who cannot or do not wish to transfer from their wheelchairs to a theater seat should request wheelchair-accessible locations when ordering tickets.

Wheelchair-accessible seating may be purchased by phone, in person, and online.

Accessible Restrooms

All venues are equipped with accessible restrooms.

Parking

For our patrons with disabled parking placards, please note:

• The closest public parking lot with accessible parking spaces to Zellerbach Hall is the RSF Garage underneath the Recreational Sports Facility, (2 blocks distance from the hall). While the Lower Sproul Garage is technically closer to Zellerbach Hall (<.1 mile distance) it is frequently full on performance days, so we don’t recommend relying on it to be available.
• The closest public parking lot with accessible parking spaces to Hertz Hall is the Bancroft Structure underneath the Hearst Tennis Courts (.2 miles, slightly uphill to the venue.)
• The closest public parking lot with accessible parking spaces to First Congregational Church is the Ellsworth Parking Structure underneath the Channing Tennis Courts. (1.5 blocks distance to the venue, slightly uphill.)
• The closest public parking lot with accessible parking spaces to the Hearst Greek Theatre is the Stadium Parking Structure underneath the Maxwell Family Field, (.2 miles distance to the venue, slightly uphill.)
• As of January 2024, the Dwinelle and Dwinelle Annex parking lots shown on the parking map linked to from our website are both currently under construction and not available for parking.
• Another valuable resource for finding parking lots with accessible parking spaces close to Cal Performances’ venues is Parkopedia.

Service Animals

See UC Berkeley’s Visit FAQs for information and policies regarding service animals.

Campus Resources

The UC Berkeley Visitor Parking webpage advises visitors on the most efficient parking procedures. The site offers information on public transportation, public parking lots, and parking availability.

Community Resources

Easy Does It is a non-profit organization that provides emergency attendant care, accessible transportation, wheelchair repair, and assistive device repair for seniors and people with disabilities.

Contact Information

We are here to help!  For questions or more information about any of these services, please contact the Ticket Office at tickets@calperformances.org or 510.642.9988, or Patron Experience Manager Guillermo Cornejo at gcornejo@calperformances.org.