Theater Accessibility

Below you'll find accessibility, content, and sensory guidance for each of our performance spaces.

LaJoie Theatre | The Black Box Theatre | The Ballroom

Building

Parking: Accessible parking spaces available in parking lot on Sherman Street. Street parking on Sheridan Street has low, rounded curbs.

Accessible doors are available at both entrances. There are no steps at the entrances.

In the building: A ramp leads from the back lobby into the main gallery. An elevator takes guests to the second floor, almost directly in front of the LaJoie theater. Floors are polished concrete; generally smooth but uneven in places.

Park: The Park on School Street has low grassy hills with sidewalks throughout. Some of the sidewalks are uneven because of tree roots. The splash pad is on even concrete. There is covered seating and open air seating.

Bathrooms: Accessible bathrooms are located on both floors. The upstairs bathrooms are single rooms; the downstairs have stalls. The main first floor bathrooms and one upstairs bathroom had changing tables.

Please contact accessibility@chehalemculturalcenter.org with any questions about accessibility at the Chehalem Cultural Center.

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Seating

We currently offer three different seat sizes. Seats that can be removed for mobility aids like wheelchairs are indicated on the seating chart. There are also seats with arms that can be opened for easier transfer. Gentle ramp to the back of the theater. Booster seats are available at the door. There are 211 seats total in the LaJoie Theatre.

Fidgets and ear plugs will be available for audience members to use during the performance.

Assisted Listening Devices are available in the LaJoie Theater. Please contact boxoffice@chehalemculturalcenter.org for more information. If an event will include ASL interpretation or live captions it will be indicated in the description of the event.

Events in the LaJoie Theatre are primarily offered in the English language unless otherwise specified in the description of the event.

Content Guidance

Individual events will specify the audience it is recommended for, but whether or not you and everyone in your party would like to attend is ultimately up to you. For more specific information about an event’s content, please email boxoffice@chehalemculturalcenter.org or call the front desk.

Sensory Guidance

Select performances in the LaJoie Theatre will offer sensory guides. If a performance has a sensory guide, they will be available for you at the door of the theatre with the usher. The availability of a sensory guide will be indicated in each event’s description when purchasing tickets.

Lighting in the LaJoie Theatre is affixed to the ceiling and walls and may include the changing of colors, brightness, and strobe effects during a show.

Sounds in the LaJoie may or may not be amplified by microphones and speakers depending on the event.

For more specific information about the lighting and sound for an event in the LaJoie, please email boxoffice@chehalemculturalcenter.org or call the front desk.

Before the show and during intermission audience members can wait outside before entering the theatre. Snacks and beverages are available for purchase at most events and staff are available to help locate any of our offerings. Audience members are welcome to enter and exit the theatre at any time during a performance through the main exterior door of the theatre. Restrooms are available near the Black Box Theatre. Some performances encourage lots of audience noise and feedback, and others don’t. You can always ask a CCC staff member for help determining this.

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Please note that there are no specifically indicated accessible parking spots on Sheridan St. where the closest parking to the Black Box Theatre entrance is located. We highly recommend arriving early and parking as close to the entrance as possible.

Seating:

The Black Box is a flexible space in which seating may vary by event as determined by the organizers of the event. The standard chair used in the Black Box is the wooden chair. If you would like an open spot for a mobility aid like a wheelchair reserved for you in the place of a chair, please indicate this when purchasing your ticket(s). Booster seats are available at the doors of the theatre for anyone to use during the event.

The walls and floor of the Black Box Theatre are painted black. Audience members are seated close to the performance because of the intimate nature of the space - most events in this space use 25-45 seats total. Lighting in the Black Box is affixed to the ceiling pointed at the performance and may include the changing of colors, brightness, and strobe effects during a show.

Fidgets and ear plugs will be available for audience members to use during the performance.

Assisted Listening Devices are not available in the Black Box Theatre. If an event will include ASL interpretation or live captions it will be indicated in the description of the event.

Events in the Black Box Theatre are primarily offered in the English language unless otherwise specified in the description of the event.

Content Guidance

Individual events will specify the audience it is recommended for, but whether or not you and everyone in your party would like to attend is ultimately up to you. For more specific information about an event’s content, please email boxoffice@chehalemculturalcenter.org or call the front desk.

Sensory Guidance

Select performances in the Black Box Theatre will offer sensory guides. If a performance has a sensory guide, they will be available for you at the door of the theatre with the usher. The availability of a sensory guide will be indicated in each event’s description when purchasing tickets.

Lighting in the Black Box is affixed to the highest part of the walls and may include the changing of colors, brightness, and strobe effects during a show.

Sounds in the Black Box may or may not be amplified by microphones and speakers depending on the event.

For more specific information about the lighting and sound for an event in the Black Box, please email boxoffice@chehalemculturalcenter.org or call the front desk.

Before the show and during intermission audience members can wait outside before entering the theatre. Snacks and beverages are available for purchase at most events and staff are available to help locate any of our offerings. Audience members are welcome to enter and exit the theatre at any time during a performance through the main exterior door of the theatre. Restrooms are available near the Black Box Theatre. Some performances encourage lots of audience noise and feedback, and others don’t. You can always ask a CCC staff member for help determining this.

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Seating:

The Ballroom is a flexible space in which seating may vary by event as determined by the organizers of the event. The standard chair used in the Ballroom is the plastic chair. If you would like an open spot for a mobility aid like a wheelchair reserved for you in the place of a chair, please indicate this when purchasing your ticket(s) or let an event organizer know when you arrive.

Events in the ballroom vary in how much seating they offer. When round tables are set up, 4-6 chairs are usually set up around them. The ballroom can hold up to 300 chairs, so some events are very full.

Assisted Listening Devices are not available in the Ballroom. If an event will include ASL interpretation or live captions it will be indicated in the description of the event.

Events in the Ballroom are primarily offered in the English language unless otherwise specified in the description of the event.

Standard Ballroom Event Chairs

W: 17.5 inch
D: 16.5 inch
H: 30.5 inch

Content Guidance

Individual events will specify the audience it is recommended for, but whether or not you and everyone in your party would like to attend is ultimately up to you. For more specific information about an event’s content, please email the event organizers, or if it is a CCC event email boxoffice@chehalemculturalcenter.org or call the front desk at 503-487-6883.

Sensory Guidance

Standard lighting in the Ballroom is affixed to the ceiling and may include the changing of colors and brightness during an event. Event organizers may also bring in their own lighting with additional effects to add to the space for their event.

Sounds in the Ballroom are usually amplified by microphones and speakers.

For more specific information about the lighting and sound for an event in the Ballroom, please email the event organizers, or if it is a CCC event email boxoffice@chehalemculturalcenter.org or call the front desk at 503-487-6883.

Before and after the event attendees can wait in the Founder’s Lobby before entering the Ballroom. Event attendees are welcome to enter and exit the Ballroom at any time during an event through the main doors of the Ballroom that lead to the Founder’s Lobby. Restrooms are available down in the lobby of the CCC past the Parrish Gallery.

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