Date of Award
Spring 2026
Document Type
Thesis
Terms of Use
© 2026 Maddie Adams-Miller and Abbey Peters. This work is freely available courtesy of the author. It may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. For all other uses, please contact the copyright holder.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Engineering Department
First Advisor
Maggie Delano
Second Advisor
Matthew Saunders
Abstract
Historic theaters, especially those on Broadway, are in high demand but often lack appropriate access for patrons with disabilities. This work evaluates existing barriers to physical accessibility in historic theater spaces and develops a model to address as many of these barriers as possible. Through the implementation of the double diamond research method, it was ensured that the experience of the end user was centered, and prototypes were created to address these identified needs. This two-part design solution includes a scale model of an idealized theater and a prototype of a universally accessible seat, as well as a set of best design practices for the modification of historic theater spaces. This project cost $80. Evaluated against ADA standards, universal design principles, and public interest/opinion, it was determined that this project succeeded in its goals.
Recommended Citation
Adams-Miller, Maddie , ‘26 and Peters, Abbey , ‘26, "Breaking the Fourth Wall: Structural Accessibility in Theaters" (2026). Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards. 1090.
https://works.swarthmore.edu/theses/1090