Accessibility Policy

Sumter County Patriot Hall

Effective September 9, 2026 ·

Last updated September 9, 2026

 

Patriot Hall welcomes everyone. We are committed to giving people with disabilities full and equal access to our performances, programs, events, facility, website, and services.

Our commitment

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Patriot Hall is a public cultural and event facility operated by Sumter County Government, South Carolina. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability in any program, service, or activity.

We follow Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act where it applies, and other federal and state accessibility laws.

In practice, this means we will:

• Make reasonable changes to our policies and practices when needed to provide access.

• Communicate effectively with people who have hearing, vision, speech, or other communication disabilities.

• Never charge a person with a disability extra for an accommodation, aid, or service we are required to provide.

• Keep reviewing our facility, ticketing, website, and practices as needs and technology change.

This policy covers everything we offer: performances, concerts, school and youth programs, field trips, workshops, meetings, receptions, weddings, rentals, ticketing, our website, online forms, documents, and social media. It also covers services provided for us by contractors, vendors, and ticketing or website providers.

 

Getting here and getting around

We maintain accessible entrances and routes to the auditorium, seating, restrooms, Box Office, meeting rooms, and common areas.

• Staff and event crews keep accessible routes, wheelchair spaces, and exits clear of equipment, cables, displays, and other obstructions.

• If a route is temporarily unavailable, we will provide an alternative accessible route or another way to access the program.

• Where an existing feature of the building is a barrier, we will provide access by another effective method.

 

Accessible seating and tickets

Accessible seating is for patrons who need its features, including people who use wheelchairs or other mobility devices.

• Same ways to buy. Accessible seats are available online, by phone, at the Box Office, and through presales and authorized sellers, on the same terms as other seats.

• Same information. We describe accessible seats with the same detail as other seats: location, price, and availability.

• Same price. Accessible seats never cost more, and fees are never higher, because a seat is accessible.

• Companions. You may generally buy up to three additional seats for companions, next to or as close as possible to your accessible seat. We will not separate you from your party because you need accessible seating.

• No proof required. We do not ask for medical documentation. We may ask you to confirm that you, or the person you are buying for, need the seat's accessible features.

For seating help, call the Box Office at 803-436-2259.

 

Mobility devices

Wheelchairs, walkers, canes, crutches, and similar devices are welcome everywhere the public may go. Other power-driven mobility devices are allowed unless a specific, legitimate safety or operational reason prevents it. Any safety limit is based on actual risk, not assumptions about disability. Staff can help you find accessible routes and seating.

 

Service animals

Service animals are welcome in all public areas. Under the ADA, a service animal is a dog individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability. Emotional support, comfort, and therapy animals are not service animals under the ADA.

• We do not require certification, ID cards, documentation, or a diagnosis.

• When the need is not obvious, staff may ask only two questions: whether the animal is required because of a disability, and what work or task it is trained to perform.

• The animal must be under your control, on a leash or harness unless that interferes with its work or your disability prevents it.

• An animal may be asked to leave only if it is out of control and not brought under control, or is not housebroken. You are still welcome to stay without the animal.

Miniature horses may be allowed case by case, as the ADA provides.

 

Requesting an accommodation

Contact Patriot Hall Administration by phone, email, or mail. Please include:

1. The event, program, or service

2. What you need

3. How we can reach you

You do not need to send medical records. Please do not send sensitive health information through the website contact form.

Asking early, ideally two weeks before an event, gives us the most time to arrange services such as interpreters. We will still consider every request, including last-minute ones, and do our best to meet it.

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Events, rentals, and school programs

Public events. We plan accessibility into every event, including seating, routes, restrooms, and communication needs. When an event has unusual conditions, we will share that information in advance when practical.

Rentals and outside events. Our accessibility obligations apply to every event in our building, including those presented by renters. Rental agreements require organizers to keep accessible routes, seating, and exits clear, share accurate accessibility information, and work with us on accommodation requests.

Schools and groups. For field trips, school programs, and group visits, the teacher, group leader, or coordinator should tell us about accessibility needs before the visit so we can plan together.

 

Emergencies

Our emergency plans account for people who may need mobility, sensory, or communication assistance during an evacuation, severe weather, medical emergency, or power failure. During an emergency, please follow instructions from Patriot Hall staff and emergency personnel.

 

Website and digital accessibility

Our goal is for sumterpatriothall.com and our online services to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA. This is the standard the U.S. Department of Justice requires for state and local government websites and mobile apps under ADA Title II. Sumter County's compliance date is April 26, 2027, and we are working to meet it early and maintain it after.

We design our site to support:

• Keyboard navigation with a visible focus indicator

• Screen readers, with clear headings and page structure

• Text alternatives for meaningful images

• Sufficient color contrast and text that can be enlarged

• Clearly labeled form fields and understandable error messages

• Captions or transcripts for video and audio

• Limited motion and animation
   

Event flyers. Every flyer we post is accompanied by text with the essential details: event name, date, time, location, price, ticket link, and important instructions.

Documents and forms. We work to make PDFs, rental packets, applications, and online forms accessible, with real text, logical reading order, and labeled fields. We avoid posting scanned image-only documents.

Online ticketing. Our ticketing system should let every patron review events, prices, fees, and accessible seating and complete a purchase independently.

Third-party services. We consider accessibility when choosing ticketing, payment, mapping, and other services. If one creates a barrier, we will work with the provider and offer you another way to get what you need.

Social media. We add alt text and captions and share key event details as text, not only in images, where the platform allows.

Can't access something online? Contact us and we will provide the information, service, or transaction another way while we fix the problem.

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Feedback and complaints

Tell us about any barrier you encounter, whether it is a blocked route, a webpage that won't work with your keyboard or screen reader, an inaccessible PDF, missing captions, or a ticketing problem. It helps to include the page, event, or location; what happened; and how to reach you. You never need to share a diagnosis.

We review every concern and coordinate with Sumter County's ADA Coordinator as needed. To file a formal complaint, you may use Sumter County's ADA grievance procedure: [link to Sumter County ADA grievance procedure]. Nothing in this policy limits your right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice or pursue other legal remedies.

No retaliation. We will never retaliate against anyone for requesting an accommodation, using accessible seating or a service animal, reporting a barrier, or raising an accessibility concern.

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Staff training

Staff, volunteers, ushers, security, and contractors receive guidance on accessible seating, service animals, effective communication, emergency assistance, and respectful service. We speak directly to the person requesting help and never make assumptions about their needs.

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Policy updates

We review this policy regularly and update it when laws, standards, or our services change. The current version, with its revision date, is always posted on this page. This policy works alongside our Privacy Policy, Terms of Use, ticketing policies, and rental agreements; none of those reduce the rights described here.

 

Contact

Sumter County Patriot Hall Attn: Administration / Accessibility Request 135 Haynsworth Street, Sumter, SC 29150

Administration: 803-436-2260 Box Office: 803-436-2259 Email: PatriotHall@sumtercountysc.gov