Overview
Each member of our staff and board have committed to accessibility, equity and inclusion as embodied in our most recent SLB Diversity Statement and Plan. Questions about accessibility may be addressed to Larry Berger (Executive Director) at larry@slbradio.org or 412.586.6300.
Radio and audio are unique in their ability to provide equal opportunities for engagement. Whether a studio visitor, listener, on-air participant — or all three — SLB strives to make our programming available to everyone.
USING OUR WEBSITE
With generous support through an Allegheny Regional Asset District Accessibility & Inclusion Project Award and from the Program to Aid Citizen Enterprise Arts Equity Reimagined Fund, SLB redesigned its website in 2024. The new site incorporates numerous design features to improve experiences for all users. With regard to accessibility, highlights include:
- Migration of content previously housed at neighborhoodvoices.org and youthexpress.org (two longstanding sister sites) into slbradio.org to provide a one-stop location and unified design
- Inclusion of alt-text descriptions in posts published moving forward as well as adding them to posts in our back catalog spanning nearly 20 years
- New audio players for The Saturday Light Brigade and Youth Express 24/7 services that are simpler and easy to use
- Addition of printed transcripts to key oral history assets to provide better access for English language learners, people with hearing loss, deaf people, and people who learn better with print
Testing of the new site confirms that it is screen-reader compatible. Google PageSpeed Insights reports accessibility scores ranging from 88 to 97 (out of 100) compared with scores of under 50 on the old design. We are committed to making certain that our website serves all. Suggestions and comments may be made to Robert Gray, Director of Operations, robert@slbradio.org.
Visiting Our Studios
SLB is co-located in the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh. Accessibility features of the museum complex — also available to SLB visitors — include:
- Onsite accessible parking spots
- Main entrances that are wheelchair accessible with power assist doors
- Full accessibility by ramp and elevator to reach our studios and all parts of the museum except for the Gravity Room
- Maps of magnets in use at the museum
- Wheelchairs for loan on a first-come, first-served basis
- Tactile museum maps are available at the Admissions Desk
- Braille menus are available in the museum cafe
Service animals and motorized wheelchairs are always permitted.
Our studios, offices, and Youth Media Center are 100% accessible by elevator and were designed in consultation with an accessibility expert with goals of exceeding requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Main studio features include a flat floor with no ramps to negotiate during entrance and exit, as well as counters and seating positions that allow wheelchair use for guests and control board operators. With generous support through an Allegheny Regional Asset District Accessibility & Inclusion Project Award, modifications in 2024 added the following additional accessibility features:
- Fully adjustable microphone stands allowing user-specific microphone height and reach adjustments to accommodate people of all sizes, body types, and postures, sitting or standing
- User-controlled headphone levels and microphone mute buttons that allow guests to choose (or request) personal volume levels and activate mic mutes when required for throat clearing or coughing
Youth Media Center accessibility features include:
- Height-adjustable tables and editing stations to accommodate wheelchairs
- Equipment that allows visitors learn by listening, watching, or touch
- A recording pod that provides aisle space for wheelchairs through use of “jump seats” that are only unfolded when needed. Among the first of its kind in the U.S., purchase of this booth was made possible by an Allegheny Regional Asset District RADical Impact Grant awarded in 2019.
Listening to Our Programming
Listeners can hear SLB on a variety of platforms that bring our programming directly to them. Options that may be of interest to people with special needs include:
- Specially-designed FM radios: The wide range of mainstream radios available — especially those with station presets — makes it easy for people of all abilities to listen to SLB via a device already in their home or car. For people who are blind or visually impaired, specialized FM radios such as the Speechmaster Talking Portable Multi-Function FM Clock Radio, Low-Vision Large Dial AM-FM Table Radio and others are available to simplify tuning in.
- Tactile Internet radios: All SLB services are available in streaming and on-demand form accessible by computer, tablet, and smartphone. Streaming services can also easily be heard using stand-alone, tactilely operated Internet radios such as this model from C.C. Crane. These and other models include programmable buttons for one-touch access to SLB streams.
Participating in Our Programs and Workshops
We offer many ways to participate at SLB. During our broadcasts, listeners can participate in real-time by telephone, text, email or Interact Live, a modified email system available at slbradio.org/radio. Listeners who are unable to visit during a live broadcast can have their texts or emails relayed on the radio or — better yet — have their phone call placed on the radio so that they can speak or perform live on the air from wherever they are. We also have opportunities to prerecord on-air segments in our studios, by telephone or on location as needs warrant.
SLB field trips and workshops use a variety of techniques to connect with students of all abilities and SLB staff have been trained in best practices for special populations. We can offer specialized field trips for people who are blind or visually impaired that rely on tactile equipment. We also have collaborated with the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh to develop sensory friendly programs.