Visitor Info

Palm Springs Art Museum ADA Policies and Accessibility

Palm Springs Art Museum (the “Museum”) is committed to ensuring that its programs and services are accessible to the broadest range of people with disabilities. Following the guidelines of the American Disabilities Act (ADA), which guarantees equal and full access to employment and public services for people with disabilities, the Museum does not discriminate on the basis of disability in admission or access to, or employment in its services, programs, or activities. 

The Museum will provide reasonable accommodations to allow individuals with disabilities to participate in all Museum services, programs, and activities. 

The Museum has a designated coordinator to facilitate compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), as required by Section 35.107 of the U.S. Department of Justice regulations, and to coordinate compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as mandated by Section 8.53 of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development regulations.

Wheelchairs - All exhibits are wheelchair accessible. Standard wheelchairs are available at all three sites at no charge. To borrow a wheelchair, please see Security.

Passenger Unload/Load Zone and Parking - Guests with limited mobility who are arriving by vehicle can gain access to a passenger unload and load zone via the north parking lot, in front of the Box Office. A passenger unload and load zone is located approximately 15 feet from an elevator that will take you to the lower level. Accessible parking is available directly across from the Box Office. The south parking lot also has accessible parking with ramp access to the lower level. A valid accessibility parking permit is required.

For guests visiting the Palm Springs Art Museum in Palm Desert - There are accessible parking spaces located in the parking lot near the museum entrance, as well as directly to the south of the Annette Bloch Education Wing. Both parking areas have accessible ramps that will lead to the entrance of the museum, or lead around the building to the Faye Sarkowsky Sculpture Garden.

For guests visiting the Architecture and Design Center - Accessible parking is located adjacent to the building with an accessible ramp on the right side of the main entrance.

Restrooms – If visiting the Palm Springs Art Museum, accessible restrooms are located on the lower level and the 3rd floor. If visiting our Palm Desert location, all restrooms are accessible. If visiting the Architecture and Design Center, the restrooms on the lower level are accessible.

Assistive Animals - Visitors who require assistive animals, such as guide-dogs, are welcome to bring them to the museum.

Assistive Listening Device - To help visitors who are hard of hearing both the Annenberg Theater and the Lecture Hall offer assistive listening devices free of charge. Please contact security or theater staff for a assistance. Assistive listening devices are also available at our admissions desk at all 3 locations. Please see admissions staff.

Audio Tours - Special exhibitions that provide audio tours will have accompanying transcripts available upon request from our admissions desk. Transcripts will be prepared in an 14 pt. sans-serif font with 1.5 line spacing for easier reading.

Closed Captioning or Open Captioning – All video with audio in permanent and temporary exhibitions will have closed captioning, open captioning, or an accompanying transcript will be available upon request from our admissions desk.

Sign Language Interpreters - Anyone who requires a sign language interpreter for effective communication to participate in a program, service, or activity of the Palm Springs Art Museum, should contact the museum's ADA Coordinator, adacoord@psmuseum.org. This request should be made no less than 5 days in advance to assure the availability of an interpreter.

Employment: The Museum does not discriminate on the basis of disability in its hiring or employment practices and complies with all regulations promulgated by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under Title I of the ADA.

Effective Communication: The Museum will provide appropriate aids and services leading to effective communication for qualified persons with disabilities so they can participate equally in museum programs, services, and activities, including qualified sign language interpreters, and other ways of making information and communications accessible to people who have speech, hearing, or vision impairments.

Modifications to Policies and Procedures: The Museum will make all reasonable modifications to policies and procedures to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to enjoy all of its programs, services, and activities. For example, individuals with service animals are welcomed in all museum public areas, even where pets are prohibited.

Anyone who requires an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication or a modification of policies or procedures to participate in a program, service or activity of the Museum should contact the ADA Coordinator at adacoord@psmuseum.org as soon as possible.

While the ADA does not require the Museum to take any action that would fundamentally alter the nature of its programs or services, or impose an undue financial or administrative burden, the Museum strives to provide equal access to all visitors.  When deciding what aid or service is needed for effective communication, the Museum will consider the nature, length, complexity, and context of communication as well as the requesting person’s normal method(s) of communication.

Complaints that a program, service or activity of the Palm Springs Art Museum is not accessible to persons with disabilities should be directed to the ADA Coordinator at adacoord@psmuseum.org.

Grievance Procedure is established to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ("ADA"). It may be used by anyone who wishes to file a complaint alleging discrimination on the basis of disability in the provision of services, activities, programs, or benefits by the Museum. The Museum's Employment Practice/Policy governs employment-related complaints of disability discrimination.

All other complaints should be in writing and contain information about the alleged discrimination or denial of accommodation such as name, address, phone number of complainant and location, date, and description of the problem. Alternative means of filing complaints, such as personal interviews or a tape recording of the complaint will be made available for persons with disabilities upon request.

The complaint should be submitted by the grievant and/or his/her designee as soon as possible but no later than 60 calendar days after the alleged violation to:

ADA Coordinator
Palm Springs Art Museum
P.O. Box 2310
Palm Springs, CA 92263

Within 15 calendar days after receipt of the complaint, the Museum’s ADA Coordinator or his/her designee will meet with the complainant to discuss the complaint and the possible resolutions. Within 15 calendar days of the meeting, the Museum’s ADA Coordinator or his/her designee will respond in writing, and where appropriate, in a format accessible to the complainant, such as large print, Braille, or audio tape. The response will explain the position of the Museum and offer options for substantive resolution of the complaint.

If the response by the Palm Springs Art Museum’s ADA Coordinator or his/her designee does not satisfactorily resolve the issue, the complainant and/or his/her designee may appeal the decision within 15 calendar days after receipt of the response to the Museum's Executive Director or his/her designee.

Within 15 days after receipt of the appeal, the Museum's Executive Director or his/her designee will meet with the complainant to discuss the complaint and possible resolutions. Within 15 calendar days after the meeting, the Museum's Executive Director or his/her designee will respond in writing, and where appropriate, in a format accessible to the complainant, with a final resolution of the complaint.

All written complaints received by the Museum’s ADA Coordinator or his/her designee, appeals to the Museum's Executive Director or his/her designee, and responses from these two offices will be retained by the Museum for at least three years.