Pity, handouts & disability are not part of the culture of Ridgefield's Prospector Theater

Editor's note: Valerie Jensen, the author of this post, is the founder of the Prospector Theater, a nonprofit that located in Ridgefield that employs persons with disabilities through the operation of a first-run, premium movie theater.

"We dissect the environmental and cultural factors that have labeled us “disabled” and remove them. Pity, handouts, and disability are far removed from the culture of the Prospector." - Val Jensen

Persons with disabilities are eager, capable, and motivated workers, yet are disproportionately unemployed in the United States.

In 2014, only 17.1% of people with a disability were employed, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report (June 2015). This stands in stark contrast to the 64.6% of people without a disability who were employed in the same year. Where are the employers who are investing in the talents of this underrepresented labor pool?

We are the Prospector Theater, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that represents a new model of integrated, competitive employment and vocational training for persons with disabilities through the operation of a first-run, premium movie theater.

Inside of the Prospector doors, you will find more than reels of film and popcorn. What we have built is new and innovative. We mine for sparkle — the hidden talents and passions within every Prospect (the title of all 100-plus employees of the Prospector) — and we turn those talents into meaningful, gainful employment and transferable job skills.

Prospects are hand-selected for positions based upon their passions. The model of a movie theater, with its diverse employment and training opportunities (including concessionists, projectionists, cashiers, ushers, facility management, food service workers, baristas, event coordinators, graphic designers, marketers, job coaches, development and production…to name a few) provides the perfect backdrop in which to train a diverse workforce in meaningful positions. Skills honed at the Prospector are used by Prospects as they move on from the theater to jobs in the community.

Through games, tools, training aids, classes, curriculum, and operating procedures, we are creating a culture of inclusion, acceptance, cooperation, and meaningful work. We dissect the environmental and cultural factors that have labeled us “disabled” and remove them. Pity, handouts, and disability are far removed from the culture of the Prospector. We focus on the ability, and value, that people with disabilities bring as members of our community and our workforce.

Movie theaters have historically been a consumer democratizer — where a billionaire, a beggar, and a baker can sit side-by-side for the same price of admission. When we see a movie together, we share a common experience. At the Prospector, we have extended that democracy to our workforce, where our Prospects work side-by-side, growing and learning from one another while simultaneously demonstrating to the moviegoers the abilities of people with disabilities to provide exceptional service and quality work.

Audiences are attracted to our Theater for our screens and our programming, but most importantly — our sparkle. We are the sparkly dream come true that the champions of the Americans with Disabilities Act envisioned when they signed the bill into law 25 years ago, unlocking the gates of inclusion for people with disabilities. The Prospector is building a recognized culture and standard that will create new expectations, attitudes, and acceptance among people. There is no such thing as “disabled” people; we are all people.

Come and play with us. Try something you’ve never contemplated before: fail, laugh, try again, and learn a new lesson. We invite you to discover new brain pathways and remove old preconceived notions. Look at yourself again for the first time. Come and learn with, and from, our Prospects; you may be amazed at what you know, and even more amazed at what you do not know.

Thank you for supporting our mission.

 Learn more about The Prospector Theater HERE. 

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Submitted by Newtown, CT

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