Congressman Jim Himes (CT-4) and First Selectman Rudy Marconi today toured the Prospector Theater, a new, nonprofit movie theater that is dedicated to providing job training and employment for adults with disabilities. Himes’ visit to the soon-to-be open theater was part of his 17 Towns in 17 Days tour of Connecticut’s Fourth Congressional District.
“Far too often, Americans with disabilities who have the ability and desire to work don’t have access to job training and employment opportunities,” Himes said. “The Prospector Theater is a remarkable private investment that will create jobs and improve the quality of life for people with disabilities in Ridgefield’s community. It’s also an economic asset for downtown Ridgefield that the entire community will be able to enjoy.”
Ridgefield resident Valerie Jensen founded the Prospector Theater, which is located on the site of the old Ridgefield Playhouse. Jensen's vision for the Prospector came from her work leading SPHERE - Special People Housing Education Recreation and Employment - which helps people with disabilities.
“The answer to the unemployment epidemic among adults with disabilities is in our own backyard, on every Main Street in America,” Jensen said. “Employment opportunities are in our local movie theaters, restaurants, and shops. Small businesses are missing out on a huge resource that lies in the incredible talent pool of the 44 million talented Americans with disabilities, who are willing, competent, and able to work.”
The Prospector currently has 10 full-time employees, called “prospects,” and it aims to hire about 60 people to work part-time jobs by the end of the first year. Opportunities include working at the theater’s concession stand, the restaurant, or working behind the scenes on the film projectors or sound systems. The theater will also house a small production center that will train people with disabilities to produce, shoot and edit films.
In 2013, only 17.6 percent of Americans with disabilities were employed, according to a recent report from the U.S. Department of Labor. The report also found that the unemployment rate for people with disabilities was 13.2 percent last year, almost double the percentage for people without disabilities.