Accessibility - Sarasota Art Museum

Accessibility at SAM

Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art and Design (SAM) is committed to providing an inclusive and accessible experience for everyone as part of our Art For All, Every Day Initiatives. Below are accessibility services and resources available to our visitors.

Wheelchair Access

SAM’s public parking lot is located on the south end of the Museum Campus and includes five accessible parking spaces and a convenient loading zone for drop-offs and pick-ups.

Visitors may enter the Museum’s main building using a ramp accessible from the Marcy & Michael Klein Plaza. Public safety officers are stationed at the Museum’s entrance to assist as needed.

There is also an accessible entrance to the Museum’s Great Lawn at the north end of the main building via the Mark & Irene Kauffman Arcade and Phyllis & J. Gordon Rubin Atrium.

All galleries, classrooms, restrooms, and SAM’s on-site restaurant Bistro, are wheelchair accessible. Additionally, the main building’s elevator services all three floors, and wheelchair accessible water fountains are located on the first floor.

Manual wheelchairs are available free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis, available at the Admissions Desk in the Wendy G. Surkis & Peppi Elona Lobby.

Seating Accommodations

In addition to bench seating in the Museum galleries, lightweight, portable gallery stools are available free of charge.

Please inquire at the first floor Admissions Desk in the Wendy G. Surkis & Peppi Elona Lobby.

Service Animals

Service animals are welcome at the Museum.

Please note that therapy animals, emotional support animals, and companion animals are not considered service animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act and are not permitted on the Museum Campus.

Vision Accommodations

Large-format handouts with exhibition didactic texts and magnifying reading sheets are available at the Admissions Desk in the Wendy G. Surkis & Peppi Elona Lobby.

Hearing Accommodations

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation for public programs is available free of charge upon request with three weeks’ advance notice. Please contact info@sarasotaartmuseum.orgcreate new email to request interpretation services.

The Sarasota High School Alumni Auditorium at SAM and classrooms are equipped with induction hearing loops for sound amplification. Please see the program administrator to request a headset.

Changing Stations

Infant changing stations are available in restrooms on the first floor of the main building.

Social Narrative

Neurodivergent visitors are invited to click the button below for our social narrative to prepare for a trip to Sarasota Art Museum. This convenient guide contains photographs and descriptions of what to expect during your visit.

Additionally, Sensory Bags with earplugs and noise canceling headphones are available upon request at the Admissions Desk in the Wendy G. Surkis & Peppi Elona Lobby.

Museum Maps

SAM’s Art for All, Every Day Initiatives are made possible, in part, with generous support from Community Foundation of Sarasota County, The Johnson Singer Arts & Education Fund, a program of The Floyd C Johnson and Flo Singer Johnson Foundation, The Kennedy Center Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability Program, Gutenstein Legacy Foundation, and Amy and John Stipancich.