This Modern World

Photo courtesy of cactusclubmilwaukee.com.

abide with the regulations in place at the time. Removing the red tape was the first step in what would become a mission to allow all walks of life into Cactus Club’s doors, but that mission would soon expand. The next step, laid out as a core component of Cactus+, is the club’s accessibility initiative. As of right now, the venue is not up to code in terms of the Americans with Disabilities Act. While there is a ramp to the performance area of Cactus Club, navigating it with a wheelchair would be fairly difficult, due to its pitch and narrow doorway. In the spirit of being able to truly provide a club for all people, Kaufmann is making accessibility a priority in the club’s immediate future.

“Our building is over 100 years old. Our accessibility initiative seeks to bring our building more up to code by providing a ramp to the front door, eliminating our tiny bathrooms, adding a multi-stall, ADA compliant, all-gender bathroom as a building addition as well as adding a sprinkler system,” said Kaufmann. “Some people think that we should just demo the building and start over. History matters. The stories that connect so many of us to this space are important. It's imperative that we make these overdue infrastructure improvements so everyone can participate for years to come. This is a space for the people, run by artists that care deeply for this city. We invite you to get involved.”

Those interested in the Cactus+ program and accessibility initiative can view more details on the Cactus Club website, CactusClubMilwaukee.com.

Allen Halas is Digital Strategist for shepherdexpress.com.