By Kim Donahue

Valentine's Day is the biggest date night of the year. The idea of dining with the masses on this crowded holiday, however, may strike some as not only unoriginal but a navigational nightmare. An alternate, more accessible option might be to visit an arts and cultural venue.

In recent years, many arts venues have worked hard to improve access and programming for people with disabilities. Cindy Harrington offers information on accessible cultural attractions in her book, "101 Accessible Vacations for Wheelers and Slow Walkers." A review can be found in Disaboom.com's travel section, at http://www.disaboom.com.

To help people with disabilities plan a perfect date this Valentine's Day, Disaboom.com offers the following sampling of attractions from across the United States:

• A trip to the theater: It's been a long road for people with disabilities, but theater owners have finally started expanding programming and access to serve customers of all abilities. Minneapolis' Guthrie Theater is a model for many venues. For visitors with mobility impairments, the theater offers reserved wheelchair seating and makes every attempt to seat companions in adjacent seats. The theater also makes wheelchairs available free of charge. In addition to providing fully accessible restrooms on three floors, the theater has three restrooms specifically designated for use by people with disabilities. Parking is available directly across the street.

For the hearing impaired, the Guthrie provides an Assistive Listening System that amplifies the actors, bringing the sound directly into patrons' ears. American Sign Language interpretation and open captioning (the displaying of text while the dialog is spoken on stage) are both available during select performances.

Guide dogs are welcome. Braille and large print materials and high magnification glasses are complimentary. For select performances, audio description - the art of talking pictorially to convey the actions on stage - is available. Sensory tours are often scheduled prior to Audio Description performances to allow patrons to explore the stage, costumes and props of a particular production.

For more information on the Guthrie visit www.guthrietheater.org.

Look for similar features when buying tickets at your local theater and be sure to call ahead to address accessibility issues. Some theaters actually remove seats in order to provide room for wheelchairs. The National Arts and Disability Center provides information on theaters that not only provide easy access, but feature performers with disabilities in their productions. More information can be found at http://nadc.ucla.edu/.

• Matches made at the museum: Museums are also removing barriers. The newly expanded Denver Art Museum offers complimentary wheelchairs, convenient parking, accessible restrooms and rest areas throughout its galleries. Service animals are welcome, and American Sign Language interpreters are available for all classes, tours and lectures. Large-print booklets for use in the collections can be found at the museum's welcome center. Another nice perk: The museum is open until 10 p.m. on Friday nights for those who don't want to battle crowds and provides "Access Days" for guests with special needs.

For more information log onto: www.denverartmuseum.org

• Other Cultural Connections: If the weather's warm, consider an outdoor rendezvous. The Chicago Botanic Garden has an Enabling Garden for visitors of all abilities. The garden features raised beds, tactile plants, easily adjustable hanging baskets and other ideas that can be adapted for home gardening. Check out www.chicagobotanic.org for more details.

Launched in 2007, Disaboom.com has dedicated itself to improving the quality of life for people with disabilities. The newly expanded Disaboom.com section on Dating & Relationships can be found at http://www.disaboom.com, click on "living", and select "all channels".