Mission:

1

• Mission
• To create a society in which people with
  disabilities can learn through, participate in
  and enjoy the arts

2
WHAT IS VSA?

• International
• Non-profit
• Arts
• Educational
• Disabilities

3
VSA

• Founded in 1974 by Jean Kennedy Smith
• VSA has offices in 45 states, the District of
  Columbia and 60 countries
• An affiliate of the Kennedy Center for the
  Performing Arts

4

• A TASTE OF ARTS ACCESS

5
Who are People with Disabilities?

• 56 million people with disabilities (PWD) in the
  U.S.
• 30 million men 26 million women
• Of the 69.6 million families in the U.S., 20.3
  million families have at least one member with a
  disability
• About half of all families have loved ones or
  close friends with disabilities
• Source U.S. Census Bureau, 2000

6
Who are People with Disabilities?

• 1 in 4 people over age 50 and 1 in 2 people over
  age 65
• As Baby Boomers age, the probability of
  developing a disability or chronic illness
  increases
• In the next 10 years the number of Americans over
  age 50 will increase by 40
• Source U.S. Census Bureau, 2000

7
Finances and Spending

• Aggregate income of PWDs exceeds 1 trillion
  between 175 billion and 250 billion in
  discretionary or spendable income.
• With direct family members, a disability market
  is at least 3 trillion.
• Sources U.S. Census 2000, US Department of
  Labor, Security Industry Association, Social
  Security Administration

8
Definition of Disability

• With respect to an individual disability is
• 1. a physical or mental impairment that
  substantially limits one or more of the major
  life activities of such individual
• 2. a record of such impairment or
• 3. being regarded as having such an impairment

9
DISABILITIES

• Visible and Hidden

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Hidden Disabilities

• People with hidden disabilities may have
  conditions such as cancer, epilepsy, diabetes,
  lung disease, asthma, hypertension, early stages
  of AIDS, or heart disease
• ADA includes people with hidden disabilities
  under the protection of the law

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Disabilities

• Physical Disabilities
• Orthopedic Impairments/Health Impairments
• Sensory Disabilities
• Vision/Hearing
• Developmental Disabilities
• Intellectual Disabilities/TBI/Autism Spectrum
  Disorder/Multiple Disabilities
• Learning Disabilities
• Emotional/Behavioral Disabilities
• Speech/Language Disabilities

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Older Adults

• The 2000 U.S. Census found that 41.9 of adults
  65 years and older identified themselves as
  having a disability. For the remaining percentage
  of those 65 and older, the changes may be less
  severe but are likely to affect everyday life
  nonetheless

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Older Adults

• More than 50 of the total U.S. discretionary
  income is controlled by those 50 years and older.
  
• The U. S. Census Bureau projects that the number
  of people 65 and older will more than double
  between 2000 and 2030 from 35 million to 71.5
  million people.

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Older Adults

• The number of older adults will not only increase
  at the 65-year-old end of the spectrum There
  will be twice as many people 85 and older in
  2030, with 9.6 million individuals projected to
  be part of the population
• Older adults will experience at least some
  physiological and cognitive changes and, perhaps,
  disability as they age.

15
Expanding Your Audience Strategies for Marketing

• Include people with disabilities in program
  development.
• Keep an open mind.
• Do not assume one size fits all.
• Define why this market needs your services.
• Become involved with community organizations that
  focus on disability related issues.

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SUGGESTED MARKETING STRATEGIES

• Develop simple modifications to existing
  services.
• Develop promotional strategies to target people
  with disabilities as customers.
• Integrate persons with disabilities in your
  advertising.
• Include media for people with disabilities in
  your budget.
• Attend and exhibit at conferences for people with
  disabilities.

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Disability Access Symbols
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PERSONALIZING YOUR APPROACH

• A personal invitation is powerful!
• Send invitations through disability
  organizations.
• Work to avoid non-personal mass mailings.
• Conduct focus groups and recruit access advisory
  committee members through your patron base and
  local disability social groups and organizations.
• Develop a database of interested patrons.

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PERSONALIZING YOUR APPROACH

• Use feedback from focus groups to determine best
  way to distribute.
• Create policies that protect your patrons, but
  allow sharing mailing lists across access and
  arts organizations.
• Create your own Access brochure.
• Make sure your website is accessible to all
  patrons.

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PERSONALIZING YOUR APPROACH

• List your organizations accessibility person and
  contact numbers under access or access
  services in the phone book and on your web site.
• List access programs on VSAFLs Where to Go Web
  site
• Get out in your community.
• Ask your patrons with disabilities how you can
  best serve them.

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WHAT DO PATRONS WITH DISABILITIES WANT?

• Input
• To be valued as customers
• One point person who is knowledgeable and
  understands their needs.
• Good customer service.
• People with disabilities are the ones who know
  what they need or want. For much too long,
  assumptions have been made FOR them, rather than
  WITH THEM.

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People First Language Speaking with Awareness

• USE
• People with disabilities
• People who use wheelchairs or wheelchair user
• People who are blind or have low vision
• People who are deaf or hard of hearing

• DONT USE
• The handicapped
• Confined to a wheelchair or wheelchair bound
• The blind
• Deaf and dumb or mute

23
People First Language

• People First Language describes what a person
  HAS, not what a person IS!
• Are you myopic or do you wear glasses?
• Are you cancerous or do you have cancer?
• Are you disabled or do you have a disability?
• People First Language puts the person before the
  disability
• The words we choose to use, say a lot about how
  we think and feel. Using language that is
  respectful lets others know that, this is a
  place where people of all abilities are welcome
  and valued!

24
People First Language Speaking with Awareness

• The difference between the right word and the
  almost right word is the difference between
  lightening and the lightening bug.
• Mark Twain

25
Principles for Communicating with Persons with
Disabilities

• RELAX Treat people with respect and
  consideration.
• Speak directly to the person rather than through
  a companion or interpreter.
• If you offer assistance, wait for the offer to be
  accepted. Then ask/listen for instructions.
• Identify yourself, and others with you, to a
  person with a visual impairment.

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General Tips

• See the person who has a disability as a person,
  not as the disability.
• Listen to the patron.
• Be considerate. Let the patron set the pace
  walking and talking.
• Keep the patron informed communicate! Let them
  know what is going on if there is a delay or
  other unexpected situation

27
General Tips

• Always ask May I assist you?
• Follow up by asking How may I assist you?
• Dont take offense if assistance is refused
• Treat the patron with dignity, respect, and
  courtesy

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• ACCESS AND THE ADA

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ADA

• The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)
• A comprehensive civil rights law for people with
  disabilities
• Prohibits discrimination on the basis of
  disability in employment, state and local
  government, public accommodations, commercial
  facilities, and telecommunications

30
Revised ADA Regulations Implementing Title II
and Title III

• The final rules will take effect March 15, 2011.
  (6 months after published) Compliance with the
  2010 Standards for Accessible Design is permitted
  as of September 15, 2010, but not required until
  March 15, 2012. (18 months)

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New Guidelines

• Provide guidance on
• Ticketing - includes but is not limited to sale
  of accessible seating both single and season,
  hold and release policies, ticket pricing
• Service animals
• Effective communication including VRI
• Wheelchairs and other power driven mobility
  devices
• Adoption of 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible
  design

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Service Animals

• A dog or in special instances a minature horse
  trained to provide assistance to an individual
  with a disability
• No license or certificate by a state or local
  government is required
• Never touch or distract a service animal
• A patron with a service animal cannot be
  segregated from other patrons

33
Disability Laws Resources

• http//www.ada.gov/regs2010/ADAregs2010.htm
• http//www.ada.gov/svcabrpt.pdf
• www.ncd.gov/disabilityrights.htm
• http//www.nea.gov/resources/Accessibility/laws.ht
  ml

34
Access Accommodations

• Universal Design
• Assistive Technology

35
Universal Design

• Creating an environment conducive to learning
  with multiple intellectual levels, presented
  through more that one sensory channel

36
Assistive Technology

• Any item or piece of equipment with its
  services which is used to increase, maintain, or
  improve the functional capabilities of
  individuals with disabilities.

37
Arts Access

• Programmatic
• Information/Communication
• Physical

38
Programmatic

• Education programs
• Exhibitions
• Access to Information
• Professional Development for Staff
• Events and Activities
• Marketing

39
Access Programs/Techniques

• Audio Description/Visual Imaging
• Touch Tours/Sensory Tours
• Handling Sessions
• Tactile Representations
• ASL tours/ASL program interpretation
• Open/Closed Captioning
• Audio
• Multi-sensory Experiences
• THINK INCLUSIVELY!!!

40
Virtual Tours

• Ideal for sites with limited accessibility
• Useful on the internet and on kiosks at site
• Downloadable prepare ahead of time
• Increases access

41
Assisting People with Hearing Impairments

• Provide communication and information access to
  patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing
• Captioning including CART
• ALDs
• ASL Interpretation
• TTY or Relay
• Scripts

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Assisting People who are Blind or have Low Vision

• Provide communication access for patrons who or
  blind or have low vision
• Audio description
• Large print
• Braille
• Electronic format
• Assistive Technology

This font is serif this font is sans serif
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Audio Description

• Audio Description (AD) is the descriptive
  narration of key visual elements of live theatre,
  television, movies, and other media to enhance
  their enjoyment by consumers who are blind or
  have low vision.  AD is the insertion of audio
  explanations and descriptions of the settings,
  characters, and action taking place in such
  media, when such information about these visual
  elements is not offered in the regular audio
  presentation. 

45
Audio Description/Visual Imaging

• Creates a picture of the site and exhibits
  through a detailed verbal description giving
  context to the setting
• This description enables individuals to form a
  mental image of visual works of art
• Description can be recorded on an audio player,
  cell phone or provided by trained docent or
  teacher
• Goal is to enrich the exhibit experience for
  visitors of varying abilities

46
Cell Phone Tour

• A self guided tour whose content delivery
  platform is the visitors own cell phone
• A dedicated phone number
• Each point of interest on the tour is
  associated with a unique STOP number

47
Information and Communication

• Accessible formats for
• Publications
• Leaflets and Brochures
• Labels and Other Exhibition Information
• Signage
• Publicity and marketing

48
Accessible FormatsEffective Communication

• Captions Open, Closed, CART
• Sign Language Interpretation
• E-Mail
• Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs)
• Telephone Typewriter (TTY)/ Video Phone
• Web sites
• Assistive Technology

49
Accessible Formats Effective Communication

• Clear print
• Good contrast between typeface and background
• http//www.lighthouse.org/accessibility/
• Provide alternative formats Large print
  Electronic, Braille, Audio
• Present information at multiple intellectual
  levels
• Disability Access Symbols Free downloads from
  www.gag.org

50
Physical Access

• ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and
  Facilities (ADAAG)
• http//www.access-board.gov/adaag/html/adaag.htm

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Physical Access

• Entrances and Pathways
• Pathways at least 36 wide
• Good directional signage
• Lighting
• Adequate and even
• Minimize glare
• Position light so shadows are not created on
  objects, and pathways
• Good color contrast
• Circulation route
• Accessible and well lit
• Eliminate protrusion of objects

52
3 As of Accessibility

• A Accommodations
• What we offer, to whom, how it works
• A - Ask
• May I help you? If yes, How may I help you?
• A Attitude
• People first language, Quality Customer Service

53
Benefits of Access

• Increased Attendance
• New Funding Sources
• More Community Visibility
• Public Perception
• BETTER PROGRAMS FOR ALL!

54
Ten Steps to Accessibility in the Arts

• Know how the law applies to your organization,
  patrons, and audiences with disabilities
• Designate an accessibility coordinator from your
  organization that will lead the organization in
  its efforts to comply with the American with
  Disabilities Act (ADA)
• Create an ADA Access Advisory group or committee

55
Ten Steps to Accessibility in the Arts

• Conduct an ADA survey of your facility and
  program to identify existing barriers and
  discriminatory policies or practices
• Create an ADA plan for your organization that
  addresses program accessibility, barrier removal,
  effective communication, new construction and
  alterations
• Adopt a policy statement about your
  organizations commitment to accessibility

56
Ten Steps to Accessibility in the Arts

• Train your staff
• Implement your ADA plan
• Promote and advertise your accessibility plan
• Conduct an ongoing review of accessibility
  efforts

57

• People will forget what you said, people will
  forget what you did, but people will never forget
  how you made them feel.
• Maya Angelou

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Where do we go from here?
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RESOURCES

• VSA arts of Florida
• www.vsafl.org
• Design for Accessibility A Cultural
  Administrator's Handbook
• www.nea.gov/resources/Accessibility/laws.html
• John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
• www.kennedy-center.org/accessibility
• National Endowment for the Arts
• http//www.nea.gov/resources/Accessibility/index.h
  tml

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RESOURCES

• Graphic Artists Guild
• www.gag.org/resources/das.php
• Hearing Loss Association of America
• www.hearingloss.org
• Lighthouse International/
• www.lighthouse.org
• U.S. Department of Justice Disability Rights
• /www.ada.gov
• U.S. Census Bureau/
• www.census.gov