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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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.

14. 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.

16. 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.

17. Disability Access Symbols

18. 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.

19. 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.

20. PERSONALIZING YOUR APPROACH • List your organization’s accessibility person and contact numbers under “access” or “access services” in the phone book and on your web site. • List access programs on VSAFL’s “Where to Go” Web site • Get out in your community. • Ask your patrons with disabilities how you can best serve them.

21. 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.

22. 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 DON’T USE The handicapped Confined to a wheelchair or wheelchair bound The blind Deaf and dumb or mute People First Language Speaking with Awareness

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.

26. 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?” • Don’t take offense if assistance is refused Treat the patron with dignity, respect, and courtesy

28. ACCESS AND THE ADA

29. 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)

31. 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

32. 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.html

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 • ALD’s • ASL Interpretation • TTY or Relay • Scripts

43. 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

44. 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 visitor’s 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