Accessibility

Accessibility

Accessibility

Accessibility Resources

The Virginia Commission for the Arts is committed to promoting and supporting accessibility in the arts. Below is a compiled list of national, regional, state, and digital resources to support artists and arts organizations as they incorporate accessibility into their work. 

Contact

For any accessibility questions or additional assistance, contact:

Casey Polczynski, Ph.D.

Deputy Director & Accessibility Coordinator
casey.polczynski@vca.virginia.gov

 

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and ADA.gov

The ADA statute, passed in 1990, is the basis for accessibility requirements. The following resources from ADA.gov review the legal framework for accessibility requirements and provide information specifically related to businesses, nonprofit organizations, and commercial facilities:

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)

The NEA is the independent federal agency that funds arts across the country and offers many resources, toolkits, and webinars related to accessibility, including:

National Association of State Arts Agencies (NASAA)

NASAA is a nonprofit organization that supports state and jurisdictional arts agencies and works closely with the NEA. Their website shares valuable case studies, data, and research related to accessibility in the arts, including:

The Kennedy Center

The Kennedy Center’s Office of Accessibility not only ensures that the Kennedy Center’s own programs and facilities are accessible, but also provides networking opportunities and shares resources for other organizations, including:

The National Arts and Disability Center

The National Arts and Disability Center is a project of the UCLA Tarjan Center. The center offers information, referral, and consultation services.

The Smithsonian Institution

The Smithsonian has compiled a set of accessibility resources for museum professionals.

Mid Atlantic Arts

Mid Atlantic Arts is Virginia’s Regional Arts Organization (RAO). Their website offers an accessibility training page that includes webinars, print resources, and links to external resources.

Mid-Atlantic ADA Center

The Mid-Atlantic ADA Center “provides information, guidance, and training on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), tailored to meet the needs of businesses, government entities, organizations, and individuals in the Mid-Atlantic Region.”

DC Arts and Access Network

The DC Arts and Access Network works to connect people with disabilities to arts programming and shares a calendar of accessible events in the greater DC area.

Virginia Disability Services Agencies

The Virginia Disability Services Agencies (DSA) is a group of agencies that supports Virginians with disabilities and older Virginians. DSA offers resources to incorporate accessibility into web design.

Assistive Technology Loan Fund

The Assistive Technology Loan Fund is a Commonwealth of Virginia State Authority that connects Virginians with disabilities to assistive technology.

Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

The Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing offers a Hearing Interpreter Services Program that provides information about sign language interpretation and maintains a list of Qualified Interpreters. State and local government agencies can also utilize this service to contract with Qualified Interpreters.

Access Virginia

Access Virginia is a Virginia-based non-profit that provides theatrical productions with services such as open captioning and audio descriptions for deaf/hard of hearing and blind/visually impaired patrons.

StepVA

StepVA is a non-profit organization based out of Fredericksburg. Its programming centers disability and empowers people with disabilities through creative expression.

Virginia Stage Company

The Virginia Stage Company website gives a local example of how to incorporate accessibility into programming.

Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center (VALRC)

VALRC provides resources related to accessibility and disability. These resources are specifically designed for adult education instructors and staff but can be adapted to other environments.

 

 

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