Making the Arts Accessible to All

Recipients of public funding are required to make reasonable efforts for projects, programs, and events to be accessible to the public. Applicants should consider physical and programmatic accessibility as an integral part of the planning and budgeting processes. Accessibility involves both the location (the facility) and the content (the activity or product). Thinking about accessibility issues in the early design and planning stages of a project (e.g., accessible websites, sign language interpreters, recordings of printed materials, audio descriptions describers, or large-print labeling) is key to ensuring that persons with disabilities will be a ble to participate.

Helpful Resources

Organizations Ready to Help

• Governor's Council for People with Disabilities
• The Great Lakes ADA Center
• Indiana ADA
• ArtMix (formerly VSA Indiana)
• Indiana Institute on Disability and Community
• Chicago Cultural Accessibility Consortium
• Indiana Disability Rights

Guides for Planning

• ADA Planning Guide for Temporary Events
• Accessibility Planning and Resource Guide for Cultural Administrators
• NEA Cultural Administrator’s Guide to Accessibility
• General Resources and a ADA help hotline
• Universal Design for Learning Guidelines
• Universal Symbols for Access

Looking for a list of ASL interpreters? Click here.

Research

• A Matter of Choice? Arts Participation Patterns of Americans with Disabilities

Need to talk to someone about accessibility? Contact the IAC Accessibility Manager at accessibility@iac.in.gov.