Art for Everyone: The Importance of Accessibility in Arts Organizations
Posted Sunday August 04 2013 at 11:20 pm.
The following is reprinted from a July 25, 2013 Boston Photography Focus blog post written by VSA's own Kati Blair Kotrc. View the original post.
Inclusion is an imperative for the health of all cultural organizations. Not only do the Americans with Disabilities Act and other federal and state regulations legally mandate including people with disabilities, it also makes good business sense. 11% of the population in Massachusetts are people with disabilities, 13% are over 65 and experiencing the loss of vision, hearing and mobility associated with aging. Add to that the family and friends that they travel with and you have a sizable potential audience. Furthermore, whatever is done to address the particular needs of an individual or group typically improves the experience for everyone. Who hasn’t rolled a suitcase over a curb cut intended to provide access to the sidewalk for someone using a wheelchair? Similarly, once a large print guide is created it often becomes more popular than the standard print version because everyone can use it easily. Any organization that isn’t deliberately designing for access and inclusion is likely coming up short.
By providing audio descriptions of visual information, organizations create access points for visitors who are blind or have low vision, but can also deepen the engagement of sighted visitors. See for yourself by listening to or reading the descriptions of Gordon Sasaki’s NY Portraits featuring New York artists, musicians, writers, dancers and actors with disabilities.
Diana – Actor/Model. Audio description text: This close up is a head and shoulders shot of an attractive woman, appearing to be in her 30′s. Her dark full hair, looking slightly wind blown, hangs to her bare shoulders. She pulls up her right eyebrow with the middle finger of her right hand. Her left arm, which appears to have been amputated just below the elbow, reaches up to frame the left side of her face. The end of this arm, skin folded in to form a vertical crease, pulls up the eyebrow above her left eye. Her lips, with a light tone and shine to them, are parted to reveal the tips of her upper teeth, and curl up at each end. Her jaw lines descend gracefully to her small round chin. The photo is cropped just below her neck with no indication of clothing. Out of focus patterned curtains form the background.
For everyone, and especially for people with disabilities, the arts represent a world of resources and opportunities. Artistic expression provides an outlet for creative voice and unlimited possibilities for personal, academic and professional success. By engaging in the arts, people with disabilities contribute substantially to our classrooms, workplaces and communities, extinguish false stereotypes, and create a global culture that truly represents all people. At the Open Door Gallery we highlight these contributions in our exhibits by artists with disabilities. Our most recent exhibit features the work of photographer Liz Doles, who redefined herself through pinhole photography after losing part of her vision. Her exhibit, Sri Lanka: Pinhole Photography and Portraits, shows the rich architectural heritage in her pinholes and her portraits capture the faces of the post war Tamils, Sinhalese, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Christians who quite literally rub shoulders as they strive to form a cohesive national identity in this densely populated land.
Liz Doles, Slave Island Arcade, Colombo
VSA Massachusetts promotes the involvement of people of all abilities in the arts. We are located in the NonProfit Center near South Station, at 89 South Street #101, Boston, MA 02111.
Kati is a member of the PRC’s newly created Accessibility Committee, which focuses on accessibility issues and working with diverse populations. If you are passionate about advocating for people with disabilities and chronic illnesses and if you want to see more inclusion in the PRC’s programming, this committee is for you! If you are interested in serving on this committee, please send an email to info@prcboston.org with “Accessibility Committee” in the subject.
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