Did you know that July is Disability Pride Month? This week we celebrate the passing of the ADA or the Americans with Disabilities Act that was signed on July 26th, 1990. If you want to learn more and see a timeline and history of the ADA check out the ADA’s official website. You can also find reference materials, training, and local news from the Southeast District ADA Center here.
Arts Access, Inc., is a wonderful local resource dedicated to enabling North Carolinians with disabilities to have full access to arts programs and facilities, and encouraging them to participate fully in the rich cultural and artistic life throughout the state. Arts Access presents the Series of Fortunate Events (SOFE) annually, to highlight the diversity and creativity that exists within disability communities. Read more about the Series of Fortunate Events. They also organize statewide workshops on topics including educating arts organization staff on best practices for including people with disabilities and arts educators professional development.
Please take a moment to check out their website, which includes not only amazing resources for people with disabilities and organizations wishing to help them have more inclusive experiences, but schedules of audio described performances and exhibitions. They have a newsletter that brings announcements of sensory-friendly offerings of concerts, inclusive events for kids and families, and some really unique presentations directly to your inbox.
Thanks to a generous scholarship from the City of Raleigh Arts Commission, two of our executive staff are also preparing to attend the Kennedy Center’s Leadership Exchange in Arts & Disability Conference during the first week of August in Downtown Raleigh! This program advances the full inclusion of people with disabilities in arts and culture. With a focus on expanding the breadth and scope of accessible programming, LEAD provides an opportunity for professionals in the field to develop best practices and resources; engage in conversations with colleagues and experts from around the world; and learn practical methods for designing inclusive arts experiences and environments. We are so excited to be taking this step as a part of our renewed push for accessibility, equity, and inclusion within CVNC!
We at CVNC are working to improve our accessibility by implementing screen-reader compatibility, higher-contrast displays, and the inclusion of accommodation details and alternative offerings of events (sensory-friendly showings, ASL and audio description services, etc.) Please contact us at events@cvnc.org to submit your events, and be sure to include any accommodations that may be available so we can pass that information along. If you have specific requests or suggestions that you think can help us increase our accessibility, please feel free to reach out to info@cvnc.org!
