Accessibility Resources & Opportunities
The Indiana Arts Commission (IAC) is committed to making our programs and panels accessible to all of our constituents. If you are an artist with a disability and need assistance with the application process, please call the community development manager associated with the grant program you are applying for and they will be happy to work with you to provide any assistance necessary. You may also contact, Kristina Davis, Community Development Manager and Accessibility Coordinator at kdavis-smith@iac.in.gov, or 317-232-1279 for accessibility questions or concerns.
March is Disability Awareness Month in Indiana
Each March, Disability Awareness Month is celebrated throughout Indiana. And given that adults and children with disabilities represent slightly more than 19 percent of Indiana's population, disability awareness is important for all of us.
Led by the Indiana Governor's Council for People with Disabilities, the goal of Disability Awareness Month is to increase awareness and promote independence, integration and inclusion of all people with disabilities.
The Council develops a unique theme for this annual event and produces campaign materials that are available free of charge to Hoosiers who want to help make a difference. This year's theme is "Celebrating Community."
Visit http://www.indianadisabilityawareness.org/ to access a resource library with different informational packets with specialized offerings to a variety of audiences. Packets include activities and events such as mayoral proclamations, art contests, and awareness campaigns in schools, businesses and government agencies.
you already have events planned honoring Disability Awareness Month? Spreadh the word and register your event in the Council's online event calendar here: http://www.indianadisabilityawareness.org/regevent.asp.
Fort Wayne Performance Group Provides Artistic Opportunities for People with Disabilities
The name Jesters may sound whimsical, but this performance and visual arts group is no joke and they take what they do quite seriously. 
Sponsored by the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne since it’s founding in 1978, Jesters was formed after two professors -Hal Gunderson and Bernie Solomon- saw an opportunity to connect students studying special education, people with disabilities and theater and the arts.
As Director of the Jesters, Allison Ballard wears a lot of hats. Not only does she shape the vision, funding and programs of the organization, Ballard also writes, stages, and directs the final show that takes place yearly.
"The fact that we create an original production instead of using productions that are already written and available is really significant," says Ballard.
The 40-member Jesters group learns and rehearses this production during meetings on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. September through March. Members are not required to audition and reside primarily in Allen, Huntington, Whitley and Wells counties, although anyone is welcome to join. The morning hours are spent rehearsing music, dance and theatre and afternoon hours are spent exploring visual arts activities.
ArtsWORK Indiana
The IAC supports and partners with ArtsWORK Indiana to provide more comprehensive resources for artists with disabilities who are interested in pursuing careers in the arts. Check out their website - http://www.artsworkindiana.org/ - for more detailed information.ArtsWORK Indiana has a Facebook fan page! Become a fan of ArtsWORK Indiana on Facebook today!
All ArtsWORK meetings take place on the fourth Thursday (except November and December) at 4:00 p.m. at VSA Indiana located in the Harrison Center for the Arts (1505 N. Delaware St., Indianapolis). For more information, visit our event calendar.
Friends interested in participating in the monthly ArtsWORK Indiana meetings in Indianapolis can call in toll-free. From anywhere in Indiana, just dial the 800 number below and, when requested, enter the access code (PIN) followed by the # sign on your dial. The Conference Access Information is listed below:
Begin Time: 4:00 PM Eastern Time
End Time: 5:30 PM Eastern Time
Phone Number: (800) 940-6112 or (812) 856-3600
Participant PIN: AWIndy# or 294639#
Alternate dial-in number: Those in the 812 area code may dail 812-856-3600 instead of the 800 number. This will incur no charges to you or to ArtsWORK. The PIN remains the same. Those in other parts of the state with unlimited long distance plans might consider dialing in at this number as well – it will extend our ability to accommodate more callers in the future.
The phone connection will be available for the ArtsWORK Indiana monthly meetings, courtesy of the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community. The phone and PIN numbers will remain the same each month, as will the meeting time.
ArtsWORK Indiana Creative Networks
Supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Arts and Disability Center at the University of California, ArtsWORK Indiana has expanded the Indianapolis model to satellite programs in Bloomington. For more information on the ArtsWORK Indiana satellite groups, click here, or continue reading for meeting information.
South Central ArtsWORK Indiana
Meetings: 5:30 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of the month at Bloomington City Hall
(401 N. Morton St., McCloskey Conference Room, 1st Floor)
Artist Facilitator: Nadine Pinede
Partner Organizations: Indiana Institute on Disability and Community; City of Bloomington
More information: http://www.artsworkindiana.org//index.php?pageId=159
ArtsWORK Indiana hosted Jill Skehan of Aspire Indiana Works at the June 24, 2010 meeting. Jill discussed Social Security benefits and how selling artwork affects these benefits. See below for the first segment.
This video is in three 10 minute segments. For the other two videos, please click on the links below.
Links for Individuals
http://www.artsworkindiana.org - ArtsWORK Indiana (AWI) is an informal, statewide group of people interested in improving arts-related professional opportunities and careers for people with disabilities. Participants include artists, as well as people involved in supporting opportunities for artists, such as rehabilitation professionals, college counselors, and arts administrators. Meetings are held monthly in Indianapolis. This site includes a more comprehensive list of resources for individuals.
http://www.vsai.org - VSA arts of Indiana (formerly Very Special Arts of Indiana) is a statewide nonprofit organization and an affiliate of VSA arts, an international educational program of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Since 1980, VSA arts of Indiana has offered a variety of programs and services designed to unleash the creative spirit and artistic gifts of people with disabilities. Congratulations to our friend, Gayle Holtman, on recently accepting the President/CEO position at VSA!
http://www.ahirc.org/ - The AHIRC database was created by The Actors’ Fund of America, with a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, as a health insurance resource for artists and people in the entertainment industry. Since then, with support from The Commonwealth Fund, it has expanded to include resources for the self-employed, low-income workers, the under-insured, the uninsured who require medical care and many other groups.
http://www.indybar.org/freelegal.cfm - Ask A Lawyer is the Indianapolis Bar Association's free legal advice program in which the public can talk face-to-face with an attorney to get answers to basic legal questions. Legal Line, also from the Indianapolis Bar Association, is an opportunity for those in need of basic legal advice to speak to a qualified attorney by telephone.
Links/Resources for Arts Organizations
Accessibility Self-Assessment Checklist - The Indiana Arts Commission's informal guide for applicant organizations. This checklist is neither a determination of your legals rights or responsibilities under the American Disabilities Act (ADA); the 1973 Rehabilitation Act, Section 504; nor binding upon any agency wtih enforcement responsibility under the ADA.
http://www.adaconferences.org/Ticketing/Archives/ - The Great Lakes ADA Center, a member of the ADA National Network in collaboration with the Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability (LEAD), a program of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts hosted five educational webinars tackling the difficult issues surrounding compliance with the 2010 ADA Regulations for accessible seating and ticketing. Great Lakes has archived the audio of all webinars and session materials at the link above. The focus is on arts venues but is applicable to other venues as well. [On September 15, 2010, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) published revised Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations to update and amend the provisions in the original 1991 ADA regulations. These 2010 Regulations include brand-new language regarding ticketing that has changed the way that arts organizations need to shape ticketing policy.]
http://www.nea.gov/resources/Accessibility/Planning/Step6.pdf - The Arts and Humanities Accessibility Checklist is designed to assist arts and humanities organizations in performing on-site evaluations of their organizations’ policies, programs, services and facilities. This process should help cultural groups to plan, budget and complete necessary access improvements to meet or exceed legal standards.
www.access-board.gov/508.htm - Any information technology related products or services purchased, used, or maintained by organizations that receive IAC grants must be compatible with the principles and goals contained in the Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards under Section 508 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794d), as amended. The Accessibility Standards can be found at this site.
http://www.graphicartistsguild.org/resources/disability-access-symbols/ - These disability access symbols are intended to help arts organizations advertise access services to customers, audiences, staff and other targeted publics. Advertisements, newsletters, conference and program brochures, membership forms, building signage, floor plans and maps are examples of material that might display these symbols.
http://nadc.ucla.edu/ - The National Arts and Disability Center at the Tarjan Center is the only one of its kind in the nation. They help advance the professional development of artists with disabilities. The NADC also provides guidance and education to arts venues on how to remove barriers that prevent people with disabilities from taking part in the arts community.
http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/ - the mission of the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community is to work with communities to welcome, value, and support the meaningful participation of people of all ages and abilities through research, education, and service.
Related Links
- Fort Wayne Performance Group Offers Artistic Opportunities for People with Disabilities
- ArtsWORK Indiana Forums are Both Resource and Support
- South Central ArtsWORK Indiana Helping to Forge a Stronger Arts Community
- Art Business Blooms for the Arc Artisans in Lebanon
