PEOPLE with Disabilities

Like many of you, this month Alliance for Audience submitted its grant application to the Arizona Commission on the Arts.

New this year was the requirement to submit a detailed Accessibility Plan.  And I’m particularly grateful to Margaret Fallon (AFA’s amazing ”Director of Everything that Needs Doing“) who researched and wrote our plan – and who worked closely with ARTability and the staff of the Arizona Commission on the Arts to craft something appropriate and useful to guide our continuing efforts.

Accessibility is truly a CORE function of any organization’s audience development undertaking.  This must NOT be just a document for the files.  Margaret has added an “Accessibility Moment” to our weekly staff meetings to keep us thinking, planning and acting upon our accessibility responsibilities.    

This week’s discussion topic was about remembering that when we communicate about someone who has a disability, it’s important to always talk about the PERSON first.  (I cringe, in retrospect, remembering a time when I heard one usher at a theatre call out to another, ”We got another wheelchair!” ) 

In case you weren’t prompted by the Commission’s grant process – please let me suggest that NOW is an opportune time to address your own accessibility plan.  We suggest starting here:   http://www.artability.org/mainmenu.html 

(And if you want to see the accessibility plan for Alliance for Audience & ShowUp.com – simply e-mail Margaret at MFallon@allianceforaudience.org and we’re happy to share.)