A patrons experience when attending a venue is not only determined by the art, but everything else they see, hear, and touch from the moment they buy a ticket, or visit a website, until they leave the space. While the ADA is a set of complicated guidelines that can be difficult to adhere to, ultimately it ensures that a person with disabilities had the same opportunity to experience art.  With that in mind, there are also some opportunities to improve the experience that are not required by law but are simple to implement.  The best rule of thumb is to always choose what would make the experience as welcoming for a patron visiting that has a disability.

The ADA is a law that prohibits the discrimination of people with disabilities that was signed into law in 1990 and later amended.  We currently use the 2010 standards.  The ADA covers multiple areas of concern for arts organizations including the design of the venue, ticketing, mobility devices, service animals, and more.

There is an abundance of resources available to help organizations meet the requirements of the ADA law, and make the arts experience more enjoyable.

United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division – The official government site for the ADA.  This is a good resource if you are looking for the full text of the law or explanatory documents from the government.

LEAD – this is the resources page for Leadership Exchange for Arts and Disability.  There are tip sheets and more extensive documentation, as well as video to use as resources.

VSA – The International Organization on Arts and Disability a department at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

VSA Minnesota – The State Organization of Arts and Disability, a great resource for Minnesota Arts Organizations. Unfortunately, this organization is closing its doors soon. They are in search of other organizations to take one their programs.

What artist would want their work cut off from someone because a door is too narrow, or a website doesn’t have the information in a format that an interested person can find it? I’ve never met one.

It takes a little more time and attention to meet the requirements for ADA, but ultimately it will ensure your venue, and your art, is utilized and seen by more people. And that is what we all want.