Accessibility Resources for Artists
"I refuse to allow a disability to determine how I live my life." - Christopher Reeve
Assistive Listneing Devices for People with Hearing Loss - A Guide for Performing Arts Settings (PDF document - 973 KB)
Disability Statistics
Online resource for Disability statistics. Access comprehensive, up-to-date U.S. disability statistics via graphs and charts, tables, and written descriptions. This web site condenses several data sources into a single, user-friendly, accessible internet resource. It also provides essential background information on key issues related to disability statistics.
Organizations that Assist Artists with Disabilities
Educational, artistic, employment and financial resources for artists with disabilities.
National Forum on Careers in the Arts for People with Disabilities
The June 14-16, 1998 conference was the first-ever of its kind.
The Maine Arts Commission and VSA arts of Maine recieved funding in 2007 from the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Arts & Disability Center at UCLA Medical Center to conduct "The Art of Working. Working in the Arts: Maine Forum on Careers in the Arts for People with Disabilities" which was held at the Holiday Inn by the Bay, Portland on April 6, 2007.
Registry of Interpretors for the Deaf, Inc. (RID)
A national membership organization of professionals who provide sign language interpreting/transliterating services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing persons.
To locate an American Sign Language interpretor, go to http://filemaker.rid.org/default.htm#isa.
VSA arts of Maine
Formerly Very Special Arts, VSA arts of Maine is a nonprofit organization that provides educational arts opportunities by, with and for people with disabilities and at risk. Founded over 20 years ago by Jean Kennedy Smith as an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, VSA offers programs in music, dance, drama, literature, creative writing and the visual arts. VSA arts of Maine demonstrates that the arts are integral to the creation of meaningful learning experiences and fulfilling lives. Contact VSA arts of Maine to request reference materials, bibliographies and people you can contact within Maine.
Related articles on the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) website:
The Secret Community: Disability and the American Theater
Victoria Ann-Lewis, actor and writer, talks about her experiences in nonprofit theater.
The Non-Traditional Casting Project (NTCP)
Sharon Jensen, Executive Director of NTCP, gives an overview of the organization's work for diversity in theater.
