Everyone Has a Right to the Arts!
Approximately 16% of Maine residents have some type or level of disability. The Maine Arts Commission works to ensure that people with disabilities have opportunities to enjoy, participate in, and contribute to the arts.
We work with arts organizations and venues to help them understand their responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Architectural Barriers Act. We also help organizations strengthen outreach to disability communities, create welcoming experiences, and make effective use of assistive listening devices and other accessibility technologies.
More than anything else, the arts are about the spirit. Why do we sing, dance, or paint? We do so when words are not enough and the spirit takes over. It is the spirit that knows no walls, no curbs, no boundaries, and cannot be shackled. Understand that, and you understand why a woman dances in a wheelchair, a deaf man takes to the stage and tells a story with his hands and face, or a man with no sight sings the blues.
Four Reasons for Inclusion
There are many compelling reasons for arts organizations to include artists and audiences with disabilities:
Untapped Audiences
Including the disability community can positively affect your organization and broaden your audience. When audiences with disabilities feel welcome, word can spread that your organization is a place where people can experience the arts and participate fully in community life.
Untapped Skills
Artists with disabilities bring artistic skills that can enliven communities, along with perspectives and problem-solving abilities that can enrich programs and strengthen organizations.
Diverse Perspectives
Artists and audiences with disabilities bring valuable perspectives to arts organizations. Experiencing the world from different viewpoints can add meaning, power, and value to an organization’s artistic work and community engagement.
It’s the Law
The Americans with Disabilities Act requires public accommodations, including arts venues, to provide appropriate access and reasonable modifications for people with disabilities.
Maine Arts Commission Grantee Responsibilities
Activities supported by Maine Arts Commission grants must be held in accessible spaces. Program accessibility and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act are part of a grantee’s responsibilities.
Organizations applying for Maine Arts Commission funding must also maintain a National Endowment for the Arts Section 504 Self-Evaluation Workbook or equivalent accessibility assessment. The assessment should be maintained on file with the organization for three years following receipt of funding.
As part of the application process, applicants sign an Assurances Form committing to accessibility and ADA compliance. Similar language is included in the grantee’s signed Letter of Agreement, which is required before payment of an award.
Accessibility Assessment and Planning
Arts & Culture Accessibility Hub
The Arts & Culture Accessibility Hub provides accessibility resources developed specifically for arts and cultural organizations. Its tools can help organizations evaluate current practices, identify areas for improvement, develop accessibility plans, and better understand their responsibilities under the ADA and Section 504.
Accessibility Self-Assessment
The Hub’s free, self-paced Accessibility Self-Assessment helps arts and cultural organizations examine accessibility across organizational practices, physical spaces, services, communications, and programming. Organizations can use the assessment to better understand what is working well and where additional planning or improvements may be needed.
Additional Accessibility Resources
National Endowment for the Arts Accessibility Resources
The National Endowment for the Arts provides accessibility guidance and technical resources for artists and organizations working to make programs, services, and facilities accessible and inclusive.
State of Maine Accessibility Resources
The State of Maine provides information about digital accessibility policy, state and federal accessibility laws, and resources for creating accessible digital information and services.
New England Foundation for the Arts
The New England Foundation for the Arts supports accessibility work and connects arts organizations with regional accessibility resources and programs.
Design for Accessibility
Design for Accessibility: A Cultural Administrator’s Handbook provides guidance for cultural organizations working to make programs and facilities more accessible to people with disabilities.
State of Maine Grievance Procedure
Review the State of Maine’s policy and grievance procedure related to access for people with disabilities.
State of Maine Policy on Access for People with Disabilities and Grievance Procedure (PDF) ⇒
Accessibility Information
For information about the Maine Arts Commission’s current accessibility policies, our work to advance digital accessibility, or assistance accessing website content, grant guidelines, or applications, please contact ADA Accessibility Coordinator Eli Cabañas by email at vog.eniam@sanabac.ile or by phone at 207-215-5872.
It is the policy of the Maine Arts Commission not to discriminate on the basis of disability. The Commission is dedicated to making our programs accessible and inclusive for people with disabilities and assisting individuals with disabilities in connecting with resources for access to the arts. All programs funded by the Maine Arts Commission must also be accessible.