CULTURAL ACCESS
VARIABILITY IS THE NORM
Through our Cultural Access work we conduct research, create tools, and provide training to help staff from cultural organizations develop policies, practices, and programming that encourage meaningful inclusion and participation by people with disabilities.
the ARTS & CULTURE accessibility hub
The Arts & Culture Accessibility Hub, a project of Open Door Arts, is a free resource to help organizations transform access intentions into action. Co-created by a majority-disabled team of cultural access experts, the Hub is an easy-to-use platform offering tools, training, and guidance to help strengthen organizational accessibility and create connections to the community. The Hub features:
- A robust Self-Assessment Tool to understand your current accessibility
- Practical guides and templates for creating an Accessibility Plan
- Information and resources covering 50+ accessibility topics rooted in disability-centered practice and grounded in legal compliance
- Training and certification opportunities to improve your practices
- Experts and peer communities to share support and insights
- Stunning artwork from 40+ disabled artists featured throughout the site
TOWARDS A CULTURE OF ACCESS PARTS i & ii
In partnership with Mass Cultural Council, Open Door Arts has published the “Towards a Culture of Access: Part I & II” reports–– a two-part publication on the state of accessibility in the arts and culture sector in Massachusetts.
Part I was published in 2022, and shared the perspectives of approximately 100 arts and culture organizations, including an assessment of their accessibility, and their perspectives on what’s getting in the way and what could help them improve. Part II, published in 2024 adds the critical perspectives of over 250 people with disabilities (including artists and cultural workers) as well as caregivers and service providers. Their responses help us understand their experience when engaging with arts and culture organizations, their hopes, and a call for a more accessible arts and culture sector. Together, the data from these reports show a more complete picture of the accessibility of our sector from the perspectives of both individuals and organizations.
TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Open Door Arts provides training and support to help staff, administrators, and educators in Arts/Culture and Education organizations to ensure their policies, practicies, programming, spaces, and instruction are welcoming and inclusive to partrons, artists, employees, participants and students with disabilities. We customize the content and format of our tranings to support front of house staff, ushes, educatos, docents, administrative staff and leadership. We offer additional consultancy opportunities to provide targeted services such as supporting with Self-Assessment and transition plan development, developing toos and documents including preview guides and intake forms and connecting organizations to user expers. We customize our offerings to meet the specific needs and goals of our partners, providing a wide menu of choices including one-time workshops, day-long sessions, and long-term professional learning communities that are available both in-person and online.
Who We've Worked With:
- American Repertory Theatre
- ArtsEmerson
- Boston Public Schools
- Concord Carlisle High School
- ICA Boston
- Boston Children’s Museum
- Celebrity Series of Boston
- Mass. Cultural Council Universal Participation Learning Network
- Museum of Russian Icons
- Lesley University
- New Arts Center
- New Repertory Theatre
- VSA International
- Worcester Art Museum
- Segerstrom Center for the Arts
- Wheelock Family Theatre at Boston University
- Worcester Public Schools
The impact is already being felt in our classrooms. We now have a common language and a common set of practices, which I know will support us in creating safe and creative spaces for all our students!" - Wheelock Family Theatre at Boston University
Open Door Arts consistently thinks of every detail that honors the time and effort our teachers put into supporting our students. They have provided rich experiences, an unbreakable culture of sharing and a professionalism that has exceeded our expectations." - Visual Arts Liaison, Worcester Public Schools
Let's Work together
As a leader in the field of inclusive practices, we have more than 40 years of experience working with individuals and organizations to promote the arts and inclusion. We would love to learn more about you and partner with you to accomplish your goals! Email to connect.
