23 NATION Visually impaired people may obtain a cassette recording of the Arts 504 Handbook by writing or calling: Music Section National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped The Library of Congress Washington, D.C. 20542 202/287-9254 For sale by the Superindent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington. D.C. 20402 Credits This book was commissioned by the Office for Special Constituencies of the National Endowment for the Arts and produced by Barrier Free Environments, Inc. National Endowment for the Arts Frank Hodsoll, Chairman Kate L. Moore, Director Office for Policy, Planning, Research and Budget Project Director: Paula Terry Office for Special Constituencies Barrier Free Environments, Inc. Author and Editor: Betsy Laslett Architectural Consultant: Ronald L. Mace, AIA Designers: Leslie Young and Peggy Melin Reviewers Ann Backus, The Wolf Organization, Inc.; Cambridge, Mass. Kathy M. Ball, Lafayette Natural History Museum and Planetarium; Lafayette, Louisiana Eugene Bergman, Gallaudet College; Washington, D.C. Jacqueline Ann Clipsham, Artist; Brooklyn, New York Terri Jones, Mark Taper Forum; Los Angeles Janet Kamien, The Children’s Museum; Boston Elaine Ostroff, Adaptive Environments Center; Boston Mary Jane Owen, President’s Committee on Employment of the Handicapped; Washington, D.C. Charles K. Steiner, The Metropolitan Museum of Art; New York Sources Chapter 1, “The 504 Regulations,” is reprinted from 504 and the Visual Arts, a publication of the National Endowment for the Arts. Minor changes have been made to update materials. Chapter 3, “Audience Development and Staff Training,” is reprinted from Is There Life After 504? by Janet Kamien, published by the Children’s Museum, Boston, 1980. With the permission of the author and publisher, minor changes have been made so that the information applies to ah arts groups. Illustrations are copyrighted by Barrier Free Environments, Inc. Raleigh, North Carolina. Reprinted by permission. nnTioriRL EnDDiumEnT FDR THE HRTS LURSHiriGTDn D C. 2DBDE A Federal agency advised by the National Council on the Arts Dear Reader, You are engaged in important work: helping the arts to thrive and progress, and helping to make art available to audiences in your community. Audiences of every dimension deserve the opportunity to enjoy art, and it is the mission of the National Endowment for the Arts to encourage broad accessibility: The Endowment’s programs are aimed at benefiting all people of the nation regard- less of sex, race, creed, national origin, handicap, age, or habitat (adopted by the National Council on the Arts, November 5, 1983). We at the Endowment are committed to this mission, but it is individuals and organiza- tions in the field who can really make full accessiblity a reality. As President Reagan noted in proclaiming National Arts With the Handicapped Week, 1984: Art flows from and nourishes the human spirit. Through art, we learn to understand ourselves and our potential. For disabled people, the creative experience — whether as artists, audiences, educators, or students — is an essential part of leading a full and productive life. It is an important means for the disabled to be integrated into the mainstream of educational and cultural programs as well. Therefore, it is critical that our cultural institutions, educators, and communities strive to assure that disabled people can participate fully in the arts. This publication is designed to assist you in complying with the Endowment's 504 Regulations by incorporating the needs of disabled people into your overall programming efforts. Special constituencies should become less special: we anticipate the time when it is commonplace to design arts environments and programs for all people. Many arts organizations, to their credit, have led the way in providing opportunities for everyone to enjoy the arts through careful planning and work with disabled people. It is my hope you will advance this progress in your community. We at the Endowment will continue to work with you. We need your help to these important ends. Frank Hodsoll, Chairman National Endowment for the Arts Table of Contents Chapter 1. The 504 Regulations 2 Introduction 2 Section 504: The Heart of the Rehabilitation Act 4 Highlights of 504 7 Ten Steps Toward Complying With 504 13 Questions and Answers About 504 Compliance Chapter 2. Access to Arts Programs 22 Introduction 23 Getting There 24 Accessible Route 25 Parking 27 Entrances and Doors 31 Interior Circulation 35 Verticle Circulation 40 Water Fountains 41 Rest Rooms 44 Telephones 44 Signage 44 Clear Floor Space and Work Surfaces 45 Controls and Hardware 45 Warning Signals 47 Being There 48 Communicating With Hearing Impaired People 51 Communicating With Visually Impaired People 53 Communicating With Learning Impaired or Mentally Retarded People 55 Taking Part 58 Where to Find It 60 Visual Arts 66 Performing Arts 72 Literary Arts 76 Media Arts 80 Design Arts 83 Meetings and Panels Chapter 3. Audience Development and Staff Training 86 Audience Development 87 Staff Training 91 Information about Disabilities 97 Conclusion: A Word to the Wise Chapter 1. The 504 Regulations 2 Statistics No one knows exactly how many people are handicapped. Government figures vary widely, from 30 to 50 million. The following statistics are drawn from several sources, including the National Center for Health Statistics in Rockville, Maryland. 11.7 million physically disabled (including half a million people in wheel- chairs; 3 million who use crutches, canes, or walkers; plus mobility im- paired elderly, amputees, and people with illnesses such as chronic arthritis, severe cardiovascular disorders, and cerebral palsy). 12.5 million temporarily injured (broken limb, injury to back or spine, severe burns). 2.4 million deaf 11 million hearing impaired 1.8 million blind 8.2 million visually impaired 6.8 million mentally disabled (retarded, severely emotionally disturbed, brain damaged, severely learning disabled). 1.7 million homebound (chronic health disorders, wasting diseases like multiple sclerosis). 2.1 million institutionalized (mentally disturbed, mentally retarded, terminal illness). Note: Some persons fall into more than one category. Allowing for this overlap, the U.S. Department of HEW estimated in 1979 that there are 35 million handi- capped U.S. citizens. Introduction to Chapter 1 When an organization makes application to the Arts Endow- ment or a state arts agency for a grant, it signs an assurance of com- pliance with certain Federal nondiscrimination laws, including Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. In signing this assurance, the prospective grantee agrees to comply with the 504 Regulations during the grant time period. This publication presents an overview of the Regulations and ways for arts groups to meet their responsibilities. Section 504: The Heart of the Rehabilitation Act Because of the advances in medical science, the number of people surviving disabling accidents and diseases has grown, and the proportion of disabled people in American society is increasing. The Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) estimated in 1979 that there were 35 million disabled citizens in the United States. It is believed that these numbers are increasing each year but a comprehensive study has not been conducted since 1979 to confirm this. Disabled people now seek equal opportunity in all federally supported programs and activities. In 1973, Congress enacted legislation that would eventually benefit all disabled citizens. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 included a provision, called Section 504, comprising a single sentence: No otherwise qualified handicapped individual in the United States... shall, solely by reason of his handicap, be excluded from the parti- cipation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimi- nation under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. At that time, the implications of this sentence were not fully understood, but now it is regarded as the vital core of the disability rights movement. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 contains four sections which address different aspects of equal opportunity for disabled people. The sections and their requirements are: Section 501: requires affirmative action in the hiring of disabled people by government agencies. Section 502: establishes the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board and gives the Board authority to enforce the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 in all federally funded facilities. Section 503: requires anyone receiving a contract or subcontract from the federal government in excess of $2500 to have an affirma- tive action plan for hiring qualified disabled people. Chapter 1. The 504 Regulations 3 Section 504: prohibits discrimination against disabled people under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. This new law took a giant step forward in its mandate for equal opportunity for disabled people. The law was passed in behalf of all people with disabilities and thus included blind, deaf, mentally handicapped and, as later interpreted by the Attorney General, drug addicted and alcoholic people as well. In order to provide for consistent government-wide enforcement, a Presidential Executive Order directed the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to coordinate the development of 504 Regu- lations by all federal departments and agencies that provide financial assistance to any program or activity. In 1977, the Secretary signed final 504 Regulations for HEW which initiated a process whereby every federal agency with statutory authority to provide financial assistance was required to draft 504 Regulations for their grantees. The National Endowment for the Arts was the third federal agency to issue proposed 504 compliance regulations on April 13, 1978. Final regulations became effective May 25, 1979. In November, 1980, the Department of Justice (DOI) replaced the Department of Health and Human Services (formerly HEW) as the lead and coordinating agency for all 504 Regulations. The Arts Endowment’s Office for Special Constituencies As early as 1973, the Arts Endowment had expressed its concern for making the arts accessible to all people, and in June, 1976, created the position of Coordinator for Special Constituencies. Initially the Coordinator was to act as full-time advocate to make the Endowment’s staff, panels, and grantees more aware of the needs of disabled people. The Office for Special Constituencies conducts an advocacy program to insure arts accessibility for disabled people, older people, veterans, gifted and talented students, and people in hospitals, nursing homes, mental institutions, and prisons. The Office provides information and technical assistance to its grantees on making programs available to special constituencies and on complying with the Endowment’s 504 Regulations. Through the Arts Endowment’s programs, the Office develops model project guidelines with the various Endowment programs for efforts that demonstrate the best ways to make the arts accessible to special constituencies. Each state arts agency has a 504 coordinator. This staff member is responsible for educating and assisting the agency’s staff and grantees on compliance with the 504 Regulations. Technical assistance materials are available from the state arts agency, the Endowment's regional representatives, or directly from the Office for Special Constituencies. (See also, Where Can I Get Help, p.19) Copies of 504 Regulations are available from: The Office for Special Constituencies National Endowment for the Arts 1100 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, DC 20506 General Counsel National Endowment for the Humanities Room 530 1100 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, DC 20506 Office for Civil Rights Department of Health and Human Services 300 Independence Ave., SW Washington, DC 20201 Office of General Counsel National Science Foundation 1800 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20550 4 Highlights of 504 . . . The arts are a right, not a privilege. ...No citizen should be deprived of the beauty and insights into the human experience that only the arts can impart. National Council on the Arts 1973 The major issue is accessibility with dignity. It is not enough to get into a building just any old way. I like to get into a building at the front with every- body else, where the rest of society gets in. Itzhak Perlman Violinist The regulations for Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act are not specific. They mandate equal opportunity and nondiscrimination but they do not tell arts organizations how to accomplish these goals. Instead, the regulations have been written to allow as much flexibility in compliance as possible. In most cases, accommodations for disabled people will require more imagination than expense, more innovation than equipment — an implicit challenge to arts professionals. The 504 Regulations do not require affirmative action employ- ment or barrier-free access to every floor in every building. Instead, they require that arts organizations assure program accessibility to disabled people. There are several substantial, subtle concepts underlying this 504 mandate. Program Accessibility The regulations mandate access to federally assisted programs and services. This means that an organization’s program when viewed in its entirety must be equally accessible to disabled people. This does not mean that every part of a program must be available. For example, a performance or tour program on Thursday need not have interpreters for deaf visitors if interpreters are available on Tuesday. However, providing separate or different programs is prohibited unless they are necessary to achieve equal opportunity. Where separate programs or activities must exist, disabled people still have the option to participate in any of the institution’s other programs or activities even though specific services are not provided. Likewise, non-disabled people may attend special programs. For example, a museum may design a tour specifically for mentally retarded visitors, but that tour must be open to everyone, just as the other tours must be open to the mentally retarded person. Architectural Barriers Removal, a resource guide is available from: Office of Technical Services A&TBCB Room 1010 330 C Street, SW Washington, DC 20202 Architectural Accessibility Access to programs does not mean that every comer of every floor in a facility must be made architecturally accessible to people in wheelchairs. For example, a museum need not provide access to an arts education program on an inaccessible upper floor if the same program is offered on an accessible lower floor. Public institutions often react to the 504 Regulations by running a survey of architectural barriers and estimating the cost of converting every square foot of every floor in every building. In most cases, modifications for total access are expensive and un- necessary. Instead, arts organizations should plan programmatically Chapter 1. The 504 Regulations 5 in conjunction with someone who knows how to solve access problems. When other methods for providing program access prove inadequate, structural modifications to the building may be necessary. The regulations require that building modifications meet the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Specifications, All 7.1 (1961, Rev. 1971), or equivalent. Arts organizations should note that the ANSI Specifications were updated in 1980 and this updated version has been incorporated in the 1983 Proposed Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards. These new standards provide a greater degree of flexibility in design and improve accessibility. Arts organizations which are recipients of federal assistance or which may become recipients should, when planning for construc- tion or leasing of new facilities, require that all areas meet the new standards for access in order to avoid potentially expensive modi- fications later. Accessible new construction is generally not more expensive when properly included at the concept state of design. Service Responsibility The regulations state that organizations are responsible for making necessary services available. Some disabled people will know where to find services or accommodations needed to make programs accessible and can provide good advice for disabled employees. State rehabilitation agencies, insurance companies, or consumer service organizations sometimes provide equipment and services. Often the service needs of disabled people can be minimized through a thoughtful change in policy or the purchase or donation of some assistive device. Self-evaluation An organization should have made its programs and activities accessible to disabled people prior to applying for Arts Endowment funds, and a self-evaluation is an invaluable tool for achieving this accessibility. It is strongly recommended that every organization conduct an evaluation of all policies, practices, and programs that are not currently equally available to disabled and non-disabled people. Disabled citizens and organizations representing them should participate in the evaluation process in an advisory capacity. Policies, programs, and practices include a wide range of activities. Policies include employment procedures, admission restrictions, unequal fee structures, or simply general institution policy toward disabled individuals. Programs include activities that an arts organization makes available to the public. These also include public conveniences, tours, benefits, travel accommodations, receptions, special events, lectures, seminars, and educational programs. Practices may include discriminatory attitudes or treat- ment by docents, guards, and ushers, inaccessible public announce- ments, or the lack of reasonable accommodations for disabled The ANSI A117.1 (1980) is available ($5.00) from: American National Standards Institute 1430 Broadway New York, NY 10018 The Proposed Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards are available from: Public Building Service General Services Administration 18th and F Streets, NW Washington, DC 20405 A Program Evaluation Workbook for cultural organizations is available from: The Office for Special Constituencies National Endowment for the Arts 1100 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, DC 20506 visitors or staff. (For more information on preparing a self-evaluation, see Step 7, p. 10.) Employment The 504 Regulations do not require affirmative action employment, but they do mandate arts organizations to judge applicants solely on the basis of their qualifications. In other words, a museum cannot deny qualified blind people positions as educators simply because they are blind. Similarly, a peforming arts center cannot deny qualified deaf persons positions as stage technicians simply because they are deaf. Arts organizations may choose other candidates whose qualifications for a particular job are better. If, however, the disabled candidates are best qualified, then they cannot be denied employment. Unless it causes undue hardship on the operation of the program, the organization must provide whatever services and facilities a disabled employee may need on the job in order to perform effectively. Nondiscriminatory employment procedures must also include accessible job applications and public notices of employment. For example, sign language interpretation for interviews (if requested in advance) should be available to deaf people, and notices of employment should be advertised on radio and in print. The job interviewer camiot ask disabled candidates to reveal their handi- capping conditions. However, the interviewer can ask all candidates if they have a physical or mental condition which limits their ability to perform the job safely or fulfill the requirements of the job. Enforcement The Arts Endowment has incorporated into its 504 Regulations enforcement procedures used under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. An investigation will be conducted when a complaint is filed against a recipient of federal funds. Arts organizations are responsible for self-evaluation and must develop their own plans for compliance before receiving funding. This planning is critical. Endowment applicants must attest that they will not discriminate against people with handicaps in any programs or activities receiving federal support. In addition, arts organizations should establish internal grievance procedures for disabled citizens in order to provide a mechanism for negotiating complaints locally. The regulations encourage organizations to seek the help of local disabled citizens when planning a compliance system. The understanding and perspective of disabled people can aid the organization in achieving accessibility effectively. Further, involving the local disabled community can help minimize the likelihood of complaints. Chapter 1. The 504 Regulations Costs The costs for complying with Section 504 will depend on the arts organization’s approach to the problem. Generally, the expenses will fall into two categories: captial costs for the removal of archi- tectural barriers and program costs for providing special services. Many arts professionals assume that the removal of architectural barriers will require large sums of scarce capital. However, not all architectural barriers have to be removed if an organization evaluates its programs and reschedules for maximum use of the most easily accessible spaces. The costs for making facilities accessible need not run high if changes are planned judiciously. The costs of providing services will also vary according to individual circumstances. Reducing these costs is a good reason for convening an advisory committee of local disabled citizens who know best about local suppliers and where bargains exist. In many cases disabled people are eligible for special services and equipment that can be used in an arts program (e.g., hearing amplification devices, transportation). Nevertheless, organizations will incur some costs for providing services. These can be reduced if local arts institutions share costs and services on a cooperative basis. In addition, the National Endowment for the Arts expects applicants to add service and program costs to their grant applications to make the proposed activity accessible. Ten Steps Toward Complying With 504 The 504 Regulations do not specify how arts organizations must conduct or coordinate a 504 compliance procedure. The process of compliance necessarily involves every aspect of the organization, and is the joint responsibility of board and staff. Careful planning and appropriate integration of the board of trustees, staff, and community in the process will facilitate compliance. Changes made in the program and the facility to accommodate the disabled population generally benefit everyone. The following ten steps are presented as a guide for arts organizations which are not now federal fund recipients but which, in anticipation of receiving federal funding, are preparing to comply. This planning process allows flexibility in adapting to local conditions and the local organization’s needs. Accessibility does not have to be expensive when considered in the con- text of regular program planning. Experience has repeatedly shown that accommodations designed to serve disabled persons generally improve the quality of programs for the broader public audience. In short, museums cannot afford not to make their pro- grams accessible to all visitors. Janice Majewski Smithsonian Institution Washington, DC American Council for the Arts works in partnership with more than 500 state and community arts agencies and with a growing number of individual ad- vocates for the arts. ACA also produces publications in- cluding Cultural Directory: Guide to Federal Funds and Services for Cultural Activities available for $8.95 from: Smithsonian Institution Press P.O. Box 1579 Washington, DC 20013 (202) 357-1793 For information on the ACA write: American Council for the Arts 570 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10018 8 We need the best arts managers to develop model projects that show effective ways to open up arts activities to people with various kinds of disabilities — those that can really deliver and demonstrate to the rest of the field how things can happen if they are carefully planned in con- junction with disabled people. What special constituencies and minorities don't need is someone who is going to do a sloppy job. Jerry Yoshitomi, Chairman Presenting Organizations Panel Inter-Arts Program National Endowment for the Arts Step 1: Designate a 504 coordinator from the staff and a liaison from the board. One staff member should be responsible for coordinating the 504 program, even if it is a part-time assignment. In addition, one board member should be responsible for working with the staff and coordinating the 504 plans with the board. The organization will probably want to keep a central file of 504 materials and cor- respondence in case complaints arise. The 504 coordinator should: • collect and maintain 504 Regulations and supplementary materials, correspondence, and documentation of the com- pliance procedure; • work with all departments affected by the regulations; • clarify staff and board responsibilities under 504; • administer the 504 program; develop and sign the self- evaluation document (see Step 7, p. 10), develop and implement grievance procedures, develop and maintain good working relations with disabled people and organizations representing people with disabilities. The 504 Regulations will affect virtually all programs; therefore, arts organizations can include part of the expense of a 504 coordinator in their budget requests under most federal grant programs. Step 2: Study materials on 504 and access to the arts. Since the neqds of disabled citizens vary, the 504 Regulations do not specifically tell arts organizations how to accomplish the goals of non-discrimination. Consequently, an arts organization may tailor its accommodations for disabled citizens to fit local needs and resources. For every accommodation, there are many choices. For example, in considering how to make program notes available to blind and visually impaired people, a performing arts organization could choose among the following: braille (expensive), tape cassette (less expensive), readers (possibly free or inexpensive), talking books (free), radio transcription by local agencies serving the blind and physically disabled (free). Local blind citizens will know which choice best suits their needs. Nevertheless, the coordinator should be aware of the various possibilities and their relative costs. The 504 coordinator and the board liaison should obtain and study the following materials: • 504 Regulations and all supplementary materials from the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities (its regulations also apply to the recipients of funds from the Institute of Museum Services), the National Science Foundation, and the Smithsonian Institution: Chapter 1. The 504 Regulations 9 • state and local codes and regulations on architectural acces- sibility and equal opportunity for disabled citizens, available through municipal planning departments; • publications about access to the arts, available free from the Office for Special Constituencies at the National Endowment for the Arts, (see list, p. 20); • The Directory of National Information Sources on Handi- capping Conditions and Related Services is available ($8.00) from Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402, Order No. 065-000-00142-0. • Federal Assistance for Programs Serving the Handicapped (free), Clearinghouse on the Handicapped, Office of Infor- mation and Resources for the Handicapped, Room 3132, Switzer Building, Washington, DC 20202-2319. Orientation of board and staff to 504 Regulations and discussion of their representative responsibilities should occur at this time. Step 3: Conduct a facility and program needs assessment. Develop a preliminary compliance plan and an organiza- tional impact statement. An early assessment of needs allows the organization to develop a well-integrated compliance plan which addresses specific needs. The organizational impact statement provides a process through which the preliminary compliance plan can be promptly integrated into the general functions and operations of the organization. The needs assessment should consist of an evaluation of all programs and their respective physical accessibility. For the com- pliance plan, not every program nor every floor needs to be accessible, but enough accessible programs and facilities must be provided so that disabled people have an equal opportunity to benefit from the organization’s program offerings, “when viewed in their entirety.” The organizational impact statement should discuss the impact that the preliminary compliance plan will have on administrative functions in the areas of general planning (including changes in the physical plant), program planning, budgeting, fund-raising, staffing, marketing, public relations, and board development. Step 4: Survey local disabled constituency. Preliminary contact should be made with the local organiza- tions representing disabled people. These should include service agencies, membership organizations of disabled people and parents of disabled children, independent living centers, schools, institutions, and rehabilitation units. These discussions serve three purposes: they alert disabled people to the organization's efforts to make programs accessible; they put the organization at the top of the list for supplementary services that local agencies can provide; and they familiarize the 504 coordinator with the local politics and conditions of disabled citizens. 10 I'm interested in people’s awareness of each other- all of their needs. All of the arts are to remind us of the values of life itself and our relationship to each other in it. When you listen to a symphony — and watch it — you see the total, dedicated discipline in every one of those muscians, so that the whole symphony plays as one voice. That kind of cooperation is what is so magical. Anybody can be a soloist. Celeste Holm Member National Council on the Arts Step 5: Prepare an informative presentation. Based on discussions with local organizations, the staff should prepare a presentation for disabled citizens. In many cases, disabled people, particularly adults, are not aware of the organization’s purposes and programs and are unaccustomed to visiting cultural activities in general. The presentation should include a brief history of the organization and the importance of its programs to the community, a review of the preliminary needs assessment survey, and an announcement of the 504 compliance program. The presenta- tion can be used in a variety of ways: in press announcements, in subsequent meetings with representatives of the disabled community, and in presentations to local organizations. Step 6: Select and convene an advisory council. At this stage, the 504 coordinator should have assessed the attitudes and interrelations of the organizations representing or serving disabled people. Members of an advisory council should include a representative from each category of disability. The coordinator may also consider seeking out some representatives from the most active organizations of disabled people — those most likely to file a 504 complaint against the organization. To ensure integration of the advisory council’s activities into day-to-day organizational concerns, members of the advisory council should include: staff at the decision-making level, the board liaison, and the 504 coordinator. The 504 coordinator should work closely with the board liaison to ensure that a review of the 504 compliance plan is on the agenda of board meetings. (See Step 7, below.) It is suggested that the board elect a disabled person to its membership. Depending on the organization’s structure and relations with the community, the 504 advisory council may become a subcommittee within an existing advisory council or may serve as a freestanding advisory body for a specified period of time. Nevertheless, the coordinator should maintain a review and advisory mechanism on accessibility. Disabled people are very concerned about having a part in the development of programs designed to serve them. Step 7: Study program and facility accessibility; conduct a self-evaluation. In subsequent meetings, the coordinator and advisory council may use the Endowment’s Program Evaluation Workbook (page 5) to study the organization’s programs in relation to the needs assessment. In many cases, this process will identify alternatives which make architectural or structural changes unnecessary. Examples of such alternatives are rescheduling classes, moving all or parts of exhibitions to accessible spaces, or scheduling events that circulate to at least one accessible space, possibly in another location. In order to complete Chapter 1. The 504 Regulations 11 the self-evaluation document, the advisory council will probably need to visit the organization’s programs, compile and analyze data pertaining to local resources, and study alternative methods and associated costs for achieving accessibility. The self-evaluation document should: • describe each of the organization’s current programs in terms of its accessibility to each kind of disability; • present program modifications which improve accessibility; • identify physical barriers that limit accessibility; • present suggestions which overcome those limitations; • describe employment practices (including methods of ad- vertising and recruiting); • analyze each building (including rented spaces) where program and administrative activities take place; • list accessibility requirements for public amenities (parking, telephones, water fountains, toilets, building guides, signs, restaurants, gift shops, etc.), and • establish grievance procedures for complaints. The self-evaluation document should contain the name, title, address, and telephone number of the person responsible for the document, e.g., the 504 coordinator. As the permanent record of the process of compliance, it should be kept with the organization's 504 materials. It will be useful in the event that documentation is ever required by a granting agency or court of law. Step 8: Prepare a transition plan. If all programs and public amenities are located in accessible spaces with proper services, then 504 compliance is theoretically accomplished with the self-evaluation statement. In certain cases, art facilities will require some form of structural modification, or programs will require relocation. These physical changes can be detailed in a transition plan drawn up by the coordinator and the advisory council. A transition plan may include: • identification of all physical barriers that limit program accessibility (e.g., small type on programs, no spaces for wheelchairs); • methods (including fund-raising) that will be used to make facilities accessible; and • a schedule for completion of steps necessary to achieve full program accessibility. Because this document contains plans for compliance which may involve both the program and the facility, it should be discussed in detail with the board’s planning, finance, and if necessary, fund- raising committees. After these discussions, the revised and refined version should be made available to the entire board. The board may take action on items involving major changes in program or facility. Accessibility Modifications (1976) is available for $2.50 from: Special Office for the Handicapped N.C. Department of Insurance Engineering Division P.O. Box 26387 Raleigh, NC 27611 12 Step 9: Solicit services and funding to implement transition. The 504 coordinator in conjunction with advisory council members should implement the transition plan. In many cases, structural accommodations or their equivalent can be accomplished without resorting to capital fund-raising. For example, curb cuts can be requested from city government; city planning departments often have capital funds for public accommodations (outdoor ramps connecting the sidewalks to the main entrance, for example); equipment purchased through amortized leasing agreements is an eligible budget item in some grant programs. Nevertheless some capital fund-raising may be necessary. Working with the administration and development office, the advisory council and the board may be able to identify new funding sources for capital improvements. Also, an arts organization supported by its local disabled community has a compelling argument for seeking funds from traditional sources. The organization can solicit additional support for its" fund-raising efforts from local schools, hospitals, institutions, and rehabilitation and community centers that stand to gain a cultural program if the organization’s facilities are made accessible. Step 10: Periodically review transition program. The 504 coordinator, the advisory council, and the board should periodically review and assess the organization’s progress toward its final program accessibility goal. Frequent reviews will not only assist the organization in completing its goals, but also will provide a mechanism for incorporating fresh thinking and improve- ments as the process develops. The coordinator should maintain files documenting the organiza- tion’s efforts, including all correspondence, notes, minutes of advisory council meetings, the self-evaluation document, and the transition plan. In addition, the 504 coordinator should handle requests for tours or special services, complaints about programs, or requests for documents pertaining to accessibility. Advisory council members should be urged to report the organization's progress to their friends and to organizations representing disabled people. The coordinator and the advisory council should conduct awareness and training programs for front line staff — especially docents, ushers, guards, tour guides, receptionists, switchboard operators, educators, and box office staff. The orientation of new board members should include orientation to accessibility issues and the compliance plan. 13 Chapter 1. The 504 Regulations Questions and Answers About 504 Compliance The following are the most frequent inquiries about 504 and methods for compliance. What organizations and programs are affected by the 504 Regulations? Any program that receives direct or indirect federal financial support must comply with the 504 Regulations. For example, arts programs supported by federal funds dispensed by a state arts agency must comply with 504. In addition, arts programs supported by municipal funds garnered from federal revenue-sharing must abide by the 504 Regulations. The concept is that any program or activity receiving any federal funding must comply with the regulations. In other words, an arts program must comply with all the 504 mandates and provide equal opportunity to all disabled citizens even if federal funds cover less than half the expenses. An organization receiving no federal support is not covered by the regulations. An organization receiving no other federal support except for a specific activity must make only that activity accessible. However, all the organization’s programs and activities are affected if federal funds cover any portion of overhead or general operating expenses. It is important to keep in mind that accessibility for disabled citizens is a civil rights movement. Any organization seeking ways to avoid equal rights for disabled citizens is denying people op- portunities to participate in the arts. Virtually every major public service is affected by the 504 mandate, and law suits involving equal opportunity in all public services are litigated daily. Arts groups are best advised to seize upon the 504 mandate as an opportunity to involve an enormous new audience. How is '‘handicapped person” defined? Under 504 Regulations, “handicapped person” is defined in three ways. First, it means any person who “has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities (functions such as caring for one's self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working).” In other words, only physical and mental handicaps are included. Consequently, environmental, cultural, and economic disadvantages are not covered nor are prison records or age. Of course, if a person has any of these characteristics and also has a physical or mental handicap, he or she is included within the definition of “handicapped person.” 14 Second, it includes any person who “has a record of such an impairment (has a history of, or has been misclassified as having, a mental or physical impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities).” This means people who have a history of a handicapping condition (e.g., mental or emotional illness, heart disease, cancer) but no longer have the condition, plus people who have been incorrectly classified as having such a condition (e.g., mentally retarded), are protected from discrimination under Section 504. Finally, it includes any person who “is regarded as having an impairment.” Primarily, this means treating people as though they were disabled. For example, a person may have a broken toe or minor limp that does not affect major life activities but is discriminated against because of the condition. Similarly, discrimination against people with disfiguring scars, or mental or emotional conditions is prohibited. If there are no disabled people in our community are we still required to make programs and facilities accessible? Section 504 requires that federally assisted programs and ac- tivities be available to qualified handicapped persons. Therefore, recipients of federal assistance must be ready to accommodate disabled persons even if there is no perceived present need for such accommodation. In the process of ensuring nondiscrimination, 504 requires certain actions that must be taken regardless of the presence of disabled persons who might benefit. This principle, however, does not mean that arts organizations must provide specific program accommodations when there are no disabled people present — brailled materials or sign language inter- pretation, for example. Rather, the principle means that the organization must place itself in the position of being able to provide accommodations in case disabled people make requests for services in the future. Therefore, every arts organization receiving federal financial support should make advance preparations for program accessibility, as outlined in the Ten Steps Toward Complying With 504, p. 7. How is a 504 complaint filed? There are many equally effective ways to file a 504 complaint against any organization that receives federal financial support. And any citizen may file a 504 complaint. However, it is best to file complaints with the Civil Rights Office of the federal agency providing financial support to the local organization. Many arts organizations receive funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the U.S. Department of Education, or the National Science Foundation. The Endowment Chapter 1. The 504 Regulations 15 expects that recipients will make every effort to resolve any allegations of noncompliance on an informal and amicable basis. When filing, include as much information as possible about the organization you are complaining about — especially the orga- nization’s chief administrator, address, and telephone number. Specify how the organization is inaccessible or how the program is unusable, and suggest ways in which you think’ the problem could be remedied. Also be sure to include your own address and telephone number. If specifically requested, the National Endowment for the Arts will keep information regarding the identity of a complainant confidential, to the extent allowed by law. What happens if a 504 complaint is filed against any program? A 504 complaint will not result in the immediate loss of federal support. The Arts Endowment’s Civil Rights Division will contact both parties when a 504 complaint occurs, ascertain the nature of the problem, and negotiate a reasonable compromise according to the law. For example, one 504 complaint was filed against a museum when a guard refused to allow a physically disabled visitor to go up a spiral ramp. The complaint was satisfied when the administration issued a memorandum to museum guards regarding treatment and accessibility for physically disabled people. If an arts organization unreasonably refuses to accommodate a disabled complainant, a responsible Arts Endowment official is required to make a prompt investigation when a possible failure to comply with regulations is indicated. Negotiations and remedial actions will follow the same procedures used in Title VI complaint situations. In all 504 complaint cases, the Civil Rights Office will look for good faith compliance with 504 Regulations and gestures of reasonable accommodation toward other disabled constituents. These would include the self-evaluation and related documents, documentation of the involvement of disabled people (such as minutes from an advisory council), correspondence files, and notices or communica- tions to disabled audiences. What is a grievance procedure? A grievance procedure is an established formal or informal system within an arts organization that identifies responsible staff persons, defines responsibilities, sets forth a clearly identified procedure, establishes criteria for judgment, describes hearing procedures, and sets time limits for negotiating differences between the organization and its staff or its users. It is a particularly useful technique for settling local or in-house differences without outside intervention. The National Endowment for the Arts has adopted a formal Complaints Complaints can be submitted to one of the following offices: National Endowment for the Arts Division of Civil Rights 1100 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, DC 20506 Department of Education Policy Enforcement Service 330 Independence Ave., SW Washington, DC 20201 National Endowment for the Humanities General Counsel’s Office Room 530 1100 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, DC 20506 Office of General Counsel National Science Foundation Washington, DC 20550 grievance procedure for its employees that may be used as a model for interested arts organizations. Copies are available from the Arts Endowment’s General Counsel’s Office or Division of Civil Rights. What is the difference between barrier free buildings and those modified for 504 compliance? A barrier free building is a structure containing no archi- tectural barriers — one in which all areas are accessible to disabled individuals. This includes, for example, at least one of all public conveniences on every floor usable by physically disabled people, raised letter signs for blind visitors, and audio-visual fire alarms and elevator signals for deaf and blind people. A building with 504 structural modifications is the result of a planning process that determined the minimum amount of con- struction necessary to make programs accessible. Consequently, the building need be accessible to disabled users only to the extent required to provide equal access to federally funded programs and activities. Remember, however, that any building which receives federal money for construction after September, 1969, and for leasing after 1977 must meet new standards for accessibility. Section 502 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act and later amendments place responsibility for those standards and their enforcement with the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (A&TBCB). To file a complaint about a federally funded building that is not accessible or for additional information write or call: A & TBCB Room 1010, 330 C Street, SW Washington, DC 20202. (202) 245-1801 (Voice/TDD) The A &TBCB also develops and distributes public awareness materials. What is an Assurance Form and how does it affect my organization? An Assurance of Compliance Form is sent to arts organizations with the notification of grant award letters from the National Endowment for the Arts or from their state arts agency. Before they receive any of the award, grantees must sign and return the form which states that the recipient organization is in compliance with Section 504. Specifically for state arts agencies or for organizations that sub-contract a significant portion of their grant to another organization, the 504 Regulations requires similar written assurances from their sub-grantees. To assure nondiscrimination in other organizations that provide programs or activities to beneficiaries, for example, labor unions or health maintenance organizations, a recipient should also request an assurance form. Chapter 1. The 504 Regulations 17 I realize that 504 means we have to do more for disabled people. May we set up a special program for them outside the current activities and satisfy the 504 mandate? Section 504 does not require, and in fact discourages, the creation of separate programs and activities for disabled people. The self-evaluation process analyzes all existing programs and activities of the recipient. Modifications in these programs and activities should be made to ensure, to the maximum possible extent, opportunities for full participation and integration of disabled people. The regulations prohibit separate programs for disabled people unless they are necessary to afford equal opportunity. (See Program Accessibility, p. 4.) Modifying existing programs is pre- ferrable to designing new programs which may create new barriers to a person’s ability to function in the “most integrated setting appropriate.” While it may be tempting to create new programs and take initiatives to “do something for the disabled,” the basic objective of Section 504 is to ensure full participation, a matter that may frequently require little more than an open mind. Where “doing more for disabled people” means separate, special, or restricted services and programs, it results in “doing less” by removing equal opportunity and freedom of choice. Overreacting to the Section 504 requirements will not work to the benefit of the recipient or its disabled beneficiaries and employees. Will insurance premiums go up, and don’t we risk greater liability if we hire disabled employees or encourage dis- abled visitors? Disabled people are no greater risks to themselves or to others than anyone else. Generally, disabled people may be a little more cautious than the general public. Most insurance companies do not assume a greater liability for their clients simply because disabled people are on the premises. And, because Workemen’s Compen- sation and Blue Cross and Blue Shield are group policies, the addition of an individual will not affect the policy as a whole. The 504 Regulations do not permit recipients to refuse disabled visitors the right to be carried to a program if they make their own arrangements. It would be wise, however, for a recipient organiza- tion to keep release forms ready for disabled people and their carriers to sign. In addition, a recipient should check with its insurance company to be sure that the policy covers liability if an accident occurs. Are consortia or cooperative agreements allowed or recommended under 504? Nothing in the regulations prohibits arts organizations from Years ago, many discussions with arts groups about accessibility for people with disabilities often led to comments like, “We do a special program for these people each year," or “We can't sacrifice quality.” I'm happy to report that our grantees have moved past these attitudinal barriers, through technical assistance and sensitivity workshops provided by the Michigan Council for the Arts. Arts organizations have progressed from “special programs” to making existing programs available to special constituencies. People with disabili- ties are serving on the governing boards and panels, and working as staff, artists or volunteers. However, there is still some reticence on the part of a few organizations to explore new approaches. Often this restraint reflects their attitude not only towards disabled people, but toward other minority populations as well. We must continue to work to bring these groups beyond that point — and make the arts open to everyone! Donniel Doster 504 Coordinator Michigan Council for the Arts forming cooperative agreements for the public benefit. Thus, if three performing arts centers decide to join together to offer an arts festival to all audiences, the arrangement would not violate 504. However, the arrangement would violate 504 if three centers set up a consortium in which one offered modem dance and another classical ballet, neither of which was accessible, and the third offered drama to disabled visitors. Similarly, performing arts centers cannot agree to an arrangement in which one serves blind people, another deaf people, and a third serves physically disabled people. Restricting disabled people to limited choices is the principal viola- tion in such agreements. Consortia may be most valuable when arts organizations band together to share costs, services, and expertise. Interpreter services for the deaf, brailling and audio transcription for the blind, or trans- portation and adaptive equipment for the physically disabled are examples of shared services. In addition, consultants can be hired to serve many organizations at once, and several institutions can purchase special items in quantity more cheaply than in small lots. Under the employment provisions of 504, what are reason- able accommodations for employees? Reasonable accommodations will in many cases simply mean having an open mind toward employees who use techniques not common to the general population but which are perfectly effective on the job. Employers are cautioned against assuming that different techniques mean inferior performance. The employer’s responsibility to accommodate disabled em- ployees may include modifying facilities, restructuring job require- ments or activities, modifying work schedules, purchasing or modifying equipment, reassigning offices or spaces, or providing readers or interpreters. There is, however, no requirement to alter essential functions, change the basic nature of a job description, or create a position that does not already exist. If reasonable accom- modations conspire to create an undue hardship for an employer, the failure to hire or promote a disabled person will not be considered discriminatory. What constitutes an “undue hardship” for an employer when providing reasonable accommodation? The 504 Regulations list the following factors: the overall size of the recipient’s program in terms of the number of employees, type of facilities, and size of budget; the type of operation, including the composition and structure of the work force; and the nature and cost of the necessary accommodation. It is expected that the “reasonable accommodation’’ and “undue hardship” concepts may cause difficulties for employers. However, the lack of definition in the terms leave employers as much room to Chapter 1. The 504 Regulations 19 maneuver as it leaves enforcement officials room for interpretation. In all cases, common sense and discretion should prevail. Cases in which complaints of employment discrimination are countered by pleading undue hardship will be determined mostly according to “fair play” concepts. Employers should always seek advice of disabled employees and legal counsel when issues of reasonable accom- modation and undue hardship arise. Does nondiscrimination against drug addicts and alcoholics mean that we must allow drinking and drug use on the job? Absolutely not. Alcoholics and drug addicts must abide by all rules and regulations applied to all employees. The principal op- erating factor is not to single out alcoholics or drug users for dis- crimination or special rules that are not applied to everyone. What are my obligations to communicate with disabled citizens? The 504 Regulations require that recipients make certain that information about programs, activities, services, and employment opportunities is regularly and adequately communicated to disabled people. Also, those who recruit employees for the recipient must be aware of the modifications that have already been made (or would be made) in programs for any disabled persons interested in taking advantage of such opportunities. Obviously, such communications must be made in forms that are appropriate for different disabilities. Recipients must create the opportunity for full participation for disabled people, but full participation will not be achieved unless this opportunity is well communicated. Blind individuals may or may not wish to take advantage of readers, but they must know that such a service exists (or would exist); deaf persons may or may not wish to take advantage of interpreters made available by the recipient but they must know that such a service exists (or would exist); people with mobility impairments may or may not wish to take advantage of special parking arrangements, but they must know the arrangements exist. For more information on communication objectives and tech- niques, see Being There in Chapter 2, and Audience Development in Chapter 3. Where can I get help? Local disabled people are the best source of help when deciding what kind of accommodations are best suited for your community. The Office for Special Constituencies at the National Endowment for the Arts has a series of technical assistance publications and audio-visual materials on making the arts accessible to disabled A variety of access materials are available from: The National Committee, Arts with the Handicapped Education Office Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Washington, DC 20009 (202) 332-6960 (202) 293-3989 (Voice/TDD) 20 The following materials are available from: Office for Special Constituencies National Endowment for the Arts 1100 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, DC 20506 • list of additional technical assistance publications and materials, • names and addresses of 504 coordinators in state arts agencies, • names and addresses of Endowment regional representatives, • list of model projects for special constituencies, • materials on access for older Americans. A guide for accessibility for historic buildings, Access to Historic Buildings for the Disabled, is available from: National Park Service 1100 L Street, NW Washington, DC 20240 (202) 343-9576 people. Project staff will also answer the individual inquiries from arts organizations with unusual problems. For on-site assistance, the Arts Endowment’s regional repre- sentatives can help arts organizations within their region. In addition, the director or a 504 coordinator in each state’s arts agency can supply materials to arts organizations within a state or territory and provide assistance. How does 504 affect historic properties? If access is judiciously planned, compliance with the 504 Regulations need not affect historic preservation adversely. 504 mandates program accessibility — not unnecessary architectural modifications. Adding anachronistic ramps to a colonial facade is not the only answer to program accessibility. Historic properties should explore all alternative means of program accessibility before altering a building’s historic character or architectural integrity. Suggested alternatives include reassigning programs to accessible spaces within or outside the historic property, or assigning aides to help handicapped visitors through an inaccessible facility. Working with local disabled people, a number of historic museums have experimented with alternative methods during the past several years. For example, re-enactments of historic events that are presented in inaccessible spaces may be videotaped and shown in an accessible location. Videotaping has proved valuable for all audiences and acceptable to local disabled citizens. Other methods include models, dramas, slide presentations to show the portions of buildings that are inaccessible, and a variety of ar- chitectural techniques that make the lower floors of buildings accessible without altering their historic character. Adapting Historic Campus Structures for Accessibility is available for $5.50 from: Association of Physical Plant Administrators Publication Secretary 1446 Duke Street Alexandria, VA 22314-3492 (703) 684-1446 Chapter 2. Access to Arts Programs Introduction to Chapter 2 As a recipient of federal funds, you are required to make your arts programs available to disabled people. This availability applies to everyone connected with the program — staff, performers, and volunteers, as well as audience, participants, or visitors. This chapter is the "how-to” part of the book, and will give you guidelines which can be applied to all arts programs as well as specific suggestions for five arts disciplines. The chapter is divided into three parts, Getting There, Being There, and Taking Part. Getting There discusses architectural accessibility and em- phasizes provisions for people with mobility disabilities. The next part, Being There, is about communication techniques and focuses on the needs of people with visual, hearing, or learning impairments. Getting There and Being There apply to all facilities and programs receiving federal assistance and should be read by everyone. The third part, Taking Part, is organized according to arts disciplines — visual, peforming, literary, media, and design arts. In Taking Part, you should read the introduction and the section that best applies to your arts program. These five, discipline-based sections present ways to look at facilities, activities, events, or per- formances in order to see their architectural or communication components. When accessibility problems are broken down into their component parts, solutions can often be found in Getting There or Being There. Suggestions for solving other problems specific to each arts area are presented as special topics throughout the chapter. Whereto Find It, (p. 58), lists all the special topics presented in Chapter 2. A sixth section on planning meetings follows the five sections on the arts areas. It lists all the information in the book which pertains to meetings and panels. Although each arts program belongs to one of the five arts areas, there is much overlap between them. For example, anyone running an arts festival should read the performing, visual, and design arts sections if the program includes plays, concerts, and a tour of historic downtown. A theater group using its lobby as an art gallery would need to know about access to the visual arts as well as to the performing arts. Getting There Making arts programs accessible may not require making all of a building accessible — but somewhere along the way you are sure to have to answer the question, “Can disabled people use this arts facility well enough so that they have the same access to all of our programs as our non-disabled participants, employees, and volunteers?” If your program is located in a new or newly remodeled building, it should, at the very least, comply with the ANSI Specifications A117.1 (R1971). (See Architectural Accessibility, p. 4). In addition, it must comply with state and/or local accessibility standards. Even if the building complies with the standards, it is a good idea to survey the building for possible areas that may not work well for disabled people. Many arts programs are housed in older buildings, or buildings that were originally designed for some other use, and these buildings may be inaccessible. In examining your facility for architectural accessibility, you must consider every person who is in any way connected with your program. Can your audience, visitors, performers, staff, and volunteers all get to where they need to be? For example, can your program accommodate a deaf lighting designer or an actress with leg braces and crutches, or a visually impaired box office manager, or a lecturer in a wheelchair, or a drama critic with a broken leg? The following material offers the arts administrator or 504 coordinator ideas about solving the architectural accessibility prob- lems which they discover. This section is not comprehensive and it is not a building standard. It presents some solutions and approaches to common problems while describing generally accepted standards by which you can judge your building’s accessibility. For complete coverage of requirements, use either ANSI A117.1 or the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards. Even if your permanent programs are in an accessible building, you may find that you occasionally use facilities that are not accessible. For temporary functions like arts festivals, circulating exhibitions, or special performances, you may need temporary solutions to ramp a set of stairs, by-pass a curb, provide usable restrooms, or improve signage. Some of these temporary solutions are suitable for ultra low-budget programs that simply cannot afford to do anything better. If you are planning to build or remodel, this section will guide you to areas that need particular attention. However, the work should be done by an architect who is fully aware of all applicable accessibility standards and is truly sensitive to the environmental needs of disabled people. 24 1. Accessible Route An accessible route is a con- tinuous, level, smooth, hard sur- face pathway at least 36" wide which has no curbs, steps, stairs, or abrupt changes in level greater than 12". No object should pro- trude into the clear space of the route at any height. (See Protruding Objects, p. 33.) An accessible route provides a safe and usable path for people who use wheelchairs, crutches, braces, canes, or walkers, or who walk with difficulty, or who have respiratory or heart problems, or other conditions that limit stami- na or mobility. It is also safer and easier for visually impaired people to follow. Accessible routes are part of site circulation as well as circula- tion inside the building. The same criteria apply to both interior and exterior locations. In surveying walks, paths, cor- ridors, and floor surfaces for suit- ability as accessible routes, look for small changes in level, steps, and protruding objects. Any vertical change in level or bump greater than 1/2" can pre- vent some disabled people from using the accessible route. Small changes in level can be ramped with a wedge-shaped piece of wood. Curbs must be ramped. If there are steps in the only available route, you can install a ramp or a mechanical lift. An exterior acces- sible route should be free from sand, gravel, wide gratings, debris, or anything that could trip people or make an unstable or uneven surface. A Hazard at Small Changes in Level Correcting Small Changes in Level Exterior Accessible Route Chapter 2. Access to Arts Programs : Getting There 25 Accessible Parking Spaces I 2-' -<£> H or Temporary Accessible Parking 2. Parking Parking Spaces Mobility impaired drivers need parking spaces which are 12 '-6" wide, or 8 feet wide with a 5 foot access aisle between them. These spaces should be marked by an above ground sign as reserved for handicapped people. A sign painted on the pavement is not sufficient. Temporary handicapped park- ing spaces can be designated in streets or where parallel parking exists as long as there is a driveway or curb ramp which will allow a disabled driver to exit on the street side and get up the curb. Spaces can be temporarily marked with tape to designated sizes and a sign can be erected. Ready-made signs are available from sign companies and city/ state traffic departments and highway departments. Signs directing people to an accessible entrance should be provided. Temporary Accessible Parallel Parking International Accessibility Symbol 26 Off-site Parking If off-site parking is available, determine if there is an accessible route of travel from the off-site parking to the entrance of your facility. Accessible Route From Off-Site Parking Cto/QA_ acjuz&Mc' (LluAp Passenger Loading Zone Passenger Loading Zone A passenger loading zone should have at least 4 feet of clear space beside the vehicle for pull-up space. The passenger loading zone should be on an accessible route to the building. Curbs at passenger drop-off zones should be ramped. If no curb ramp is provided, a temporary ramp can be installed. Temporary Wood Curb Ramp 1 in \fL nwitvium -j j- 'Z'higjh curb each ribbed rubber Writ to ply wood fettW edae ib . elmmteawt vtfueal if a temporary cr fwfablA provided, it^tould b eancwxtd in face, to prevent- edtf&Mtexttm '/ 4 '//mix 1 T~ Chapter 2. Access to Arts Programs : Getting There 27 Existing Building Straight Run Ramp Switch-back Ramp Earthwork Bridge Other Entrance Locations When existing main entrances are difficult to modify for accessi- bility or where modifications would seriously damage the appearance or historic value of a structure, a window or other door close to 3. Entrances and Doors An entrance to a building should be approached by a smooth, flat or gradually sloping surface. An ac- cessible route should connect park- ing areas, drop-off zones, public transportation stops, or other build- ings with the building entrance. (See requirements for Accessible Route, p. 24.) If existing buildings have entrance floor levels above or below ground level, modifica- tions for access may require in- stallation of ramps, bridges, mech- anical lifts, or changes in the shape of the land to provide a smooth, gradually sloped surface. Ramped Entrances Most building standards specify ramps with a maximum slope of 8.3% which is 1 foot of rise for every 12 feet of horizontal run. Consequently, the ramp for a 4 foot rise must be at least 48 feet long plus the length of at least one level platform (5 feet). Long ramps can be handled in a variety of ways: straight run, switch back, or L-shaped. How- ever, level entrances are always preferred to ramps. In some in- stances, particularly in historic buildings, earth fill to change the entrance level may be the best solution. Also, interior ramps are always preferred to exterior ramps. Sometimes it is less expensive to build a ramp down to a lower level rather than constructing a ramp up to an upper level. 28 Temporary Ramps at Steps If steps have a total rise of no more than 30", a temporary wood ramp can accommodate disabled people. Exterior plywood and treated lumber should be used. A rubber mat surface is recom- mended, but it should be fully glued in place. Ramps more than 6" in height must have handrails as shown. Ramps can, of course, be built over steps more than 30' ' in height, but since they must be 12 feet long for each 1 foot of rise, they become impractical as temporary facilities. Long ramps also require level rest platforms 5 feet long every 30 feet. Lifts at Steps If steps exceed 30" in height or if there is not enough space to install a ramp, a mechanical wheel- chair lift might be installed. Such lifts are available from several sources and they can be per- manently installed or temporarily located with a movable metal bridge to go over the steps. Temporary Ramp for Steps up to 30" ?-o dear between hand ml Is handrails on bdth should extend l'-o M horizontally Ot top -j textured rubber mai to plywood ramp wax Chapter 2. Access to Arts Programs : Getting There 29 Doorways and Thresholds Adult wheelchairs are 27" to 32" wide. Doorways, therefore, should be a minimum of 32" clear when the door is standing open. Most exterior doorways are 36" wide, but interior doors are often narrower. All doorways need a 5 foot by 5 foot level and clear area on the pull side. The door should have a kickplate and lever-type handle. Thresholds should slope and not be more than 1/2" high. Weather stripping at the bottom edge of the door is preferred. Door closers can be adjusted or removed so doors will open more easily. In temporary situations only, doors with a clear opening as nar- row as 28" can be used by some disabled people. A narrow door can be used only if the door can stand open by itself and if there is Revolving Doors Many disabled people cannot use revolving doors or turnstiles. If either exists in an arts facility, there must be a route around them or disabled people cannot enter the building. Often there is an ordinary door for emergency exit only next to a revolving door. These exit doors are usually not operable from the outside but they can be converted to be used as an entrance. If a swinging door is not located near a revolving door, look for another entrance. If another en- trance provides access for disabled people, a sign should be posted at the revolving door directing people to the usable door. 32" Minimum Clear Width the door to allow a person using a wheelchair to line up with the opening before passing through it. Sometimes interior doors can be removed to gain a few more inches of clearance when privacy, security, and ventilation require- ments allow. Auxiliary Entrance for Revolving Door derm/ operable- frcw. owteicle. Ww/Srif oeA t>£s locked. Clear Space to Side of Door Disabled people may use east entrance on Main Street 30 Double Door Vestibule The more doors an entrance has, the more likely it is that disabled people will need as- sistance. Double door vestibules with limited manuevering space can trap disabled people who use wheelchairs. There should be at least 4 feet between the second door in its open position and the first door. The best entrance for disabled people is one which has power operated doors. As a temporary solution, the inside or second door can be removed or propped open. Double Door Vestibule at Entrance Power Operated Door at Entrance iv operated doors cun^ omA safetu mats as wetl as quot'd rails Wt of 'tfA£'db&'r t& 'preueut' hit ty -Hie. opeui iVv^ 4jtx*r- If s^nmirq Vovjw _ 4-he. activ^T'ii'vq avA paf&fu w.ats as wet l as 4 l eKhevuk-wet/l ua yvoW-f- of 5 uom -^tsvv 1 bec<4jjj Chapter 2. Access to Arts Programs : Getting There 31 Interior Accessible Route 4. Interior Circulation This section covers problems in horizontal circulation on any given floor. It does not cover the problem of getting from one floor to another which is discussed in the next section on vertical circu- lation. The changes in level covered by this section are no more than 1 or 2 feet. Interior Accessible Route Inside a building, people should be able to move about using a continuous pathway that is level, firm, unobstructed, and at least 36" wide. If possible, provide seat- ing along the way for people who need to rest. The accessible route is not necessarily the shortest route; some people may want to know the shortest way, even if it has a step or two. See also Acces- sible Route, p. 24, and Protruding Objects, p. 33. 32 Clearance for Aisles Disabled people who use mo- bility aids such as wheelchairs, walkers, or crutches and braces require more space in which to maneuver. The average adult-sized wheelchair uses about 30" x 48" of floor space. Because at least 4 feet is required for a person in a wheelchair and a walking person to pass, and 5 feet for two people in wheelchairs to pass, it is recom- mended that all aisles be a mini- mum width of 5 feet. Interior Changes in Level Abrupt changes in level are one of the most common problems for disabled people in buildings. Small changes in level up to 6" in height can be eliminated by using wedges or small ramps similar to those on page 24. A series of steps might require a ramp or lift. Interior Ramps. The best solu- tion to interior changes in level is a permanent ramp. Finish material can match surrounding materials but the ramp surface should be textured rubber and not carpet. Such ramps can be expensive but a permanent installation will be used by many and is an advantage in moving exhibits, equipment, and the like. Temporary Ramps. For tempor- ary situations, wood ramps with substantial metal handrails on each side and a textured rubber surface can be used. Portable metal ramps are another temporary solution. These folding lightweight ramps have small curbs and no handrails, and they should not be used by disabled people without assistance. If provided, they should not be left in place unattended. Clearance for Aisles Clear Floor Space < — ) yvwll ntfimtc* tewd ra\le taftnrai ftor Portable Metal Ramp Temporary Wood Ramp Chapter 2. Access to Arts Programs : Getting There 33 Vertical Lift lift infer- tap and kvlbtn level to i'CMCt f hat lift i naperaWe when door \c? opt n- call buffer Protruding Object Hazard Protruding Object Warning caM’ wffnct dated, wall m emted „ object*, aboJC 27 InteriorLifts. Mechanical wheel- chair lifts can be used indoors. Lifts require power and their con- trols may be difficult for some to operate, but they are useful where there is not enough space for a ramp. Lifts can be enclosed with walls and interlocked gates to make a safe and attractive installa- tion. Instructions for operation should be posted on or near the lift. Split Level Facilities. In arts facilities where food services, shops or other amenities are available, these services must also be avail- able to disabled people. This does not mean that every space must be made accessible. The general rule should be that if disabled people can enter the establishment without assistance and be served along with others, no changes are required. If an entire business or service area is elevated by a few steps or is otherwise inaccessible, then ramps, or lifts, must be installed. Protruding Objects Wall-mounted elements such as telephone enclosures, fire ex- tinguishers, or signs can be haz- ardous to a blind person who uses a long cane for mobility because the cane passes below the object and the person walks into it. A sim- ple solution is to place detectable objects such as ashtrays, planters, or waste receptacles on the floor under the hazardous object. Be sure not to block the clear floor space provided to allow a wheel- chair to pull up to the object. Handrails or objects with sup- ports widely spaced so that a cane passes between or beneath them without contact can also be a problem. 34 Carpet Soft carpet makes using wheel- chairs, crutches, canes, and walkers very difficult, and reduces the ef- fectiveness of a cane used by blind people. There is no adequate test for determining which type of car- pet is best or worst. In general, all carpet is difficult for people who use wheelchairs. The dense, thin commercial carpets are the best, but any carpet with a pad under- neath is very difficult or impossible for some to negotiate. If an accessible route is com- pletely carpeted, some changes should be made. The best way to solve the problem of carpet is to remove a 3 foot wide strip of carpet along one wall and replace it with tile or vinyl covering. This “road- way” also provides an excellent guide for blind people who can easily follow the hard surface. A temporary solution to the carpet problem is to place panels of plywood or hard material over the carpet to form a hard surface pathway. The panels must be at least 3 feet wide and taped to each other and to the carpet to prevent the panels from slipping and people from tripping on the edges. Carpet tape is useful for this purpose. Permanent Hard Surface Path 4-o" wide eurboe ■tile or dicer hard material Temporary Path Over Carpet 35 Chapter 2. Access to Arts Programs : Getting There 5. Vertical Circulation Your arts program will probably be housed in a facility that meets one of these conditions: • It is on one level through- out with no changes in level greater than 1 to 2 feet, and has no stairs and no elevators, in which case you can skip this section. • It occupies several floors but they are all connected by ele- vators. In this case, read Existing Elevators, (below), to see if yours are usable by everyone. If stairs are also used between floors, they should be reviewed and modified if necessary. • It occupies more than one floor and these floors are connected only by stairs. You have a serious problem and should refer to Adding an Elevator p. 37. Your best move in this situation may be to relocate as many of your programs and functions as you can to accessible areas. Then you may find that you need to modify only some of the inaccessible space. Existing Elevators If your building is equipped with elevators, they may be per- fectly accessible or they may need some improvements to make them usable by everyone. Elevator Lobbies. Call buttons must be no more than 48" above the floor. Floor indicators should light up and ring to announce a car’s arrival so blind and deaf people can perceive them. If ele- vators are not so equipped, some people require assistance. The raised numeral in the ele- vator door jamb allows a blind person leaving an elevator to deter- mine the floor number. Raised numerals and braille can be easily added. They should be at least 2" high and raised at least 1/16" Elevator Cab. Elevator size is critical for people who use wheel- chairs. Most adult size wheelchairs fit within a 30" x 48" floor space. If an elevator has at least a 30" x 48" clear floor space inside, it should accommodate a person in a wheelchair. Elevators should have enough space to allow people to turn around inside. By pulling in and backing out or vice versa, most people using wheelchairs can fit in an elevator which is as small as 48" from the door to the back wall. The question is, can they reach the controls once on board? Minimum Cab Size Elevator Lobby dov divert tbn i/idiatfav' r&cw& any Worn in front 6*1 i button 36 Elevator Control Panel. The top elevator control button and the emergency controls should be no more than 54" above the floor. Otherwise, some people will not be able to reach them and will always need help using the ele- vators. One solution involves instal- ling an auxiliary panel which can be applied over the existing panel. This new panel is connected to the controls and lowers the control buttons. This is a permanent in- stallation which will have to be made by the builders. Elevator control buttons should have raised numerals and braille beside them so they can be identi- fied by blind people. Inexpensive, adhesive-backed, raised numerals can be added to existing elevator panels. Both braille and Arabic numerals may be used but braille should not be used without the Arabic since only a small per- centage of blind people use braille. Embossed plastic labels in either version can be made with a label maker. Stairs Although stairs must not be the only way of moving between levels, many disabled people will use them and they should be safe to use and provide support and guidance. Handrails should be provided on both sides of stairs, and should continue around the landings. Handrails must extend 1 foot hori- zontally beyond the top and bottom steps. Where stairs will be used by children, a second, lower hand- rail should be installed. If handrails exist but do not have horizontal extensions, they Add-on Control Panel Add-on Raised Numerals and Plastic Label Maker Braille j—ra\oe^arab\o numeral* hi^h buffer (!) Chapter 2. Access to Arts Programs : Getting There 37 Elevator Shaft Locations Handrail at Stairs rai5 ed v\iAw\eV& I ■\x> uAdicate floor <=i I fraadwidtiAtli should be modified or replaced. If horizontal extensions cannot be installed on both handrails, they should be installed on at least one. Adding an Elevator Installing an elevator may be the most effective and, in the long run, the least expensive solution to your problems of inaccessible floor levels. There are three ways to add an elevator: 1. Elevator shafts can be placed inside existing buildings if a com- mon accessible space can be lo- cated on each floor which does not interfere with heating and ven- tilating systems nor with major structural framing for the building. The building will have to be closed during construction and floors and roof will be remodeled to accom- modate shafts. 2. Elevator shafts can be placed against an exterior wall of an ex- isting building if a common acces- sible space can be located on each floor at the same spot on the exterior wall to serve as lobby space. Adding an elevator shaft to the outside of the building will not significantly interfere with me- chanical or structural systems in the buildings and will not disrupt operation of the building during construction. 3. Elevator shafts can stand free of existing buildings and be connected by bridges to floor levels. Free standing elevator shafts will not interfere with mechanical or structural systems in the building and will not disrupt operation of the building during construction. If adding an elevator is too expensive or not structurally pos- sible, there are a few more things you can try. 38 Ramps Ramps are almost out of the question for connecting floor to floor, but they might work if you have a lot of floor space you can give up. Remember, every foot of rise will require 12 feet of run, and every 30 feet of run will require a 5 foot rest platform. In addition, 5 foot level platforms must be pro- vided at both top and bottom. Therefore, connecting two floors that are ten feet apart floor to floor will take at least 145 feet of ramp. Unless you can turn this situation to your advantage and make the ramp usable floor area, as in the Guggenheim Museum or Boston Aquarium, you probably won’t want to do it. Extended ramps are also a very poor solution for the wheelchair user as many people are not able to push themselves up such a long slope. Mechanical Platform Lifts Mechanical lifts can be placed over existing stairs. Equipped with platforms, these lifts can carry a person in a wheelchair. Equipped with a seat, they are usable by walking disabled people who can- not climb stairs. There are two types of lifts, vertical and inclined. Vertical lifts are placed at the bottom of stairs and rise vertically. A bridge is built across from the top of the stair to the lift in its up position. These lifts cannot be used to go between floors. Inclined lifts travel on a track mounted on the wall beside the stair. Inclined lifts travel over the stairs. Most can be folded out of Guggenheim Museum Mechanical Platform Lifts Chapter 2. Access to Arts Programs : Getting There 39 Inclined Lift [6cM- haMirai\ I'-o* facvi'z&v \M ZXte^irUMS Safety Bridge Between Buildings the way when not in use. Some jurisdictions restrict their use on narrow flights of stairs. Lifts are often the only solution to changes in level. They vary widely in price, and fire and ele- vator codes may apply to their installation. Some codes require them to be enclosed so people will not get near them while they op- erate. Lift companies can provide advice and information on the use of their lifts. Instructions for opera- tion should be posted on or near the lift. Bridging If only two or three floors are involved, and if there is an adja- cent accessible building with an elevator, you might be able to install bridges between the floors of the two buildings. Again, there may be many problems to this solution, especially if a disabled person has to cross the bridge to the other building, trek to the ele- vator, ride the elevator, trek back to the bridge, and cross back into your building. 40 6. Water Fountains For 504 compliance, at least one water fountain should be ac- cessible in each area. Water fountains can be used by most disabled people if the spout is no more than 32" to 36" above the floor. The best type of water fountain for people in wheelchairs is one which has at least 30" of clear space between the bottom of the apron and the floor, and which has hand-operated controls. A good temporary solution when existing fountains are too high is to install a paper cup dispenser and mount it no more than 40" above the floor. If existing fountains have only foot-operated controls, cup dispensers will still be necessary and some disabled people will need assistance. It may be possible to add a side-mounted fountain to the exist- ing facility without cutting into the wall. Lever-type handles should be added, however, because pedals cannot be used by people in wheel- chairs. In some cases, it may be more economical to install a new, lower water fountain than to re- locate or modify an existing in- stallation. Minimum Apron Clearance Maximum Spout Height ■f tor Add-on Side-mounted Temporary Solution n T 4 o*dwe Ftor rmximuw Chapter 2. Access to Arts Programs : Getting There 41 Circular Clear Floor Space T-shaped Clear Floor Space 7. Rest Rooms Rest Room Doors and Vestibules Doors to be used by disabled people should provide a 32" clear opening with the door in the open position. This usually requires a 36" wide door. The width required is determined by the width of a wheelchair plus clearance neces- sary for maneuvering, and for pushing or pulling a door open. As a temporary solution when rest rooms have privacy screens or vestibules, propping the door open or removing it can often increase maneuvering space. Where privacy will be compromised, a temporary privacy screen can be installed outside the room. Stan- dard exhibit booth curtains are useful for this purpose. Toilet Stalls Narrow Toilet Stalls. Toilet stalls for disabled people must have an outswinging door that, when open, provides a clear opening of 32". This usually means that the door itself will be at least 33" wide. The stall should be 36" wide inside and there should be two 54" long by 1-1/2" diameter grab bars mounted horizontally on each side 33" above the floor. The space between the grab bar and the wall should be no more than 1-1/2". Temporary Changes. Existing stalls that are at least 34" wide can be made temporarily accessible. 1. Pick a stall against a wall preferably at the end of the room. 42 2. Install grab bars as specified above. These must be wall-anchored to support a 250 lb. load. This is a permanent modification. 3. Remove existing narrow door and wall-side jamb. 4. Install overhead rod and privacy curtain. If the existing stall is less than 34" wide, the partitions might be moved to widen the stall to 36". This will involve changing adjacent stalls and will be a permanent modification. The 5 foot wide toilet stall. A 5 foot wide toilet stall is usable by more disabled people than the nar- row stall because it allows plenty of room to move around and pro- vides space for an attendant if necessary. If a 5 foot wide stall does not exist in a rest room, there is no way to furnish one temporarily but a very successful permanent modification is possible. Since standard toilet stalls are usually 30" wide by 54" long, they cannot be made accessible because they are too narrow. How- ever, two 30" stalls can be com- bined to make one 5 foot stall. To do this, one water closet and one partition are removed and grab bars are added. Lavatories, Mirrors, Soap and Towel Dispensers Lavatories used by disabled people should have 30" clearance between the bottom edge of the apron and the floor. The faucets should have handles that can be operated without grasping and twisting. Levers and push buttons (the kind that require light pressure and leave the water running for a while) are good types to use. Minimum Accessible Toilet Stall fen* arJr Irtr*, 1 . . took 4uic 4tW0-ft»r. romp £Xi4tj tu, wuroi or dairtn'm f of pnv^y. Temporary Changes AH mi l/tft \iM m&lm yrsfo bar on each 4106. 5 Foot Wide Toilet Stall rtmc evdstfa partition Ml MU S+" ^rab tors ■jhif mtrdxot to remm .wttllfW . parillwiam w? Ufa door to rewain. Chapter 2. Access to Arts Programs : Getting There 43 Problems at Lavatories Minimum Apron Clearance Modified Lavatory 5iVtK KAtb Kuc-e. be^tru) lb difficult TO Mirrors should have bottom edges no more than 40" above the floor, and dispensers should be no more than 48" above the floor and not located over other obstructions or fixtures. Following are some suggestions for modifications. • Lavatory aprons can be cut to provide the necessary knee clearances. • Where towel dispensers and mirrors are too high, it is usually less expensive and quicker to mount a new towel dispenser nearby and install a full-length mirror on another wall than it is to relocate the existing ones. The full-length mirror is good for everyone to use. • A temporary solution to the towel height problem is sim- ply to place towels on a shelf or table within reach of seated or short people. • A good, inexpensive, tempor- ary solution to the soap dis- penser height problem is to provide cake soap. • Smooth round faucet knobs should be removed and a type with a lever or other shape which can be operated without gripping should be installed. • Exposed hot water pipes under any lavatory should be insulated to prevent burn- ing the legs of people in wheelchairs. Accessible Pay Telephone 44 8. Telephones Public telephones should be mounted in a clear space with the highest operable part (coin slot or dial) no more than 48" above the floor. If existing public telephones do not meet this requirement there is no temporary solution other than to make available a desk type telephone which disabled people can use. 9. Signage Signs with emergency or direc- tional information should be done in large letters and contrasting colors. The typeface should be simple and the surface of the sign well-lit and not glossy. Signs should also be used to direct disabled people to accessible entrances, telephones, and the like. Picto- graphs and international symbols should be included as often as possible. They can be understood by most people including those who cannot read or do not speak English. 10. Clear Floor Space and Work Surfaces Work surfaces should have a clear opening for knee and leg space of 2'-6" from the underside to the floor, and be at least 2 feet deep. People who use wheelchairs need a clear floor space 30" x 48" adjacent to a counter, work sur- face, or shelf in which to position the wheelchair. The clear floor space may be parallel to an object or perpendicular to it, but it must always be next to (not in) an accessible route. waxiMUm dear Forward Reach Range r at Work Surface 2-o" dear Chapter 2. Access to Arts Programs : Getting There 45 T@ 0 54“ 11. Reach Ranges Because they are at a lower level than the average standing adult, disabled people in wheel- chairs cannot easily reach objects placed higher than 4 feet from the floor. Rocker Switch Lever Handles 12. Controls and Hardware Controls and hardware include such items as door handles, ther- mostats, toilet flush controls, faucet handles, window cranks, fire alarms, light switches, and other operating mechanisms. Con- trols and hardware need to be mounted where short or seated people or people who cannot raise their arms can reach them. The most usable range is between 9" and 48" above the floor. Also, there has to be enough clear floor space for people in wheelchairs to get close to the control. In addition, controls must be easy to operate. Controls for operating equipment should be operable with one hand, not require gripping or twisting, nor more than 15 pounds of pres- sure. If you can work a control with a closed fist, most people will be able to work it. (See also Equip- ment Modification, p. 62.) Audible and Visible Signals 13. Warning Signals Emergency warning systems should produce signals that can be perceived by both hearing and sight-impaired people. Signals that are exclusively bells or buzzers or flashing lights or warning signs are useless to people who cannot hear or see them. Many new electronic devices provide warning signals that are both audible and visible. Being There In addition to physical access to your programs, you must consider access to the content. Can everyone understand as much as possible what is going on? Are materials presented for seeing, hearing, and touching wherever appropriate? Program content includes the exhibitions, lectures, films, plays, concerts, etc. that you produce or present, as well as materials about the programs — catalogues, scripts, librettos, brochures, maps, publicity, etc. The people who must have access to the program content include everyone — audience, performers, participants, staff, visitors, and volunteers — any of whom may have a communication disability. In this section we will look at some communication techniques that can help you make your programs enjoyable for everyone. Communicating With Hearing Impaired People Pencil and Paper In a conversation between a hearing impaired person and a hearing person, either person may have trouble understanding the other. Written messages usually work, so be sure to have pencils and paper available. The TDD TDD’s (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf) and TTY’s (Teletypewriters) are Hght weight, portable, electronic machines which provide written communication via standard telephones. TDD’s have either a printout or a visual display and typewriter keyboard. The telephone receiver is placed in the TDD cradle and typed messages can be sent or received. Since telephone communication with a deaf person is impossible without a TDD, one should be provided so that deaf people can call in and out. For example, a theater that includes deaf people in its mailings will want to be able to receive calls from them about ordering tickets or inquiring about performance schedules or in- terpreted performances. Interpreters For deaf people, certified interpreters are absolutely necessary. The interpreter uses either American Sign Language or Signed English and must be able to reverse translate both. (In reverse trans- lation, the deaf person signs and the interpreter translates the signs into speech for hearing people.) Some deaf people can lip read. Interpreters should be able to perform both manual and oral inter- pretation. The average length of time a person can comfortably interpret and keep the signs large and readable is about 45 minutes; so several interpreters may be needed for long programs. A common location for a sign language interpreter is at the end of the speakers’ table or beside the speaker. As shown, a dark, solid color, fabric drapery should be hung behind the interpreter. This curtain eliminates visual clutter in the background and makes it Chapter 2. Access to Arts Programs : Being There 49 easier to see the hand positions. Interpreters will usually wear dark clothing for the same reason. The curtain should be very wide in order to be behind the interpreter from any viewing angle. There should also be an overhead light source to illuminate the interpreter. An alternate and sometimes preferred arrangement is to have the interpreter stand on a raised step directly behind the person speaking. Deaf participants should be allowed or encouraged, but never forced, to sit immediately in front of the interpreter. The easiest way to find an interpreter is to contact the local council or commission for the deaf. If further assistance is needed, contact a community service center for the hearing impaired or the director of the state Vocational Rehabilitation Office, or write the Registry of Interpreters (see sidebar on Certified Interpreters). Each state establishes its own fee for interpreters based on the person’s level of certification. Presently the cost of a certified inter- preter is $10- $20 an hour. A word of caution: someone who knows sign language but is not a certified interpreter may have a limited sign vocabulary and may not adequately translate the message. See also, More About Interpreters, p. 70, and Lectures, p. 74. Interpreter Position r—tfood d\reo[ wr\a^ar & ligKt a\ interpreter provide a dark -fab no badkdrop behind interpreter approx. imately 12 . feet wide Alternate Interpreter Position if a teeter n is, #1 se used, it •should be pulled baak behind fhe table so that it does not biaak the new af . seated backd Certified Interpreters Certification means that an interpreter has been evaluated according to the National Evaluation System for Inter- pret ers/Transliterators and issued one of several types of certificates. Complete information on certification of interpreters is available from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. (RID). The RID also issues an annual Regional Directory of Services for Deaf Persons. This Directory is organized by state within each of the ten Federal Regions and lists all services available to deaf people including a roster of certified interpreters. For a complete list of books and pub- lications on interpreting, write or call the RID National Office: Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf 814 Thayer Avenue Silver Spring, MD 20910 (301) 588-2406 (Voice/TDD) Supplementary Materials As much as possible, spoken material should also be available in print. Scripts, librettos, program notes, or lecture highlights enhance a hearing impaired person’s understanding of the spoken material. In some cases you will want to present the complete text of a presen- tation such as poetry or a short slide show narrative; in others, a condensed version of the dialogue or narrative will help the person understand what is going on and allow him or her to focus on visual elements. Make supplementary materials available by mail ahead of Interpretation for Handicapped Persons, a Handbook for Outdoor Recreation Personnel is available from: National Park Service Division of Interpretation 2001 Sixth Avenue Seattle, WA 98104 50 Captioning For information on captioning for television and film contact: National Captioning Institute 5203 Leesburg Pike Falls Church, VA 22041 (703) 998-2400 (Voice/TDD) Adapting Language The following book is a guide to adapting language for deaf people: Language Adaptations for Use by Deaf Audiences by Constance Jacobson, available for $3.00 from: The Education Department Museum of Fine Arts 465 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02115 time whenever possible, and let your audience know you provide this service. For many deaf people who use signing, English is a “second language.” Long, complicated sentences and elaborate language may be difficult to understand. A short, simple version of what is spoken is often preferable to a verbatim reproduction. Captioning Films, slide shows, and video productions can be captioned for deaf audiences. (Captioning is presenting spoken material in subtitles. Some television programs use “closed captioning” in which the sub- titles can be seen only when the television set is equipped with a decoding device.) When you produce audio-visual materials, be sure to budget for captioning and hire professionals to do the job. Sound Systems It is very important to have the best quality sound amplification system possible. Hearing impaired people who use hearing aids have a great deal of difficulty with poor sound systems because the hearing aids amplify noises, hum, rattles, and squeals generated by the system. Sound columns (multiple speakers) located in both front comers of the room are recommended along with an amplifier with frequency balancing. A participant with partial hearing may wish to sit near a sound column or speaker. In some audit oria, special fixed seats with amplified sound connections for headphones may be provided. Hearing impaired people should be made aware of any such provisions. Electronic lecterns with built-in speakers and amplifiers should not be used because they generally produce poor quality sound. Auxiliary Listening Systems In addition to a standard sound amplification system, there are auxiliary listening systems that make it possible for hearing impaired people to hear what is actually going on. Local or state organizations for deaf people will have more information on these systems. Audio Loop Chapter 2. Access to Arts Programs : Being There 51 For participants who wear hearing aids, you may wish to provide an audio loop system. An audio loop is a type of amplifier and antenna consisting of a wire which sets up a magnetic field which can be picked up by some hearing aids. The wire can be built-in or simply taped to the floor or walls. The wire runs around the room or a part of the room. Anyone sitting within the loop and wearing the appropriate hearing aid will receive the sound being transmitted by the amplifier. Infrared, or wireless, listening systems transmit sound via invisible infrared light from the master sound system to a special, lightweight, wireless headset which is worn by the listener who can sit anywhere in the house. This system works from a series of emissions and needs no permanent installation. The size (and cost) of the system can be adjusted to the size of the house. Communicating With Visually Impaired People If you provide supplementary materials for a program, make them available for people to use before attending the event. Mail out materials if possible, and be sure to advertise their availability. Large Print Many partially sighted people who cannot read regular print can read large print if it is clear, well-lighted, and has a contrasting background. The easiest way to produce something in large print is to type the material on a typewriter equipped with a commercially available large print font. Typeset large print should be in a simple sans-serif face set at 14 to 18 points. Large print may be used for program materials as well as for exhibition labels and other displays. You may want to condense the content of very long materials when producing a large print version. Braille Not all blind people read braille. If braille materials have been requested, the number of pages of material as well as the total number of copies necessary will dictate which method of providing braille should be used. Single copies can be produced by an experienced person using a brailler, a mechanical device similar to a typewriter. The brailler produces the embossed dots of the braille symbols. Multiple copies can be made by vacuum forming the pages or by br aill e presses. This work generally must be done by experienced braille printers. Local or state organizations for visually impaired people will know who can make braille copies. Large Print and Braille For recommendations and services regarding large print, write: National Association for the Visually Handicapped 305 East 24th Street Apartment 17-C New York, NY 10010 Volunteers Who Produce Books: Braille, Large Type, Tape is a geo- graphical directory of volunteer or- ganizations available at no charge from: Reference Section National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped The Library of Congress Washington, DC 20542 Information on the nearest National Library Service branch for visually impaired people is also available. 52 Maps The Preparation of Orientation and Mobility Maps for the Visually and Physically Handicapped is available for $4.00 from: Architectural Extension Oklahoma State University Stillwater, OK 74078 For information on raised line mapping techniques, contact: Dept, of Geography DP-10 University of Washington Seattle, WA 98195 Radio Services A nationwide list of radio services is available from: American Foundation for the Blind 15 West 16th Street New York, NY 10011 Audio Description The Washington Ear provides technical assistance in developing audio description for performing arts and visual arts program. The Washington Ear 35 University Blvd. Silver, Springs, MD 20901 (301) 681-6636 Tactile Materials Many graphic figures such as maps, diagrams, and charts, can be reproduced in a tactile (touchable) version. The techniques used for duplicating braille can be used to produce other tactile materials. Vacuum forming and thermoforming mold a thin plastic sheet using heat and a three-dimensional form or model. Small scale models of buildings, exhibit layouts, or stage sets, for example, can help orient a visually impaired person. Models can also be used to reproduce art objects and exhibit pieces that are too large, too delicate, or too valuable to be handled directly. Audio Tapes Recording program materials on cassette tapes is a good way to provide program handouts to visually impaired participants. Since many visually impaired people cannot read braille or large print, tapes may be the most usable provision. Readers If materials that a visually impaired person can use are not available, there is one last option: to provide that person with a reader. This is a stop-gap measure, but will work if there is not a large volume of material to be read, for example, a program. Radio Reading Services Radio reading is another form of communication accessible to blind people. Channels for radio reading and information services are distributed across the country. Descriptions of current exhibitions and performances as well as lectures and readings can reach a large audience through broadcasting. Sound Systems Blind and visually impaired people are almost totally dependent upon sound as a communications medium, so it is very important to have the best quality sound system possible. Often built-in systems are of low or average quality. The better the quality of the sound, the better will be the level of comprehension. Chapter 2. Access to Arts Programs : Being There 53 Communicating With Learning Impaired or Mentally Retarded People Simple Language Presentations especially for people with learning problems should be short, direct, and clear. The language should be simple, and should be supplemented with pictures as much as possible. The setting should be free from visual distractions and noise. Pictures Pictures can often supplement or substitute for written material. Many ideas can be explained more clearly if accompanied by illustra- tions, and traditional signs can usually be replaced by pictographs. Many standard signs, like those for rest rooms, telephones, or first aid, should be presented as pictographs. Flexibility Materials for learning disabled or mentally retarded people may often be presented as an introductory talk, a short lecture, or a tour. In preparing to talk to a group, keep the following in mind: • focus clearly on one topic; • keep your remarks short and the number of topics few; • appeal to as many senses as possible; try to provide objects that people can handle; • respond to interest or lack of it; • make connections with already familiar ideas and objects. A Story Years ago I was teaching a group of children in a New York public school, and one of them is one of the best dancers I’ve ever seen. He had the elevation to jump over cars, this little boy. It took me six months to discover he was deaf, and it was quite by accident. I looked at him and said, “Jump!” and the boy went into the air — whoosh! And I said, “Terrific!” I said, “Jump!" Whoosh! “Terrific,” I said, “Do it again,” and he didn’t jump. You see, I'd turned my head and my back was to him. I faced him and I said, “Come on, jump!” Whoosh! “Good,” Once more, turning my back to him, I said, “All together. Follow him. Jump! Everybody jump.” He didn't. I said “Jump!!" He still didn't. The realization hit me — he'd been reading my lips. He’s deaf. Fantastic! I walked over to the school's principal and asked, “Why didn’t you tell me?” “Why should we?” the principal said. “He has to go through life. He's not going to have someone run ahead saying, ‘This person can't hear.’ He’s got to learn how to deal with life.” I thought, “Wow! I am curious to see what can be done with other deaf children in dance.” I’d never thought of it. I was ignorant — like those little boys that never thought they could dance. It was a revelation. So that’s how I got involved with deaf children dancing. How do I teach them? I teach them just like I teach anybody else. I usually put them together with the best dancers and say, “You’d better be better,” — (because they can be!) I’ll tell you why I say that: hearing dancers, no matter how good they are, don’t have eyes like open doors, taking everything in. Why, it seems the deaf dancers can read what I’m thinking, just from an expression. The whole idea is, that we should never let anyone think that dancing isn't for them just because they’re deaf, or because they're boys. I find myself more and more involved with teaching dance. It’s for everybody. And not just children. I want everybody to be involved in the arts. Jacques d'Amboise Dancer, choreographer Taking Part By now you have surveyed your facilities and programs for general environmental and communication accessibility using Getting There and Being There as guides. Taking Part includes discussions of each of the five arts areas and examines those activities which may require special attention to become accessible. It will show you how to look at your arts programs and facilities so that you can identify the barriers and find solutions. You do not need to read all of the five sections on the Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Literary Arts, Media Arts, and Design Arts. Read the section that best applies to your program. You will be referred to related information in other areas as necessary. An Example Your science museum has an interactive display in which the participant turns a crank to operate a machine which produces a picture on a television screen accompanied by an audio description of the action of the machine. To determine the accessibility of this display, you will need to understand how the components of the display relate to the environmental and communication requirements presented throughout Chapter 2. The following are examples of questions you might ask in assessing the accessibility of this display. The references tell you where to find information on the topic. • If you are in a wheelchair, can you get close enough to the display to operate the crank? Do you need to pull up under the table or can you park alongside and reach it? (Clear Floor Space and Work Surfaces) Can short people or children or seated people reach the crank? (Reach Ranges) • If you use crutches, is there a place to sit down near the display so you have your hands free to operate the machine? (Accessible Route) This is also helpful for elderly or weak people. If you remain standing, can you operate the machine? (Reach Ranges) • Can you read the directions when you are either sitting or standing? (Comfortable Viewing Zone) • If you have limited vision, can you read the directions? If you have no vision, are the directions in a form you can understand? (Communicating with Visually Impaired People) • If you have little strength in your hands, can you operate the crank? (Controls and Hardware, Modifying Equipment) • Can you see the display on the television screen while you operate the crank? (Comfortable Viewing Zone) • Is there a spoken description of the material in the visual display for people who cannot see it? (Communicating with Visually Impaired People) • Is the audio portion of the display also presented visually for hearing impaired people? (Communicating with Hearing Impaired People) Solutions to accessibility problems can often be found by asking some general questions: • Can you relocate an object or label that is inaccessible (out of sight, out of reach, in an inaccessible space)? • Can you relocate the person (add a ramp, clear some aisle space, provide a chair)? • Can you put inaccessible materials into a different form (audio tapes, large print, captions, models)? The examples and suggestions used in this section are not hard and fast rules nor an exhaustive treatment of the possible solutions to access for each arts area. Creative thinkers can devise new and innovative methods. This section should be viewed as a guide to help you initiate that creative problem-solving process. Chapter 2. Access to Arts Programs : Taking Part 57 Organization In surveying an arts program for accessibility, you are concerned with both the location (the facility) and the content (the ac- tivity or product) of the program. Visual and performing arts programs are relatively consistent in their locations and activities. They may be housed in permanent facilities which are open to the public. Their activities are the design, preparation, and presentation of programs for the public. Their end products are exhibitions and performances. In the sections on visual and performing arts, we look at the relation of each disability to the location and activities of two types of arts programs. Literary, media, and design arts programs are less well-defined in location and content. Locations may range from the room in which the poet writes, to the streets of Boston where historical tours are given, to a movie set of the Mayflower. A location or facility can also be the end product of the program. If a city obtains a grant to plan a performing arts center in a neglected urban area, then the performing arts center with its buildings, surrounding streets, and public places become the product of the program. A building may be the place where you work, or the product of your work. In a literary, media, or design arts program, the content might be an activity like writing poetry or planning a public garden. Sometimes the program includes not only production of the product but also presentation of it, for example, reading the poetry or showing slides of the proposed garden. The grant recipient must understand when and how program content should be accessible to everyone. For example, if your end product is a film treatment, you do not need to provide large print and audio-tape copies of the document. If your end product is the finished film, the studio and the activity of producing that film should be accessibile to disabled filmmakers and actors. If your end product is a film festival, then the theater should be physically accessible; scripts, captioning, or interpreting for hearing impaired people may be provided; and supplementary descriptive materials for visually impaired people may be distributed. Because of the endless variety of facilities, activities, and products within the literary, media, and design arts, it is difficult to examine these areas systematically by disability type. Therefore, the organization of these sections will be by location, activity, and product. Where to Find It 58 Special Topics Each arts area has topics which apply particularly — but not ex- clusively — to it. For example, accessible dressing rooms are usually a concern of the perform- ing arts, and lecture set up of literary arts. Information on these special topics is set off from the main text in boxes and cross- referenced in other sections. For a complete list of special topics in Chapter 2, see Where to Find It, below. Where to Find It Getting There 23 General Architectural Accessibility Accessible Route 24 Parking 25 Entrances and Doors 27 Interior Circulation 31 Vertical Circulation 35 Water Fountains 40 Rest Rooms 41 Telephones 44 Signage 44 Clear Floor Space and Work Surfaces 44 Reach Ranges 45 Controls and Hardware 45 Warning Signals 45 Being There 47 Communicating With Hearing Impaired People 48 Pencil and Paper 48 The TDD 48 Interprepters 48 Supplementary Materials 49 Captioning 50 Sound Systems 50 Auxiliary Listening Systems 50 Communicating With Visually Impaired People 51 Large Print 51 Braille 51 Tactile Materials 52 Audio Tapes 52 Readers 52 Radio Reading Services 52 Sound Systems 52 Communicating With Learning Impaired People 53 Simple Language 53 Pictures 53 Flexibility 53 Chapter 2. Access to Arts Programs : Taking Part 59 Where to Find It Where to Find It Taking Part 55 Visual Arts 60 Display Cases 61 Equipment Modification 62 Comfortable Viewing Zone 63 Special Programs 65 Performing Arts 66 On The Road 66 Fixed Seating 67 Accessible Dressing Room 68 Seating Locations 69 More About Interpreters 70 Literary Arts 72 Lectures 74 Media Arts 76 Attitudes 78 Design Arts 80 Tours 82 Meetings and Panels 83 Visual Arts 60 People do not take a blind artist seriously. I wonder why they think that a sense of sight is necessary before one can have an aesthetic sense for design. The act of “Seeing" does not relate directly to an appreciation of harmony and beauty. Mary Jane Owen President’s Committee on Employment of the Handicapped Washington, DC All Together Now Accessibility is a joint educational process: not only do museums need to learn from disabled consumers, but consumers also need to use museums and learn from them. Until disabled people, for example, understand the complex demands that conservation makes on levels of illumination, the value of blind consumers' advice to museums vis-a-vis exhibition lighting will be minimal. Until deaf consumers take advantage of sign interpretation programs, and frequent them, such programs will remain nothing more than tokens. Until each half of the educational partnership realizes its role, accessibility will not be made easier for museums and will not materialize for consumers. Charles K. Steiner Museums and The Disabled The Metropolitan! Museum of Art New York, NY Visual Arts Introduction The material in this section is supplementary to the general accessibility information in Getting There and Being There. Do not try to evaluate your program using this section alone. If you have not already done so, please read the introduction to Chapter 2 which explains how to use the chapter. This section on visual arts is organized by disability type and focuses on the relationship of the person to the environment or program. Special topics in this section include viewing zones, displays, equipment modification, and evaluating special programs. For a list of all the special topics in Chapter 2, see Where to Find It, p. 58. Mobility Impaired People Ways to assess a visual arts facility from the point of view of a mobility impaired person include taking a tour in a wheelchair or with someone who uses a wheelchair. Take someone with you who uses crutches — you’ll find some of the problems are different. Remember to do your assessment as participants and as staff. In addition to the general accessibility issues covered in Getting There, you will need to think about the following questions. • How easily can you move around? Can you move about the building and among exhibits with ease? Can you turn around? Can you pull up next to display cases or table-mounted activities? Can you locate accessible rest rooms? elevators? If you have trouble moving about: • Can furniture be moved to make a wider aisle? • Can doors be removed to widen an opening? • Can displays be relocated so that a clear floor space is available along one side? • Can ramps be added at small changes in level? As you identify obstacles and barriers that need changing, you may need to refer to the design information in Getting There. • Can you see everything? Are wall-hung displays low enough to be within the comfortable viewing zone? Can you read signs and labels from a seated position? Can you see into display cases and read labels? Can a standing person see everything? If you can’t see something: • Can the display be raised or lowered or tilted? • Can the floor next to the display be raised (or lowered)? • Can signs and labels be relocated? • Can you add other signs? • Can the lighting be improved? • Can glass panels or “windows” be added? Chapter 2. Access to Arts Programs : Taking Part 61 Visual Arts For more information, see Comfortable Viewing Zone, p. 63, and Display Cases, below. Display Cases Display cases should allow short or seated people to see the contents and the labels. If the sides of the case are transparent, the bottom of the case may be mounted as high as 36 " above the floor, but never any higher. Cases with transparent sides are usually wall-mounted, or free-standing on a solid base. Floor-mounted cases often have solid sides and can only be viewed from the top. These cases should be no higher than 36" to the top of the case so short and seated people can see down into the case. It is more important that the top of the case not exceed 36" than that wheelchair clearance be provided underneath. However, all display cases must have enough clear floor space beside them for people in wheelchairs to pull up close to the display. (See Clear Labels should never be flat on the bottom of cases. Labels can be mounted vertically on the back wall or the outside of the case; two labels at different heights may be needed if the case is very large. (See Comfortable Viewing Zone, p. 63.) For low, glass top cases, one label may be mounted flat on the top for standing people who are viewing the contents from above, and one label may be mounted on the vertical surface of the display. Visual Arts 62 • Can you operate everything? If a display requires operating a control to work it, can you reach the control and can you operate it? with a closed fist? If you find equipment and controls you cannot operate, you may refer to Equipment Modification, below. Pustt button Ac£-efTA6lE- * Equipment Modification A variety of equipment may need modification for use by disabled people. It is impossible to anticipate all the types of equipment being used in arts programs or to discuss specific modifications. The following are general suggestions for improving equipment accessibility. (See also Reach Ranges, and Controls and Hardware, p. 45.) • Sometimes an entire piece of equipment or a whole display can be moved (raised or lowered) to be within reach. Raising a table or adding a platform may help, but don’t block the clear floor space. A shallow ramp next to a display has the same effect as “lowering” it, but it must not prevent others from getting close to the exhibit or be a hazard to blind people. • Controls or switches which are out of reach can be relocated. However, it may cost less and look better to add a second switch. • Some switches are hard to use. Small push buttons, for example, may be difficult for people with spasticity to find and press. Toggle switches may be better than small push buttons. Paddle type rocker switches having a large moving surface are better than toggles, and electronic touch sensitive switches are best because they require no movement or pressure to operate but people must be able to reach them. • Some types of equipment may have mechanical devices that have to be manipulated such as levers, wheels, cranks, etc. Sometimes these can be changed to be electrically operated using only a switch and sometimes it may be possible to add an extension onto these controls to make them easier to reach, grasp, and move. Two types of people may be able to help you with equipment problems — occupational therapists and rehabilitation engineers. The occupational therapists will know about standard products that are available to assist in making modifications. Rehabilitation engineers specialize in making modifications to equipment so disabled people can operate it and should be able to solve any problems. They are almost always connected with rehabilita- tion centers or hospitals. • Can you teach or attend classes or other special events? (See Special Programs, p. 65 ). Chapter 2. Access to Arts Programs : Taking Part 63 Visual Arts Visually Impaired People Ask visually impaired people to help you survey your visual arts facility and programs. You may need to refer to Getting There as well as Communicating with Visually Impaired People (p. 51) for more details. • Can you find out what’s in the building? What kinds of maps of your facilities are provided? thermoform? large tactile wall map? large print? audio cassette describing building layout? Are staff available for building tours? • Can you find your way to specific exhibits? Are directions easy to follow? Are corridors color coded? Are routes well-lighted and safe? Are directional and informational signs large and clear? Do exhibit cases block circulation routes? Do wall-hung objects protrude dangerously into corridors? • How available are the visual components of an exhibit to a person with little or no vision? Every exhibit will have two visual components: the object itself — for example, a painting or a skeleton — and a label or description of the object. All descriptive material can be made available in two ways: • For people with limited vision, written material should be presented in large, clear type, with contrasting colors, on a non-glare surface, and with good lighting. Very long descriptions could be condensed and printed in large print as supple- mentary material. For mounting heights, see Comfortable Viewing Zone, below. Comfortable Viewing Zone For both standing and seated people, there is a comfortable view- ing zone of 19" within which text can be displayed if printed in large type. This comfortable viewing zone is between 48" and 67" above the floor. 54" to center is a good height for mounting signs and labels on the wall. 5/8' '-high letters can be read comfortably by sighted people at a distance of more than 6 feet. Smaller type sizes customarily used in exhibition displays can be read at a distance of 4 feet if printed in maximum contrast. The visual zone reduces to 8-1/3" when dis- played between 52" and 60" from the floor. (See also Signage, p. 44.) Visual Arts 64 Suggestions from the Boston Children’s Museum Try to include tactile components in your exhibits. Expendable original fragments, objects that would normally be used in loan exhibits or teaching collections, contemporary but real artifacts (for example, pieces of hand- woven cloth), or blatant reproductions and models can add immensely to the visit. These items can be made available to everyone by building them into an exhibit, or they can be included in a kit that museum staff use for special programs. Work with the curatorial staff to make reasonable decisions about which objects can be touched and how they can be touched. Some objects are too valuable, too fragile, or too old and irreplaceable for visitors to have tactile or perhaps even visual access to them. This is an indisputable fact. However, many objects can take limited, gentle, supervised handling by visually impaired visitors. Some of these objects may need to be protected from oil and dirt particles by having visually impaired visitors wear thin cotton gloves. Think about participatory exhibitions as a regular feature of your museum. By this, we are not suggesting a special gallery for blind people, but rather presenting changing exhibits that have a tactile and auditory focus as well as a visual focus. Janet Kamien Is There Life After 504? The Children’s Museum, Boston I call the years before 504 The Dark Ages’ when there was no sign language interpreting in museums or theaters. Deborah Sonnenstrahl Gallaudet College Washington, DC • For people with no vision, present written material in a non- visual form: on audio-tape with a portable player, or in braille, or provide a reader or guide on special tours. When the visual material is the art or exhibition object itself, the solutions are more varied. • Present the object in the best way possible so people with some vision can see it: make sure people can get close to it, that it is well-lighted, that non-glare materials are used. • Provide descriptive material about the object. • Allow objects such as sculpture, jewelry, pottery, or armor to be handled whenever possible. When originals cannot be touched, reproductions can be substituted. • Build small scale models of large objects such as dinosaurs, ships’ hulls, or tombs. • Can you teach or attend classes or other special events? (See Special Programs, p. 65.) Hearing Impaired People For hearing impaired people, there will probably be few prob- lems in using a visual arts facility provided you have good signage, volume control telephones, a TDD, and visual warning systems. (For general accessibility information, see Getting There.) However, providing general information about and access to the content of the program is very important. As with visual materials, you will need to identify all audible or spoken material. These will range from tours and lectures to beeping feedback on an interactive exhibit. Whether the audio material describes the exhibit or program, or is the exhibit or program, you should be able to provide that material in visual form. Supplemental written materials, interpreters, and good sound systems are described in Communicating with Hearing Impaired People, p. 48, in More About Interpreters, p. 70, and in Lectures, p. 74. • Is all the information that is provided about your programs available in written form or through a sign language interpreter? Can deaf visitors use the information desk? Are signed tours offered? Are self-guided audio-cassette tours available in printed form? • Is the content of the program itself dependent on audible materials? Are lectures and classes offered with sign language interpreters? Do exhibits that make a noise have a similar visual display? Does your auditorium or lecture hall have a good sound system? an auxiliary listening system? • Can you teach or attend classes or other special events? (See Special Programs, p. 65.) Chapter 2. Access to Arts Programs : Taking Part Learning Impaired or Mentally Retarded People In reviewing your visual arts facility for its accessibility to learning impaired people, you will want to pay particular attention to signage. Information communication is the major issue in both architectural and program accessibility unless the people you are accommodating have other physical limitations as well. For both facility and program accessibility, refer to the sug- gestions in Communicating with Learning Impaired People, p. 53. • Is all the information about getting into and using your facility presented in clear, concise, and (preferably) pictorial form? If not: • Can the signs, maps, brochures, or whatever be redone in a simpler fashion? • Can you add signs, arrows, pictographs to make directions and locations clearer? • In looking at your programs, you will need to assess the way the content is presented. Are written materials, directions, tours, classes, lectures, and labels presented so that learning impaired people can understand them? If not: • Can you present information in more than one form, that is, in speech and writing? • Can you improve signage? • Can you provide special tours or sessions which will meet the needs of particular groups? • Can you simplify the surroundings for these tours and classes? • Can you provide things for participants to handle? • Can you include specific activities? All your programs and activities should be evaluated from all points of view and for all disabilities. Special Programs presents general questions which apply to any program. Special Programs Can disabled people participate in all your special programs? Can they take or conduct tours? (See Tours, p. 82.) Can they attend or teach classes? (See Lectures, p. 74.) Can they use the library? pro- jection room? other special spaces? special equipment? At least one of everything you offer should be ac- cessible. (See Program Accessibility, p. 4.) Remember that all program activities can be broken down into components involving circulation, seeing and hearing, reaching and operating, reading, or listening. You can always apply the questions: • Can you get there? • Can you see and hear com- fortably? • Can you be seen and be heard? • Can you operate the equip- ment? • Can you understand the materials? 65 Visual Arts Two good books on working with disabled museum visitors are Museums and the Disa bled and Museum Education for Retarded Adults, Reachin g Out to a Neglected Audience. Both are by Charles Steiner, Assistant Museum Educator, and are available for $1.50 each for postage and handling from: The Metropolitan Museum of Art Department of Community Education Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street New York, NY 10028. The National Art Education Association serves as a clearinghouse on art ed- ucation materials and instruction. Write: NAEA 1916 Association Drive Reston, VA 22091 (703) 860-8000 Solutions generally involve moving the person to the place or activity; moving the place or activity to the person; adding, modifying, extending, or simplifying hardware and equipment, and putting mate- rials in a different form. Performing Arts 66 Performing Arts Introduction The material in this section is supplementary to the general accessibility information in Getting There and Being There. Do not try to evaluate your program using this section alone. If you have not already done so, please read the introduction to Chapter 2 which explains how to use the chapter. This section on the performing arts is organized by disability type and focuses on the role of the individual as a member of the audience, as a performer, or as a staff person. Special topics in this section include going on tour, fixed seating, seating locations, dressing rooms, and interpreting for performances. For a list of all the special topics in Chapter 2, see Where to Find It, p. 58. On the Road A performing arts company on tour should be just as accessible to audience, performers, and staff as it is at home. A touring company should maintain documentation of good faith efforts to provide an accessible performance. The com- pany can request information from the presenter about the needs of the audience and the architectural accessibility of the facilities. A touring company may also request an assurance of compliance from the presenter before booking the performance. It is incredibly boring to go to the theater with a friend in a wheelchair and to be separated from my companion. Mary jane Owen President’s Committee on Employment of the Handicapped Washington, DC Mobility Impaired People A facility used for performing arts programs should be surveyed for accessibility to mobility impaired people. One way is to use a wheelghair or get someone who does to accompany you. Conduct the same tour with a person who walks with difficulty — for example, a person who uses crutches or a walker. As you examine your facility, remember to judge its usefulness for all the people using it — the audience, the performers, and the staff. In addition to the general accessibility issues in Getting There, consider the following questions: • Asa member of the audience: • Can you buy a ticket comfortably? • Can you choose from a reasonable selection of seating locations? • Can you get to your seats? If you identify circulation barriers, you may need to refer to the design information in Getting There. • Are parking spaces for wheelchairs level and are the sightlines good? Will the seating arrangements allow you to sit with a disabled companion? a non-disabled companion? Suggestions for improving seating arrangements are given below. Chapter 2. Access to Arts Programs : Taking Part 67 Performing Arts Fixed Seating Aisle Space for One Fixed seating in assembly areas can usually be modified to accommodate people in wheelchairs by removing seats along the aisles or in the front or back rows. Removing one seat at front or back rows provides adequate space for one wheelchair; removing three seats will accommodate two wheelchairs. Along the aisles, removing two seats will provide space for one wheelchair, removing six seats will provide for two wheelchairs. The space provided for a person in a wheelchair must be 30" x 48" (see Clear Floor Space, p. 44) and must be level. Since many disabled people cannot shift about in their chairs to improve their view, the sightlines should be unobstructed. It is important that seating spaces be available near the front, the back, and the middle to afford the disabled participants a range of seating options. Some performing arts centers use folding seats in the accessible seating spaces when wheelchair visitors are not using the space. In all cases, the staff should check with local building departments and the fire marshall for rules and restrictions regarding access for physically disabled people in assembly areas. Some lecture halls and auditoria which have stepped or narrow aisles, fixed seats, and no front or rear cross aisles cannot be used at all by disabled people who cannot climb stairs. Such performance spaces should not be used. Flexible seating can be provided by grouping removable seats in various locations so combinations of disabled and non-disabled people can sit together. (See also Lectures, p. 74, and Seating Locations, p. 69.) Aisle Space for Two • As a performer: • Can you get to the stage, dressing rooms, orchestra pit, or rehearsal rooms? • Is the dressing room equipped with a bench for changing and a work surface with knee-space? Suggestions for an accessible dressing room are given below. Performing Arts 68 Accessible Dressing Room Many people who use wheel- chairs change their clothes lying down, while others need to sit. A Floor Plan & ressmd ben^h work sur-race - l n ■> , 4 -o" mm , < } •2 1 -Jl 3-Q C Oyccx t> I '4" mx. - for Section low, padded bench at least 2 feet by 5 feet and mounted about 18" above the floor would provide a good place for changing. The bench should be open underneath to provide toe space and should have a grab bar along the back wall. A work surface with a knee- space 2 feet deep and 30" high should be provided. The clear floor space in the dressing room should be at least 4 feet by 5 feet. (See also Reach Ranges, p. 45, and Clear Floor Space and Work Surfaces, p. 44.) • Asa staff person: • Can you get to the administrative offices, box office, projection booth, lighting panel, wardrobe, or scenery storage? • Can you reach and use the equipment there? (See Equipment Modification, p. 62.) • Are classes and other special events offered in accessible spaces? At least one of everything you offer should be accessible. (See Special Programs, p. 65.) Visually Impaired People Ask visually impaired people to help you survey your performing arts facility and programs. You may need to refer to Getting There as well as Communicating with Visually Impaired People, p. 51, for more details. • Asa member of the audience: • Does the box office have a large, clear seating plan? • How easily can you move about the building? Is the lobby well-lighted? Are corridors free of obstacles? Are directions to seating locations large and readable. • Can you choose from a reasonable selection of seats? For suggestions on seat location, see Seating Locations, below. Chapter 2. Access to Arts Programs : Taking Part 69 Performing Arts Seating Locations Visually impaired people usual- ly want seats near the front where visibility is best for those who have some sight. These seats usually have the best sound and are good for those who depend entirely on what they hear. Some visually impaired people will use guide dogs for mobility. (See Guide Dogs, p. 92.) The dogs must stay with their owners at all times. For this reason, front rows, back rows, and aisle seats are good locations which provide space for a dog. When these locations are not available, an empty adjacent seat provides extra floor space for the dog. Visual- ly impaired people should not be required to sit in any one location. Most hearing impaired people need to sit where the sound quality is best if they have any hearing, and where they can see well if -front rev wbee\(Ma\r p**iti<*i om it one chair Hal illiOii - up mx m xtJ aj lu-uj-luxt As 'l I LU-lJ.LT-i: q Vt.sWjjiJ 5 T 1 1 lu rrm ^ ■ ■ ' 1 * cmxmxEP IJ3 J4JX LLLU tnmnni] l ituxit ud u_m.mx.TTi □xixuini pq u.n Li'Luxn mmnm LUiLu.mn ll umiun | 1AT — boot or front ft nv petition forlV/owMchairs- omit tin ree c \ wire UJ 4 interpreter sd'*4b" clear Fleer space- •midpoint pfi+\t \or) fix two wheelchair* omit \w chairs - 3 o"* 4 t>' clear floor space- ■ b act- row wheelchair position omit one- dMir • if doors are narrow or heavy. they should be propped open they depend on interpreters or lip- front of the interpreter’s position, reading. When interpreters are but they should not be required to provided, hearing impaired people sit there if they prefer not to. (See should be able to sit directly in also Fixed Seating, p. 67, and Lec- tures, p. 74.) • Are programs available in large print, braille, or verbal form? Is additional explanatory material provided? People who can see little or not at all may want descriptions of the visual elements of a performance. Such descriptions can be presented on audio tape, or in braille and in large print program notes, or by a staff person or volunteer trained to provide commentary on sets, actions, costumes, or expressions, before or during the performance. Some theaters are using infrared listening devices (see Auxiliary Listening Systems, p. 50) to provide pre-show commentaries and program notes. Let people know what services you provide and which supplementary materials are available in advance. On the other hand, don’t assume a blind person will want a lot of visual information. Some people do not want elaborate descriptions of how things “look”, preferring to rely on their other senses. • Are supplementary activities provided? You may want to offer visually impaired members of the audience an oppor- tunity to examine stage sets, costumes, performance areas, musical instruments, or whatever prior to a performance. Space for Dance, an architectural design guide, is available for $14.50 from: The Publishing Center for Cultural Resources 625 Broadway New York, NY 10012 Performing Arts 70 For information about interpreter specialists, Department of Interpreter/ Transliterator Instruction Gallaudet College 800 Florida Avenue NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 651-5631 • Asa performer or staff person: • Are all circulation routes to dressing rooms, orchestra pit, stages, or rehearsal rooms, well-lighted, and free of obstacles? • Can scripts, stage diagrams, directions, or schedules be made available in some other usable form? • Can the materials for classes and special events be provided in both large print and non-visual form? • Can you attend or teach classes or conduct other special events or programs? At least one performance, event, tour, session, etc. of everything you offer should be available to visually impaired people. (See Special Programs, p. 65.) • Can you operate any equipment necessary to do your job? Are directions clear? Hearing Impaired People In the performing arts, providing access to the content of your program to hearing impaired people is very important. You will need to identify all audible or spoken material and provide alternative methods of presentation. Be sure to review Communicating with Hearing Impaired People, p. 48. • Asa member of the audience • Can you call the box office on a TDD? • Are seats for hearing impaired people provided near the front? (See Seating Locations, p. 69.) • Do you have an auxiliary listening system? • Do you provide interpreters for at least one performance of every production? If so, can you see the interpreter and the performance at the same time? (See More About Interpreters, below.) On Shadow Interpretation If I were Rosalind, this (the interpreter) would also be Rosalind. She would be dressed in navy blue to make signs more visible, but she would also wear some piece of costume or maybe even an entire costume which identifies her with that role. Shadowing adds an added dimension to the show because it's like having. . . an alter ego. Hearing audiences that have come to see an interpreted show are always very plesantly surprised because it adds a depth and dimension to the performances that even they did not realize existed. Sonia Robinson Stage Hands Atlanta, Georgia More About Interpreters The placement of interpreters for theatrical performances is often a problem. In the past, theaters experimented with sign language interpreters spotlighted on or near the stage. This proved unsatisfactory for the deaf audience because of the “ping pong" effect in which the focal point of the deaf person alternated between the interpreter and the action on stage. New techniques help solve the problem. Some playwrights, for example, are integrating deaf characters who quite naturally interpret the actions on stage. “Shadowing” is another interpreting technique in which each speaking actor is accompanied by a signing interpre- ter who follows the actor around. Tulsa Opera Company in Oklahoma strategically places interpreters within the field of vision just below but in front of the stage level field. Consequently, deaf visitors seated in the orchestra sections can view the action on stage yet see the interpreter at the bottom of the visual field. A few interpreters specialize in music interpretation for deaf audiences. For more information, see Interpreters, p. 48, and Lectures, p. 74.) Chapter 2. Access to Arts Programs : Taking Part 71 Performing Arts • Are supplementary printed materials such as scripts or librettos provided? Audiences report that a short synopsis of the performance in program notes would help considerably. Some theaters make scripts available in advance to deaf people. Be sure to publicize the availability of supplementary materials. • Are any seats for hearing impaired people equipped with lights? Some theaters install small lights at selected seats so that a deaf visitor can follow a script during the performance. These lighted seats are best located near the stage. • Are materials for classes and special events presented in usable form? At least one performance, event, session, or tour you offer should be available to hearing impaired people. (See Special Programs, p. 65.) • As a performer or staff person: • Are TDD’s provided? • Can you teach classes or conduct tours or other special events? (See Special Programs, p. 65.) • Can you operate any equipment necessary to do your job? Can audible signals be replaced by visual signals? Learning Impaired or Mentally Retarded People In reviewing your performing arts facility for its accessibility to learning impaired or mentally retarded people, you will want to pay particular attention to signage. Information communication is the issue in both architectural and program accessibility unless the people you are accommodating have other physical limitations as well. In looking at your programs, you will need to assess the way the content is presented. For both facility and program accessibility, refer to the sug- gestions in Communicating with Learning Impaired People, p. 53. • As a member of the audience: • Are special programs provided which would enhance enjoyment and understanding of the performance? • Are special performances modified to meet the needs of the audience? • Asa performer or staff person: • Are materials presented in clear, understandable form? • Are special events or classes offered in forms suitable to learning impaired or mentally retarded people? (See Special Programs, p. 65.) Here at the NY City Opera, we believe that program accessibility is an impor- tant challenge. In seasons past, we have confronted this issue by providing talking synopses and braille libretti for blind people; detailed synopses and the Infrared Listening System for hearing-impaired people. For the first time in New York, two sign language interpreters were positioned on stage with signers in a regular performance to simultaneously translate the opera for the deaf. The response from both the hearing and non-hearing audience was so tremendous that we now plan to continue these efforts on behalf of hearing-impaired people. I strongly encourage all arts institutions to join us in our commitment to open the doors to this vast new audience. We welcome handicapped people and invite them to share a barrier free future in the exciting world of the arts. Beverly Sills, General Director New York City Opera Literary Arts 72 Literary Arts Introduction The material in this section is supplementary to the general accessibility information in Getting There and Being There. Do not try to evaluate your program using this section alone. If you have not already done so, please read the introduction to Chapter 2 which explains how to use the chapter. Literary arts programs support the creation, publication, promotion, distribution, and presentation of literature. In addition, they may involve graphic arts production, printing, readings, workshops, exhibits, and book fairs, as well as writing, translation, and editing. These activities may take place in a variety of locations ranging from printing shops to classrooms to shopping malls. This section on the literary arts is organized by location, activities, and products, and frequently refers to materials in Getting There (architectural accessibility), Being There (communication techniques), and Taking Part (other arts areas). For example, when the activities of a literary arts program include exhibitions, performances, or lectures, the visual arts, performing arts, and media arts sections should be consulted. The special topic addressed in this section is lecture set up. For a list of all the special topics in Chapter 2, see Where to Find It, p. 58. Location • Where do you work? Grant recipients in the literary arts will be mostly concerned with facility accessibility in terms of where they work. For a writer, editor, translator, or publisher, the question will be, can a disabled person use the facility where the work is conducted? To answer this question, you will need to survey your facility using Getting There as your guide. • Where do you present your work? If your activities include readings or lectures, you can refer to Performing Arts, p. 66, for more information. However, these events are often presented in ordinary rooms or halls without fixed seating and without stages. The material on Lectures, p. 74, is a guide to setting up in the typical church hall, school gymnasium, art gallery, or class room. Remember that all the general architectural accessibility requirements in Getting There apply as well. Chapter 2. Access to Arts Programs : Taking Part 73 Literary Arts Activities • What accommodations need to be made to allow a disabled person to do his or her job? Although the work place may be archi- tecturally accessible, much depends on how well people can use the equipment, and the adequacy of the communication between a disabled person and other people. Equipment modification can be very specialized depending on the type of equipment or type of disability. For basic information see Controls and Hardware, p. 45, and Equipment Modification, p. 62. Communications equipment and supplementary materials for hearing, visually, or learning impaired people are presented in Being There. You should work closely with the disabled people whose needs you are trying to meet. • Do you present exhibitions? If, for example, your library displays rare books in a glass case in your lobby, or has a changing exhibit on a different author each month, or hangs posters of the works of famous illustrators, you should study the section on visual arts for advice on making your exhibitions accessible. • Can disabled people attend or teach classes or conduct other special events or programs? (See Special Programs, p. 65.) Products • Do you provide or distribute literary material? If so, these materials should be available to visually impaired people if requested. See Communicating with Visually Impaired People, p. 51, for infor- mation on alternatives to printed materials. Literary Arts 74 Lectures The Audience. Typical theater or auditorium seating is described in Fixed Seating, p. 67, but if you are making your own seating ar- rangements, the Typical Seating Typical Seating Plan -front row wheelchair position ecial Needs by Janet Kamien A book, entitled What If You Couldn’t, by Janet Kamien, is available from Charles Scribner’s Sons, 597 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10017. It is also being used in training programs for adults. A video tape, entitled Us and Them, which examines three relationships between disabled and nondisabled people, is both serious and provocative. The film can be rented for $75, or bought for $250. For more informa- tion, write: Fred Simon Productions 75 Court Street Newtonville, MA 02160 • If a nondisabled person seems uncomfortable in the presence of a disabled person, you can do one of two things: ignore it, or gently challenge the discomfort by saying something like the following: “It looks like that little boy is having a good time with the computer.” Or, “Are you interested in cane travel? We have an exhibit upstairs about different kinds of disabilities that’s really interesting.” • Your own discomfort will pass once you have spent some time with disabled people. There is nothing to be afraid or ashamed of; just being aware of this problem is the first step in overcoming it. Once you have identified areas of concern, gathered some information about various disabilities, documented helping strategies, and investigated your policy as it may apply, it’s useful to record this information in written form. It will be good to send people away with this kind of reference material in hand, and it will be useful for orienting new staff who come on board between training sessions. If administrators or others view themselves as inappropriate recipients of training because they are not part of a direct service staff, or because they are “too busy,” written materials may be a way to get them some information and keep them abreast of your efforts. Other Training Strategies Thus far, we have talked primarily about a discussion format, but there are other training strategies you can also try. There are some films and videotapes that are good conversation starters. You might also try some simulation exercises, such as exploring your programs from a wheelchair, or while blindfolded or with your ears stopped up. Some people feel this is a pretty shopworn idea and some even find it offensive, stating quite rightly that there is no way to really simulate a handicap to a nonhandicapped person. However, we feel that if it is viewed as an exercise, it can open up some new awareness on the part of your staff that will be useful in your training efforts. The most effective training programs will have a built-in support system and follow-up plan. This is an ongoing process. Try not to set up a one-shot training session that leaves your staff feeling as though there was something they somehow didn’t learn, and that they are failing. The best way to do this is to be aware when disabled people attend your programs and to observe your staff interacting. Later, tactful criticism, praise for good work, and just listening to staff impressions will do more good than all the questionnaires, lectures, films, and exercises in the world. Chapter 3. Audience Development and Staff Training Information About Disabilities There is a dramatic range of ability and disability in each in- dividual. One person described as mentally retarded may live independently, be married, have children, and hold down a job. Another may require constant custodial care. One person described as blind may be able to read large print, while another may have little or no sensitivity to light. A deaf person may or may not have good reading and writing skills. It is most important not to lump people together in categories and to expect them to behave according to preconceived ideas. “Good” stereotypes are as destructive as “bad” ones because they pigeon-hole people. As more is learned about specific disabilities, it is easier to challenge stereotypes and negative feelings. For many people, learning concrete information is a first step toward gaining a broader understanding about disabilities. We have therefore included this section which gives a brief description of six different disability areas and some of the implications for each group. Physical or Orthopedic Handicaps People may experience mobility or other motor problems for a number of different reasons. Problems originating at birth may include birth defects, cerebral palsy, and muscular dystrophy. Cerebral palsy is a blanket term that indicates that there has been damage to the central nervous system resulting in motor and possibly sensory problems. Since such damage is irreparable, conditions usually get neither better nor worse. The manifestations of this damage can be mild or severe. Muscular dystrophy is a group of many progressive disorders whose major characteristic is the gradual wasting away of muscles. Physical disabilities usually acquired later in life include mild or severe motor problems resulting from diseases such as polio, loss of limbs from accident or disease-related amputation, and spinal cord injury resulting in varying degrees of paralysis. Generally speaking, people who have mobility or other motor problems are usually credited with much less physical ability than they actually have, and are considered much more physically fragile than they actually are. If you have taken care of accessibility issues facing people who use wheelchairs, and you have provided rest areas and elevator service for people who have difficulty with stairs, the problem that remains for the physically disabled is your attitude about what they can and cannot do. The most important message for your staff to hear in the case of this and every other disability is that the person who has the disability is an expert! If you have any questions about what visitors can or cannot physically do, or whether they need help, the It's not as if disability is something you understand from birth. You have to learn. Victoria Lewis The Mark Taper Forum Los Angeles. California 92 Guide Dogs When people are accompanied by guide dogs, you should remember the following: • Guide dogs are working dogs and shouldn’t be petted, spoken to, or led without permission of their owners. Never lead or command somebody else’s guide dog. • Seating spaces for people with a guide dog should provide adjacent space for the dog. (See Seating Locations, p. 69.) • Be prepared to tell a person with a guide dog where the dog can be taken outside and how to get there (no escalators). only people equipped to answer that question are the people with the disability. If they look like they need help, ask them! If they say no, don’t be personally offended. If they want some help, and you don’t know how to give it, ask them! They will tell you if they want their wheelchair pushed, or if they need help reaching the item they want to buy in the shop. Visual Impairments Visual impairments encompass a wide range of ability and disability. Someone who is described as legally blind may be able to read large print and do without mobility aids in many or all situations. He or she may be able to perceive not only light and dark but colors as well. On the other hand, a person described as legally blind may have none of these abilities. Many people tend to lump several visual impairments into one problem and one solution because this is easiest, but unfortunately it does not work. In addition to the range of skills dependent on how much and what kind of vision was lost, there is also a range of skills dependent on when vision was lost. People who lost their sight at birth probably have skills in reading braille and tactile orientation materials which people who lost their vision later in life may not have. However, people who lost their sight later in life probably have a storehouse of visual memories of color and scale, and concepts of visual constructs like reflection and symmetry that someone blind from birth doesn’t have. It is impossible to generalize. But it is possible to generalize the stereotypical behaviors that many sighted people display when first meeting a blind person. • People tend to shout, as though the blind person were deaf as well. • People tend to speak to a blind person through a third party, in the way they often speak to children: “Does he want another glass of milk?” Obviously, someone who is blind is perfectly capable of dialogue without an interpreter. • People tend to avoid using words such as “look,” “see,” “blind alley,” etc. when speaking with a blind person. This takes unnecessary effort and makes the process of conversing very awkward. • People hesitate to aid a blind person, or, if they try, become offended if their help is refused. Or they don’t ask how they might be helpful, they just grab an arm or a cane and go to it! It is advisable to first ask what the blind person needs or where he or she wants to go. Generally, the best way to serve as a sighted guide is to offer you arm and walk about a half step in front of the person you are guiding. Although in this way the guided person will be able to feel you go up a curb or stair first, you should also mention obstacles and elevations as you approach them. • People forget to be descriptive enough in their expectations, or find themselves feeling too awkward to give a description in the first Chapter 3. Audience Development and Staff Training 93 place. They also neglect to announce their identities and forget to mention that they have come into a room or that they are leaving. All of these behaviors tend to make social interactions awkward and sometimes serve to further isolate people who are blind. Hearing Impairments Hearing impairments can be even more confusing in the range of ability and disability that exists. Most people have heard of speechreading and sign language, and know that being deaf does not necessarily mean that one is “mute.” However, many people seem to go “blank” when first meeting an individual whose communication skills have been affected by deafness. The most devastating stereotype is the suspicion on the part of hearing people that deaf people cannot understand something because they are incapable of understanding, rather than realizing that it is the communication tools that are at fault. Closing the communication gap between a deaf and a hearing person can be accomplished by some effort and a little common sense. Some deaf and hard-of-hearing people are adept at speechreading. The speaker can greatly improve matters by doing a few simple things: • Look at the person as you speak. Don’t put your hands in front of your mouth or speak with food or a cigarette in your mouth. • Converse directly with a deaf person even when an interpreter is present. Look at the deaf person while you speak and while he or she replies. • Don’t overenunciate. A natural movement of the lips and tongue is preferable. • Speak in short, simply constructed sentences. If a phrase or word is not understood, try repeating the idea using different words. • Don’t shout. If the person is profoundly deaf, it won’t help a bit anyway. For a person who is wearing a hearing aid, a slightly louder voice may help, but shouting can actually hurt the person’s ears and make it more difficult to understand what is being said. • Don’t be afraid to use gestures to help get your point across. Learning even a few signs would help. Although a deaf person may be quite good at understanding you, you may have trouble understanding them. One of the results of profound deafness from an early age is that the deaf person may never have heard his or her own voice and therefore may have a very difficult time learning to speak well. Some people who have profound deafness can be understood quite easily, others not. In this event, if speech and gesture have failed, paper and pencil communication should also be tried. (See also Communicating with Hearing Impaired People, p. 48.) 94 Mental Retardation vs. Learning Disabilities Mentally retarded individuals have a reduced or delayed intellectual de- velopment. Their learning problems may include a short attention span, a slower learning rate, lack of memory skills, and an inability to generalize and conceptualize. Mentally retarded people are also limited in their ability to handle social activities. When a person has poor comprehension and cannot remember or utilize information, the problem is in the content of the message. The solution is to adjust and simplify the material so that it does not exceed the person's learning level. Learning disabled people generally have average or above average intelli- gence and can learn at the same rate as their age peers. The learning dis- ability describes a range of physio- logical conditions which cause problems as individuals process information. Learning disabled people have specific difficulty with spoken or written language skills. One person may be con- stitutionally unable to gain information that is given verbally while another may fully understand spoken instruc- tions but have difficulty grasping the meaning of the printed word. There is variation in the ways communications barriers intrude. Several of the more common categories are: Dyslexia which means problems with written informa- tion; dyscalculia which means there's a problem understanding numbers; and dysgraphia which means a problem with writing. The barrier for each of these classifications is obviously dif- ferent. What is a barrier to indivi- duals with one condition can be the open door to understanding for another. Flexibility and creativity in communication are the keys to elimi- nation of problems. Mental Retardation The range of ability and disability in people described as mentally retarded is probably more dramatic than in any other disability area. The level of apprehension and misconception by the general public is also dramatic. For most retarded people, it is not the ability to leam that has been curtailed, but the speed and ease with which things are learned. Many retarded visitors to cultural programs are readers and talkers, obviously enjoying their experience, obviously grasping the concrete information and some of the more abstract information as well. Other retarded visitors have few communication skills. We may understand what they are enjoying from a few laughs or smiles and excited exclamations, but we really have little idea of what they are “getting” from the experience, except that they are having a good time. Some of our retarded and multiply-handicapped visitors are able to offer us no feedback at all. They may even appear upset or unhappy. However, since we have no way to know what any visitor is going to gain from an arts program, we must take all visitors’ experiences seriously. Mildly to moderately retarded children and adults will not usually behave very differently from their peers except for a more or less obvious delay in cognitive development. They maybe interested in things that are age-appropriate for younger people, and some social skills may be below age level as well. Although it is important to provide experiences which will be appealing, it is equally important not to assume or behave as though a retarded person’s personality or emotional needs are really those of a much younger person, because this simply may not be true. The learning style of a retarded person can be generalized as more concrete, more repetitive, and possibly less focused than a nonretarded peer. But emotional life, sense of humor, and sensitivity to others may be much more sophisticated than cognitive development would lead one to believe. For severely and profoundly retarded people, the question most asked is, what can they possibly gain from an arts experience? Our answer is, frankly, that we don’t know. Since we do know that stimulation and new experiences are the first steps to new learning, this is not a question we can concern ourselves with. The important ideas are: • Don’t underestimate the potential of any patron, • Focus attention by presenting appealing ideas and activities. If something isn’t working, don’t be afraid to change teaching strategies and move to the next thing. • Be clear and concrete about your expectations and behavior, both in terms of rules of the institution and directions for activities. Be repetitive if necessary. Notice and support appropriate behavior. Chapter 3. Audience Development and Staff Training 95 • Allow participants to work with ideas at whatever cognitive level seems appropriate. • Do not patronize your audience. Learning Disabilities Learning disabilities is a blanket term used to describe almost any kind of learning problem that cannot be described as retardation or a behavior problem. Generally, such disabilities arise from visual or auditory perception problems. This means that a person’s hearing and vision are functioning properly, but that the message is not sorted properly once it is received. Learning disabilities do not usually present much of a problem, but there are several things to be aware of: • Reading skills may be poor. Make sure that a good experience is not totally dependent on reading. • Attention spans may be short, especially in settings that are visually confusing and noisy. • Some severely handicapped learning disabled people may be “hyperactive”. Make your expectations of behavior and pace clear and concrete. Emotional Problems Many of the issues surrounding arts experiences by children and adults with emotional problems are similar to concerns about mentally retarded visitors: is the experience appropriate? what is the child or adult learning? what behavior can be expected? But an additional concern is often voiced by staff: what can I do if an incident happens? how should I respond to bizarre out-of -control behavior? During the past ten years at the Children’s Museum, we have been visited by hundreds of adults and children with emotional problems, most often in groups but occasionally alone or with families. In that time, we have sometimes enlisted the support of a group leader when a visitor was behaving inappropriately and we have had to train our staff to deal firmly with difficult situations. Fortunately there have been no serious incidents, no injury to staff or visitors, no damage to the museum facility. Generally speaking, incidents when participants behave in a strange or inappropriate way will be very rare. Your staff may need some guidance, however, in dealing with the few situations which might arise. Most importantly, they should know how to look for assistance, either from another staff member or from counselors and teachers who usually accompany most groups in large numbers. Group leaders are usually very skillful at dealing with difficult behavior and are especially concerned that people in their group have a successul visit. It is also important that rules of behavior be stated very clearly before any visit begins, and that staff be prepared to deal gently but firmly with any behavior that is inappropriate to your program. Seizures Although there are usually no more medical problems for disabled people than there are for able-bodied people, your staff should probably receive some instruction in what to do if a visitor should have a seizure. If your organization does not already have guidelines for assisting someone who has had a seizure, the following sug- gestions may be helpful: • If a person begins to fall in your presence, try to block the fall, so injury does not occur. • Once the person is on the floor and having the seizure, try to get furniture, people, etc. out of the way. If there is something handy, like a shirt or sweater, place it under the head. • Do not attempt to hold the person’s body or limbs down during the seizure. Do not attempt to place anything in the person’s mouth. • Saliva may collect in the mouth. If possible, try to turn the head gently to the side to allow this to drain onto the floor. • When the seizure is over, the person may want to find a quiet place to rest, a bathroom, or may simply want to leave. Help the person to do what he or she wants and try to secure as much privacy as possible. Conclusion A Word to the Wise Cultural organizations throughout the country are complying with the Endowment 504 Regulations in a most economical, efficient, and expedient manner. Arts groups’ careful planning and close communication with disabled constituents have proven to be an extremely successul approach to removing barriers. Many arts organizations report that facilities and programs are better for everyone when the needs of disabled people are considered. For example, large print labeling in museums and galleries is more easily read by all, and many people prefer elevators to steps. Access to the arts is creating new and larger audiences. Audience development efforts have grown out of the newly created awareness to include the following: • The Exploratorium Museum in San Francisco increased its deaf visitors through outreach programs developed by a deaf staff member. • The Milwaukee Symphony in Wisconsin trained and integrated blind docents into its programs. • The New York City Opera sign interprets or “Surtitles” per- formances that are enjoyed by many hearing impaired people. • The /. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, opened its doors and galleries to mobility impaired people through a series of recent structural modifications. • New York’s Theatre Development Fund sold 5,703 tickets to disabled people in 1984 ($98,366 paid to theaters) through its Theater Access Program that provides technical assistance to theaters as well as outreach to disabled people. • The Alley Theater in Houston, Texas has significantly increased its audience through pre-performance workshops for visually impaired people, as well as sign and shadow-interpreted performances, an infrared system, and TDD for hearing im- paired individuals. These are only a few of the arts groups that have demonstrated vision and creativity in opening spaces and programs to people whose needs were not previously considered. 504 is here to stay. Arts organizations that are not actively concerned with accessible programming not only risk the loss of federal funds, but are missing the opportunity to grow and learn about many talented, able Americans. Most important, the assurance of equal opportunity for everyone to appreciate the arts is a fundamental starting point for all our efforts. nRTonRL EnDDiumEnT FDR THE RRTS WASHINGTON D C 20506 riELLIS A Federal agency advised by the National Council on the Arts 20 TkmUieth AMAwerwarr 1965-1985 FOR RELEASE: December 1985 ACCESS TO THE ARTS HANDBOOK AVAILABLE WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Arts and 504, A 504 Handbook has just been published by the National Endowment for the Arts as a unique how-to guide for making arts programs accessible to disabled people. (See instructions below for ordering.. In the Foreword to the publication, Endowment Chairman Frank Hodsoll said, "Audiences of every dimension deserve the opportunity to enjoy art, and it is the mission of the National Endowment for the Arts to encourage broad accessibility." Hodsoll explained that the publication is designed to assist organizations in complying with the Endowment's 504 Regulations by incorporating the needs of disabled people into their overall programming efforts. "Special constituencies should become less special: we anticipate the time when it is commonplace to design arts environments and programs for all people," he added. The 97-page publication, which was produced by Barrier Free Environments, Inc. for the Federal arts agency, explains the Arts Endowment’s 504 Regulations and describes various approaches to access through audience development and staff training. It includes sections on communicating with hearing impaired people, visually impaired persons, and those with learning impairments. Other chapters look at specific arts disciplines -- the visual arts, performing arts, literary, media, and design arts. Copies of The Arts and 504 Handbook are available from the Government Printing Office, Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C. 20402 for $5.75 each. Orders of 100 copies or more receive a 25 percent discount. When ordering please specify that you want The Arts and 504 Handbook, stock Number 036-000-00047-5. For further information about the new handbook, or about the programs of the Endowment’s Office for Special Constituencies, contact: (202) 682-5532 tel. #### riRTiariRL EnDDLumEnT FDR THE RRTS LURSHinGTDn D C. 2D5DE A Federal agency advised by the National Council on the Arts TO: FROM: SUBJECT: Grantees of the National Endowment for the Arts Paula Terry, Coordi nato^&6£^^W*^^ Office for Special Constituencies /] MODEL DEMONSTRATION PROJECT FY 85 This provides a summary of the Arts Endowment's Fiscal year 1985 Model Demonstration Projects at developed by the Office for Special Constituencies in cooperation with specific Endowment Programs As background, the projects illustrate effective, often innovative, ways to make the arts more accessible to disabled, older, and institutionalized popul ati ons-both as audiences and participants. In 1985, four Endowment Programs participated in the Model Projects with 13 grants awarded: 1984 involved two Programs and two grants, while 1983 included four Endowment Programs and 29 grants. We welcome your observations on the Model Demonstration Projects, and encourage you to develop similar efforts. If you would like more detailed information on the projects, you may contact the individual project directors as listed. FY 1985 MODEL DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS Organization & Project Director Telephone Endowment Program Project Description Cambridge Arts Council 57 Inman Street Cambridge, MA 02139 Chris Connaire (617) 498-9033 Inter-Arts/ Presenting Organizations Develop a guide for older and disabled persons to arts activities (visual and performing, traditional and unconven- tional) in Cambridge. The guide, researched and written by a qualified disabled staff member, will be heavily publicized and distributed throughout the Greater Boston area. Contemporary Arts Center 900 Camp Street New Orleans , LA 701 30 Linda Gregoric (504) 523-1216 Inter-Arts/ Presenti ng Organizations Increase the participation of hearing impaired people in the Center's visual, theater, and mime/dance programming through special classes, sign interpreted per- formances and participation in exhibit openings. Integrates young audiences into the CAC's multi-disciplinary arts education program by working in partnership with four public schools for deaf children. Dance Theater Workshop, Inc . 219 West 19th Street New York, NY 10011 Marian Godfrey (212) 691-6500 Inter-Arts/ Presenting Organizations Address the special characteristics and needs of hearing impaired people via sign- interpreted performances and concomitant audience outreach/development: integrate sign language into theater, dance, and mime programming; provide workshops/lectures to deaf audiences after each performance; offer sign language classes to staff and members; and assist artist and group members in involving deaf people in programmi ng . Friends of the Davi s Center, Inc. Aaron Davis Hall at CCNY 134th St. & Convent Ave. New York, NY 10031 Aaron M. Cohen (212) 690-6900 Inter-Arts/ Presenti ng Organizations Explore ways to encourage older and disabled people living in Harlem and Washington Heights to attend the Center's regular programming. Efforts include matinee opportunities, transportation arrangements, sign language i nterpreters , free/reduced price tickets, targeted mailings, access guide to Aaron Davis Hall, and involvement of organizations representing older and disabled people in planning for increased audience attendance. - 2 - Organization & Project Director Telephone Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Inc. 140 West 65th Street New York, NY 10023 Madi son Civic Center 21 1 State Street Madison, WI 53703 Beth Yeager (608) 266-6550 Natural Heritage Trust/ Artpark Box 371 Lewiston, NY 14092 Joanne Alii son (716) 745-3377 (Sept. -May) (716) 754-9001 (June-Aug) Roadwork, Inc. 1475 Harvard Street, NW Washington, DC 20009 Susan Freundlich (202) 234-9308 Endowment Program Project Description Inter-Arts/ Presenti ng Organizations Implement an audience development project designed to inform disabled people and others of Lincoln Center's accessible facilities/programs; increase interest in programs by disabled people; and provide a profile of untargeted disabled audiences. A qualified, disabled staff member, hired for the project, will survey the Center's facilities, suggest access improvements, assess public relations needs, and survey untargeted audiences. Inter-Arts/ Presenti ng Organizations Conduct outreach and audience development efforts for disabled and older persons, as organized and implemented by a qualified, disabled project coordinator. Includes quarterly, targeted newsletters; discounts for special audiences; proposal to City for municipal funds to upgrade Center's accessibility; training for ushers; reserved theater seating for visually impaired people; publicity of access features via brochure. WisCAHN, an organization serving disabled people, will provide technical assistance throughout the project . Inter-Arts/ Presenti ng Organi zations Increase outreach efforts for older and disabled visitors to Artpark's accessible facility and programs via large print and braille theatre programs, sign interpreted performances, amplification devices, wheelchair transportation, TTY, and shuttle bus services. Inter-Arts/ Expand outreach to deaf people through Presenting presentation of deaf and hearing artists Organizations in a unique blend of sign language, dance, and mime performances in schools and other institutions. Performances will be designed to increase understanding of ethnic diversity as it exists within and outside the deaf community. Includes videotaping of performance workshops for use as teaching tools among a wider audience. Organization & Project Director Telephone Endowment Program Project Description Visiting Arti sts , Inc . 2717 Nichols Lane Davenport, IA 52803 Lois Jecklin (319) 359-0866 Inter-Arts/ Presenti ng Organizations Increase the participation of youth and adults from various institutions (long- term day care, residential treatment, and special education programs) in Visiting Artists' regular programming. Artists of every discipline will involve the targeted audiences in their art forms, both in and outside the institutional setting. Outreach efforts will include busing and sign language projects. San Francisco Inter- national Video Festival 650 Mi ssouri Street San Francisco, CA 94107 Stephen Agetstein (415) 863-8434 Media Arts/ National Services Conduct the first pilot program to make video art accessible to hearing impaired people. Includes captioning videotapes presented at the 1985 Festival and those selected for marketing via "Send Video Art" and KQED TV broadcasts; Captioned works advertised via festival publications, mailings, and press releases, plus various media vehicles used by hearing impaired persons . National Trust for Historic Preservation 1785 Massachusetts Ave NW Washington, DC 20036 Pat Burda (202) 673-4153 Museums/ Uti 1 i zation of Museum Resources Educate and assist National Trust member- ship in making historic properties and related programs accessible to disabled and older visitors. Convene 6 two-day regional workshops where advisory commit- tees of disabled representatives work with Trust site directors in assessing needs, planning any needed access accommodations and developing outreach projects. The National Council on the Aging, Inc. 600 Maryland Ave . , SW West Wing 100 Washington, DC 20024 Priscilla McCutcheon (202) 479-1200 Inter-Arts/ Services to the Arts NCoA's Center on Arts and the Aging provides technical assistance to arts and aging organizations on developing professional arts programs involving older adults. The Center maintains a library on arts and aging literature and conducts/co-sponsors seminars and conferences. Specific FY 85 project includes a film and videotape catalog on arts and aging, ARTS EXCHANGE publication, and emphasis on providing exhibition and performing arts opportunities for older audiences . -4- Organization & Project Director Telephone Opera America 633 E Street NW Washington, DC 20004 Mary Furber (202) 347-9262 Endowment Program Project Description Opera-Musical Theater/ Services to the Arts Opera America's Special Constituencies Technical Assistance Program educates its members on the best ways to make opera available to people with various dis- abilities and the Endowment's 504 regula- tions, serves as a resource center, provides mini-awards to opera companies to implement program accomodations, and pro- vides on-site and telephone consultancies. It includes updating and distributing 504 Program That Work to its membership. NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOE THE ARTS SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES RELATING TO OLDER AMERICANS FISCAL YEAR 1983 The mission of the National Endowment for the Arts is "to foster the excellence, diversity and vitality of the arts in the United States" and "to help broaden the availability and appreciation of such excellence, diversity and vitality." We recognize that creative expression flourishes and matures during our older years, further, the capacity to understand messages communicated in art seems to increase With age as one's life experiences are expanded anu perceptions are sharpened. Through a kaleiuoscope of activities, we continue to pursue aggressively the goal of ensuring tliat the arts are meaningful and available in the rives of older Americans, whether as artists, audiences, educators, or students. With this goal in mind, a great dear of emphasis has been placed on the recognition ana celebration of the extraordinary achievements of some of our master artists. OFFICE FOR SPECIAL CONSTITUENCIES Of course, the Arts Endowment's Office lor -Special Constituencies continues its work with the Agency's individual Programs and grantees, state and local arts organizations, as well as other federal agencies. The Of free also works with private groups representing speciar constituencies, to educate and advocate quality arts programming for older, disabled and institutionalized peopre. This Office, which was established by the National Council on the Arts in 1 9 7 o , accomprishes its work in a wide variety of ways through technical assrstance, funding and advocacy initiatives as described throughout this report. INTERAGENCY ACTIVITIES Design for Aging Continued focus on "design for aging" in the Office for Special Constituencies has seen results directed at the increasing number of Americans over 65 years of age. By 199&> 30 million Americans will be age 65 and older; the nation's elderly have outnumbered teenagers since July 1983. Fundamental issues involving physical and mental health, as well as one s ability to live independently, have a direct beaiing on design. Whether it is the physical barriers found in the houses or institutions supporting the elderly, proximity to community services, or their clothing, architects and designers can create environments that older persons can more fully use, operate and enjoy. Design that is sensitive to the special physical and social needs of older Americans can facilitate independence, comfort and dignity for the aged among us. We need to use what we know and there is more to be learned. In response to these issues, on February 14, 1985, the National Endowment for the Arts signed an interagency agreement with the Administration on Aging (AoA) of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Farmers Home Administration of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (FmHA). this cooperative effort is catalyzing these four agencies to share expertise and work together to improve awareness of the design needs of older persons in both the public anu private sector. The agreement estabished an interagency task force that is working to implement the goals of the agreeement. As mentioned in last year’s report, the Office for Special Constituencies and the Design Arts Program are working through the American Institute of Architects Foundation (AIAF) and the Administration on Aging to produce Design for Aging: An Architect's Guide. The book is a practical guide to physical, psychological and social issues of aging as related to design, and the quality of life for older persons. It is a ready-reference work, expected to occupy a place alongside the programmer's desk and the designer's drawing table. AIAF will complete and begin marketing the guide in March, 1986. The interagency task force is serving as one of the review committees for the guide, and will further disseminate it t o key administrators and architects involved with the four agencies. Already, the task force has developed a design for aging competition for students in schools of architecture across the country. The competition is supported in part by the Arts Endowment's Design Arts Program and will be conducted by the Association of Student Chapters of the American Institute of Architects. Through the competition, we hope to sensitize future architects to the design needs of older peopie. The new design guide will be used as part of the competition's guidelines and resource materials. The task force felt this project would be one of tne most effective ways of getting the guide into the hands ana minds of design faculty and students. Artist Residency in Veterans' Medic a i Center- Many older Americans are residing in veterans' medical centers. The Arts Endowment anci the Veterans Administration have together established an arti&t residency program at the Mountain home Veterans Administration Medical Center in Johnson City, Tennessee. This is one of srx pilot programs to make the best arts available to patients of V.A. hospitals. The new musician-in- residence program demonstrates how music enhances the lives of patients in medical centers. The selected artist, Kathy D. Wat tenbarge r, has organized a varied music program for patients, including instrumental and choral music, and tours to area musical performances. She is also arranging for local talent to bring concerts to the medical center. PROGRAM ACCESSIBILITY As part o 1 its technical assistance work, the Special Consti- tuencies Office developed The Arts and 504 > a handbook on accessible arts programming, to assist arts groups in making their programs available to people with various kinas of impairments. In September lg85> over g,000 copies were distributed to state and regional arts agencies and arts service organizations throughout the country. Because we have received requests for many additional copies, the U.S. Government Printing Office is making the handbook available through its sales catalogue at a nominal fee. A second publication, The Creative Spirit: A Commentary ana Annotated Bibliography on the Arts and Humanities and Aging , i s forthcoming i n M a y lg 66 through Arts Endowment support of Washington, D.C.'s Rational Council on Aging The book grew out of our interagency agreement with the National Endowment for the Humanities and the White House Conference on Aging, as outlined in the F'Y lg8i Summary of Activities to the Senate Committee on Aging. The bibliography encompasses much of the research and writings on quality arts and humanities programs involving older persons that has been done in the past decade. We anticipate that this book will prove highly useful and will broaden knowledge concerning the arts and humanities in the lives of older Americans. The Special Constituencies Office continues to initiate model projects with the individual Endowment Programs to create a greater number of programs tnat demonstrate the best ways to open up the arts to older and disabled people. Luring Fiscal Year 1985, the Arts Endowment's Design Arts, Media Arts, Museums, and Inter Arts Programs participated in model projects with twelve grants totalling $205? 530. For example, work with the Museums Program and the National Trust for Historic Preservation produced an educational program that helps historic site directors make their properties and activities more accessible to older and disabled visitors. In this unprecedented effort, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has assumed a leadership role by providing its membership with a series of six regional workshops that address the architectural and programmatic needs of older and disabled visitors. Site directors are working with an advisory committee composed of older adults ana disabled persons who discuss constraints posed by historic properties, and assist in evaluating current programs. The two-day workshops began in Stocku ridg e , Massachusetts in September 1985, and the last session will be held at Mt . Vernon, Virginia in February i9S6. The program includes matching grants up to $1,000 that are made available to the participating sites, on a competitive basis, to encourage the directors to put their newly acquired knowledge into pra c tic e . SURVEY OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN THE ARTS Analytical work now in process with the computer data tapes from the Survey of Public Participation in the Arts shows lower attendance rates for older peopre, amd provides a sharpened understanding of the relative importance of the several barriers. The average attendance rate for those over 18 was .82 arts events per year. This aver- age declines with age: Average § of Age Events Attend ed/yr . I ( 18 + ) 0. ,82 18 t 0 24 0. .85 25 t 0 34 0. .93 35 t 0 44 0 , . 99 45 t 0 54 0. , 86 55 t 0 64 0. .74 65 t 0 74 0. . 59 75 and over 0. .35 Important differences show up in the perceived harriers to attendance by the older age groups, as compared to the population at large. For example, the population as a whole gave "not enough time" as the most frequently mentioned barrier, while the 65 and over age group ranked this reason eighth. The rank given by the older age group to the ten barriers ranked most important by the overall population is shown below: Ty p e of Barrier U.S. Adult 65 & Over Population Age Group hot enough time 1 Too expensive 2 Art form not available 3 Too far to go 4 Poor performance time 5 Lack of motivation 6 lo one to go with 7 Iranspo r t /'t raff i c /’parking problem 8 Babysitter or child care problem 9 Age or health problem 10 8 5 2 5 11 7 6 4 16 1 The complete analysis of these data show a substantially different set of problems for oluer persons who want to participate compared to younger persons who want to parti- cipate. "Time" and "cost" drop in relative importance; and instead — factors of distance, travel, lack of companions, and health take over as the critical barriers. The relative availability of leisure time and the reduced concern over expense indicate that older Americans may be an audience ready to be tapped. ARTS ENDOWMENT FUNDING The Arts Endowment supports programs in the design, media, literary, visual and performing arts that serve and benefit people of all ages. However, many Arts Endowment grants provide support for activities that are targeted for the older consumer. Following are examples of these projects and fellowships, listed by the specific Arts Endowment Program providing the grant: DISCIPLINE SUMMARY OP NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS DANCE Choreographer's Fellowships are awarded to provide funds for any project or activity that will further the choreographer's creative development. Among those funded in FY 1985 who are older choreographers: Katherine Dunham , of East St. Louis, Illinois. Anna Haiprin , of San Francisco, California. Hanya Holm , of New York, New York. l v ls. Holm received one of the limited 3 - y e a r f e 1 1 o w s h i p s awarded this year. DESIGN ARTS University of Wisconsin -Milwauke e, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin is involved in research to reduce peoples' dish ri ent ation in large buildings, hospitals, ana the like. The City of hatches, in Mississippi plans to restore five historic buildings in the city including one senior citisens center. Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, California is presenting an exhibition documenting the historic Los Angeles J-945-1966 "Case Study House" program. The study commissioned 19 L.A. architects to create experimental prototypes for the "average" post-War suburban family which resulted in 23 case studies and 9 unbuilt designs. Drawings and models ^will cover the history. The Museum will apply the "case study approach to contemporary problems using today s demographics by encouraging proposals, drawings and models to address specific needs such as housing for the elderly, artists, and single-parent families. EXPANSION ARTS Akwesasne Museum/ Cultural Center, Inc, of Hogansburg , New York is training Mohawk youth through a series of workshops taught by elderly Mohawk artists. The participants will share valuable cultural knowledge and exhibit their traditional work at the end of the program. Catamount Filin and Arts Co./G.R.A.C.E. in St. Johnsbury, Vermont is sponsoring training and workshops in the visual arts for elderly and special constituency artists. Their works - indigenous to rural Vermont - will be exhibited locally as well as nationally. Carpetbag Theatre, Inc, in Knoxville, Tennessee will train aspiring senior actors in the city. Theater workshops have produced a strong group of talented seniors eager to continue dramatic work. This outlet will be enhanced in the project, "New Careers for Older- Adults", which trains actors to work professionally with other companies in the southeastern U.S. , and encourages them to develop their own dramatic works. The actors will tour other workshops in the area, sharing their experiences and feelings about aging. In addition, seniors with general office skills would be sought to assist with tour booking and bookeeping. Dance Exchange, Inc, of Washington, the Third Age," a dance program for performances, classes and workshops metropolitan area. D.C. conducts "Dancers of older adults. Dance are held throughout the OPUS, Inc. /Arts and the Aging of Hartford, Connecticut presents noted, elderly Connecticut artists in performance series and cultural residencies in non-traditional settlings such as senior centers, institutions and residencies. A city-wxde exhibit of works produced from the residencies by participants and audiences will be shown. Model Project INTER ARTS National Council on Aging in Washington, D.C. through its Center on Arts and Aging , provides technical assistance to profes- sionals in arts and in aging fields to involve older people as audiences, volunteers, patrons and participants. The Center is producing a resource guide and directory of available arts/aging prog rams . Cambridge Arts Council , of Cambridge, Massachusettes has developed a guide for older and disabled persons to performing, traditional, and unconventional arts activities in Cambridge. The guide was researched and written by a qualified, disabled staff member, and will be distributed throughout the Greater Boston area. Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Inc. , of New York, New York, has implemented an audience development project to inform physically disabled audiences about the Center's accessible accomodations, and to interest them in its programs. The project includes a study of disabled audiences so that the Center can better address their needs. Visiting Artists, Inc. , of Davenport , Iowa, helps increase the participation of youth and adults from local long-term day care and residential treatment centers in its regular programming. Performing and visual artists will involve these audiences in their performances, which will also include transportation and sign language. POLK ARTS University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia is documenting banjo playing and story-telling of Georgian traditional music. Older artists such as W. Guy Bruce and Mabel Cawthon are captured on video . Ketchikan Community College in Ketchikan, Alaska supports instruction in traditional native crafts by sponsoring a one-week camp where the traditional arts are taught by older- arti s t s . Museum of Native American Cultures in Spokane, Washington gives a series of storytelling sessions by local traditional Native American raconteurs for school groups and the public. Partici- pating tribal storytellers include senior artists from the Nez Perce, Colville, Spokane, Yakima, Flathead, and Northern Cheyenne tribes. Arts Council of hockland in Pomona, New York includes local senior traditional artists in residencies at the senior centers located in the County. Last year's included National Heritage Fellow, Martin Muivihiii, a traditional Irish fiddler; a Haitian dollmaker; and a woodcarver. National Heritage lellowships were awarded to twelve master traditional artists, whose work has been characterized by "authenticity, excellence, and significance within a particular artistic tradition." Ine recipients are generally Older Americans who have developed their art over a lifetime. LI1ER AlUftL Michael Cuddihy/lronwood in Tucson, Arizona produces an issue devoted to the work of an older poet in its national magazine, in addition to a section reviewing work of a younger, experi- mental poet, and interviews. In acknowledgement of the contribution of talented writers of poetry, fiction, and other creative prose, the following older writers received lellowships for Creative Writers so that they may set aside time for writing, research or travel in order to advance their careers. Ri c ha rd bay , of Areata, California, winner for fiction, is a teacher at Humboldt State University. Robert P . Dana , of Coralville, Iowa won a fellowship for poetry; he is a Professor of English at Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa. 10 MEDIA ARTS Mxchelle Citron of Evanston, Illinois is directing a feature length narrative film entitled "Great Expectations," about the human impact of high technology medicine. It will explore the quality of life from the point of view of people dependent on equipment to live, including several cases illustrative of the financial burden and physical dependence posed by recent technology . MUSEUM PROGRAM Alternative Center for International Arts, Inc, in hew York, He w York presents a solo exhibition by Irving Sorman, a painter now in his eighties, who has previously exhibited only on the V/ e s t coast. The retrospective exhibition will be accompanied by a catalogue including essays by critics. The Alternative Museum has recently presented a number of older and mid-career artists who have not received due recognition. Henry Street Settlement of hew York, Hew York provides continued thematic exhibitions, related events and series of arts classes and workshops with components directed to older persons and school children of the neighborhood. The large populaton of retired seniors in subsidized housing and other immigrant families in the area is served through workshops, such as one in sculpture using the participants' own personal materials (jewelry, photos, lace) , or a recorded slide show as a personal account of experiences of emigration. Meanwhile, a series of annual exhibitions devoted to the East Side theme is underway; contemporary photos of the Lower East Side are exhibited, rn which the seniors locate their buildings, friends, and places in which they live, shop, and walk. Showing the arts and cultural history of the neighborhood serves the diversity and heritage of many underserved populations while helping them survive changes in Henry Street, preserving it as a part of Hew York. MUSIC SumArts, Inc, in Houston, Texas presents a special, free performance for senior audiences by established artists/ensembles as part of the annual jazz Festival. Aspen Hmd Quintet in Hew York, Hew York participates in residencies including workshops, master classes and concerts fox 1 senior citizens and children at the University of Southeast Oklahoma and Eastern Montana College . II Senior Musicians Orchestra in New York presents a series of free concerts m senior citizen centers and community auditoriums in New York, its boroughs and Long Island. bakota String Quartet of Sioux Falls, South Lakota performs throughout the Northern Plains, especially for senior audiences, farmers, ranchers, and Indian reservation families in South Dakota, North Dakota, loxva and Minnesota. Strings for Schools, Inc, in Malvern, PA performs free chamber Music concerts for older persons in extended care facilities, shopping malls, and airports in southeastern Pennsylvania. Pro Music is Foundation in West Los Angeles, California performs a concert series by emerging American soloists including 42 free recitals to low income, institutionalized community audiences as well as 21 major public recitals. OPERA -MUSI CAL THEATER Opera America as a Washington, D.C. service organization, educates its members and provides on-site and telephone consultancies to member companies, while updating the Arts Endowment's publication, 504 Programs That Work . Opera America increases awareness of 504 regulations through "mini-award" incentives to opera companies which implement accessibility projects. Among the outreach programs within recent years under this incentive urn'b r ell a , the following companies have received recognition and continue to expand accessibility: Cincinnati Opera, ECCO'. , in Cincinnati, Ohio, for outreach to older, disabled, and terminally ill people. Opera Theatre of St. Louis i n St. Louis, Missouri, for its production of "The Old Maid and the Thief." Cleveland Opera , of Cleveland, Ohio, presents thirty programs, comprised of two singers and one accompanist for senior citizen centers throughout the Greater Cleveland area. Each program consisted of 30-45 minutes of selections from opera, operetta, and musicals. A social period follows each peformance, during which time the performers and their audience share the atten- tion. Lasting friendships have been built through these yearly experiences . Michigan Opera Theatre , of Detroit, Michigan, presents a series of three musical programs at a senior center and invites grandchildren of the members to attend. "Grandparents Day" served to encourage seniors to become teachers, and help the youth understand anu appreciate the performance. Syracuse Opera Company of Syracuse, New York presented performances of highlights before residents of Loretto Geriatric center in Syracuse from "HMS Pinafore," "Christmas Celebration," "II Campanello," and "Alice in Wonderland." The Company also performed "La Traviata," "HMS Pinafore," "Barber of Seville," and "Borneo and Juliet" at the Civic Center, providing transportation for the audiences from the Loretto Geriatric Center. ✓ VISUAL ARTS Visual Artists Fellowships were awarded this year to artists working in new genres, painting, and pri ntmaking /d rawing/a rt i st s books. The grants are given to help support the creative development of professional artists by enabling them to set aside time, purchase materials, and pursue their work. Older artists receiving the fellowships include: Howard Conant , of Tucson, Arizona, for painting. Edward Dugmore , of New York, New York, for painting. Ynez Johnston , of Los Angeles, California, for painting. Elsie Manvilie, of New York, New York, for painting. Irene Schwachman, of Needham Heights, Massachusetts f o i printmaking . aiagc nanus, mmina, Urrv