About Arts Access

What is Arts Access?

Arts Access is an organization whose fundamental goal is to encourage and enable people with disabilities to have full access to arts programs and facilities and participate fully in the cultural and artistic life of Raleigh and the Triangle area.

To this end, Arts Access has drawn together a coalition of organizations and concerned individuals who are involved in improving the quality of life for people with disabilities and who recognize the important contributions of the arts.  All of the services of Arts Access are free of charge to patrons of the arts.

Some of our activities are as follows:

• We provide trained Audio Describers to theaters at select performances so that patrons who are blind or have low vision can "see" a play.  They hear about the action on stage through earphones and can thus better visualize and appreciate the performance.  See What is Audio Description for more information.
• We provide information about the services of interpreters at selected performances to assist people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
• We maintain a website with full information about our organization, including a schedule of upcoming performances that are Audio Described or Sign Language Interpreted.
• We publish and distribute our Inclusions Newsletter with information about the services of Arts Access and accessible arts programs.  The newsletter is free upon request.
• We have placed wheelchairs at local theaters and art galleries, including Artspace, Raleigh Little Theatre, Cary Arts Center, Thompson Theatre, Stewart Theatre, Theatre in the Park, and Meredith College.
• We lend local arts groups an assistive listening system for their board meetings.
• We provide arts organizations with workshops, technical assistance, and consultations on how to develop accessibility plans for their programs and facilities.
• We offer "sensitivity training" so that arts organizations can meet the special needs of people with disabilities.

Who uses our services?

• People with disabilities, their family members and friends.
• Arts program administrators.
• Artists.
• Members of arts organizations.
• Community service groups.

As a result of work the City of Raleigh Arts Commission did in 1982 to address the specific concerns of people with disabilities, Arts Access was created as a non-profit agency to ensure that all people could enjoy the arts.

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Our 2006 Accomplishments

• Audio described 72 shows and special events, up 13% from last year
• Provided audio description for 192 users, a 33% increase over 2005, and with as many as 20 users at one show
• Gained the commitment of ELEVEN local theatre groups (one more than last year) to audio describe their full main stage season
• Gained the commitment of TWO theatre groups to sign language interpret their full main stage season
• Matched last year's record number of SEVENTEEN organizational memberships supporting us with $100 donations
• Conducted a well-attended cultural arts administrator's training workshop (for the fifth year in a row) at the NC Museum of Art, with the assistance of a grant from the Southeast Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center
• Presented what we do to students at Meredith College, who then attended a school play blindfolded, complete with a touch tour, and using audio description headsets
• Began a survey of the use of assistive listening devices at local performance venues
• Prepared a brochure discussing audio description to be made available in eye care providers offices in the first quarter of 2007
• Exhibited at the NC Assistive Technology Expo and provided audio description for their speakers
• Had a month-long exhibit at the Cameron Village Public Library
• Arranged for an article on Arts Access to be published in the January 2007 edition of Our State magazine (released in late December)
• Helped publicize a ticket-giveaway to an audio described performance of Doctor Dolittle, sponsored by the Cary Lions club, including creation of three public service announcements which played on local radio stations, courtesy of Curtis Media Group
• Conducted a 2-day training session for seven new audio describers and assigned mentors to each of them for follow-up training
• Maintained our website featuring information about disability and the arts, the current schedule of Triangle theatrical accessible events, and special programs, plus offered email updates of our accessible event schedule
• Helped publicize the new availability of audio described and closed captioned movies at three Triangle movie theaters
• Published three issues of our Inclusions newsletter

Our 2005 Accomplishments

Our Honors and Awards

UDA	On July 24, 2003, president of the board of directors of Arts Access, Paul Siceloff, received a Universal Access Award from Universal Disability Advocates, a nonprofit organization which advocates for people of all ages and abilities.  He received the award at the fourth annual Triangle Access Awards ceremony "for his extraordinary contribution to making the arts accessible to people with disabilities."
	On June 25, 2003, Arts Access was awarded a 2003 Indie Arts Award from The Independent!  Indies Arts Awards are presented "to individuals, groups and organizations who've made significant contributions to the local arts scene."  The article announcing the award stated:  "Arts Access is a 2003 Indie Arts Award recipient because for the past 21 years, they have painted canvases of inclusion for the Triangle's disabled art-lovers."  View the beautiful Indie Award plaque!
	On May 16, 2003, Arts Access received a Distinguished Service Award from the NC Employment Network (the state level competition for recipients of the Mayor's Committee awards).
	On October 16, 2002, Arts Access received a Distinguished Service Award from the Raleigh Mayor's Committee for Persons with Disabilities.
	On May 13, 2002, the then-president of the board of directors of Arts Access, Bill Brown, was the sole recipient of the 2001 Raleigh Medal of Arts.  Nominated primarily for his work as founding coordinator of Explorer Post 512, Technical Production and Design, his work with Arts Access was acknowledged:  "As the president and long time board member of Arts Access, he works diligently to ensure that arts events are accessible to persons with disabilities."
	On December 31, 2001, our entry in the Raleigh Red Wolf Ramble (The Sloan Wolf) received the Most Kid Friendly Wolf award from the City of Raleigh Arts Commission, as part of the People's Choice Awards Ceremony at First Night Raleigh.
UDA	On July 26, 2001, the then-president of the board of directors of Arts Access, Bill Brown, received a Universal Access Award from Universal Disability Advocates, a nonprofit organization which advocates for people of all ages and abilities.  He received the award at the second annual Triangle Access Awards ceremony "for his extraordinary contribution to making the arts accessible to persons with disabilities."
UDA	On September 19, 2000, Arts Access as an organization received a Universal Access Award from Universal Disability Advocates at their first annual awards event.  At the same ceremony, our Audio Description coordinator Elizabeth Kahn won the Assistive Technology award, and board member Sarah Corrin picked up a Universal Access Award on behalf of Raleigh Little Theatre.
	On May 22, 2000, Arts Access was one of three recipients of the 1999 Raleigh Medal of Arts, a program "designed to foster excellence in the arts and encourage their support ... to recognize those who achieved clear excellence in their art form or who made an extraordinary contribution to the arts through service or financial support."  The Raleigh Arts Commission has sponsored the Medal of Arts program since 1984.

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Board of Directors and Audio Describers

Past presidents of Arts Access have included:

• Fred Brack (2004-2006)
• Paul Siceloff (2002-2004)
• Bill Brown (1999-2002)
• Allan Reep (1996-1999)
• Elizabeth Grimes Droessler (1995-1996)
• Jim Keene (?-1995)
• Thelma Lennon (mid 80s)

Arts Access was formed in 1982 and incorporated on January 5, 1984, by the following directors at that time:  Bette Elliott, Lockhart Follin-Mace, G. Peyton Maynard, Waltye Rasulala, and Theresa Rosenberg.  Other "key contributors" in the history of access have been Elaine Lorber and Nancy Lambert.  Further updates to this list are requested from past board members!

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Making a Contribution to Arts Access

Arts Access is funded by the City of Raleigh (based on recommendations of the Raleigh Arts Commission), by the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County, and by corporate and individual contributions.  We encourage you to become a Friend of Arts Access by making a contribution.  (All contributors receive our newsletter.)  While contributions in any amount are gratefully accepted, we offer the following as a guideline:

• Individual:  $15.
• Family:  $25.
• Organization:  $100.  (See Organizational Memberships.)
• Other:  $?.

Please let us know how you wish your contribution to be acknowledged in listings we will publish of contributions for the current year (i.e., in your name/s, as anonymous, or in honor of someone or something else, another organization, or venture).  If not specified, we will acknowledge in your name.

If you work for a matching funds contributing corporation, please send appropriate forms along with your contribution.  IBM is a matching fund employer, as is Progress Energy!

Your contribution is fully tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.  The Arts Access Tax Exemption Number is 58-1678626.

Contributions should be mailed to:

Call us at (919) 833-9919.  Thank you.

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