Kansas - Accessible Arts, Inc.
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1100 State Avenue |
Emily Vowiell |
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Tel.: (913) 281-1133 |
Website: |
Organizational Profile:
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Full-time Staff: 4 |
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Since 2001, Accessible Arts, Inc., has been an affiliate of VSA. Accessible Arts unlocks the arts for children with disabilities and advocates access to the arts. Advocacy, education, and collaboration are essential components in accomplishing these objectives. A core belief underlying Accessible Arts programs is that through the arts, children develop critical thinking skills, take risks in a safe environment, and experience success. In recognition of its success in including children with disabilities in arts experiences, Accessible Arts received the 1998 Kansas Governor’s Arts Award for Outstanding Arts Organization, the 2005 Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor’s Award and the 2008 Coming Up Taller Award from the President’s Committee on Arts and Humanities. Accessible Arts’ constituency includes children with disabilities and those who care for them in schools, social service programs, and community programs in the metropolitan Kansas City area and throughout Kansas.
Programming Partners and Other Funders:
Kansas Arts Commission; National Park Service; Francis Family Foundation; Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation; ArtsKC Fund; Theresa Foundation; H&R Block Foundation; Curry Family Foundation
Educational Programs and Artist Residencies
99 Drums Music & Cultural Camp
This program offers interactive music and dance workshops exploring the arts, history and customs of Caribbean, West African, Native American, and Mexican cultures. The 99 Drums program brings together an integrated group of students with and without disabilities, ages 9–15, from across the state of Kansas. These students experience music and dance in a celebration of diverse cultures in an inclusive environment. During the first two days of the camp, professional artist-educators present exciting interactive workshops where students learn West African drumming and dance, Native American drumming and dance, Mexican dance, and Caribbean percussion music. The artist-educators also teach the history and customs of these diverse cultures. On the final afternoon, students and artists collaborate to present a public performance at the Kansas State School for the Blind. This year’s 99 Drums Camp will take place in October 2009.
Professional Development and Technical Assistance
Creating Arts for All
This professional development training will focus on Universal Design, adaptations for arts activities (music, creative dramatics, movement, and visual arts), arts integration across curricula, and strategies to reinforce classroom and Individual Education Plan goals. It is intended for classroom teachers, arts teachers, artists, special education teachers, and paraprofessionals. The training can be customized for any group of people who want to make the arts more accessible for children of all abilities. Creating Arts for All will be presented at the Kansas Arts Commission Statewide Arts Conference and the Statewide AmeriCorps Conference, to AmeriCorps GRASP members in Wichita and the Johnson County Transition Council, and to Discovery Trails Project teaching interns and artists.
Cultural Access and Inclusive Arts Services
Statewide Accessibility Services
In collaboration with the Kansas Arts Commission, Accessible Arts provides statewide cultural access services including accessibility site surveys, one-on-one program consultations, and staff and volunteer training. Arts organizations, theaters, galleries, museums, and other venues may book these services and have the fees completely underwritten by the Kansas Arts Commission and VSA. The accessibility site surveys include an in-depth report on the accessibility of a venue based on the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines. During the one-on-one program consultation, Accessible Arts staff members meet with clients to discuss how to make their programming accessible to people of all abilities. Accessible Arts also offers customized staff and volunteer training that may include Universal Design for administrators, disability awareness for ushers or docents, and program training for teaching artists.
Public Awareness and Outreach
The Jellybean Conspiracy Project
The Jellybean Conspiracy Project was presented in Altamont, Kansas, in October 2008 and will be presented in Ottawa, Kansas, in April 2009. This project has three components designed to provide disability awareness to students in middle and high school, as well as the broader community. First, Accessible Arts facilitates a collaboration between the local high school’s theater and special education departments to produce a play with disability themes. The lead actor in each production has Down syndrome, and students from the special education department work with typical students throughout the project. The public performances help sensitize the community to the needs of people with disabilities. Second, professional artists present interactive arts workshops to students who have seen the play. Third, artists present workshops to community families. The workshops reiterate themes from the play—disability awareness, tolerance, and respect.
(F) 202-429-0868