Learn with us.
Take part in professional development with lived experience at the center. From Disability Justice to building inclusive programs- prioritize time to learn from disabled professionals, thought leaders, activists and artists alike. Joining the Art-Reach Cohort is joining a community of cultural art workers committed to creating a better cultural arts sector.
Registration for the 2024-2025 year will open in June, please email Director of Education, Katie Samson to join the waitlist ksamson@art-reach.org
Connect with our network of cultural arts professionals
Join the Art-Reach team along with seasoned facilitators who lead eight, monthly, online workshops Topics range from the Disability Rights Movement and Disability Justice, to Deaf Culture and American Sign Language. Workshops also center the experiences and accessible services for people who are hard of hearing, adapted/augmented communicators, blind and low vision, and the intellectual and developmentally disabled community.
During "the doctor's morning round" at Blackwell Asylum, a doctor in a suit and bowler hat walks among the patients who ate drawn in various postures that indicate "madness"- Harper's New Monthly Magazine 32 (1866), p.280
Learn disability history.
Cohort members gain a basic knowledge of the key moments of disability history in America, the disability rights movement, and the important figures, collectives, events, and legislation in the continued fight for access.
Sample Schedule 2023-2024
Class 1: September- Welcome & Introduction to Cultural Accessibility
*October 3-5, 2023: Art-Reach Conference
Class 2: October- Soft Skills for Access & Network Weaving
Class 3: November- History of Disability and the Disability Rights Movement
Class 4: December- Disability Justice & Cultivating Safe Spaces
Class 5: January- Deaf Community and ASL Interpreter
Class 6: February- Captions, Devices, and Access Services for the Hard of Hearing Community
Class 7: March- Blind and Low Vision Audience Experiences
Class 8: April- IDD Community- Beyond “Special”
*March 9, 2023 Creative Aging Symposium
Class 9: May- Accessibility Strategic Planning & Cohort Reflections
Meet 2023-2024 Educators/Facilitators
Scott Artley
Accessibility Consultant & Accessibility Program Director- Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, Minneapolis Minnesota
Ross Newton, PhD Historian & Educator
Tina Childress, PhD
Audiologist, Advocate, Communication Access Engineer
Donna Ellis & Brian Morrson
Hands Up Productions, ASL Interpreters and Educators
Sylvia Purnell
Director of Communications & Partnerships- Vision Link
Marsha Drenth
Access Technology Insteuctor- Vision link, President of the Association of DeafBlind
Lisa Sonneborn
Director of Media Arts & Culture (MAC), Institute on Disabilities, Temple University
Nicki Pombier
Oral Historian & Parent Advocate
Expand your access knowledge.
Learn about current industry standards for access services, and the innovative new tools and resources expanding access beyond the status quo.
Get your questions answered.
Bring your questions to our network of access professionals. Tap into the expertise of the Art-Reach Team, and develop strategies for improving access at your organization.
Stay Up to Date.
For more information about Art-Reach and our other programs subscribe to our monthly newsletters. Stay up to date on our other digital offerings, trainings, consulting and more.