Conference Sessions 

Welcome & Keynote  

12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. EDT 

John Orr, Executive Director- Art-Reach 

Dr. Sachin Dev Pavithran, Executive Director- US Access Board 

The conference will open with remarks from John Orr that celebrate the Art-Reach Conference’s 5th year! What began as 75 people in-person among regional partners evolved into an online, disability centered, global, accessible, and affordable forum for people who are eager to learn and apply their passion for equity and belonging to their organizations. 

Dr. Sachin Dev Pavithra, the Executive Director of the United States Access Board will present the Keynote address. From research and training to the continued development of guidelines for the Americans with Disabilities Act, learn about Dr. Pavithran lifelong commitment to advocating for disabled people. What has been the focus of the Access Board during the Biden Administration? Where do we see the ADA headed in the next five years? And what excites Dr. Pavithran about arts and cultural engagement? This and more we will discuss with this dynamic leader.  

Call to Action!  

3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. EDT

Francisco Eraso, Access Consultant, Artist 

Fresh from receiving the Emerging Leader in the Field award from The Kennedy Center Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability, we are honored to present disabled, trans, Columbian-American artists, educator and access consultant, Francisco Eraso. Francisco will discuss his/their access practice rooted in disability justice, trans liberation, decolonization, and the creative redistribution of resources. This presentation invites attendees to consider grassroots, cross-disability approach to future access practice.  

Day 2: Wednesday, October 4, 2023 

Measuring the Accessibility Health of Your Brand & Digital Portfolio 

11:00 am. – 12:30 pm. EDT 

Emma Barker, CPACC- Data Team Lead- Tamman, Inc. 

Marty Molloy, President- Tamman, Inc.

Members of Tamman’s accessibility team will briefly present a number of tools that are available to review the accessibility health of an organization’s website and brand, providing a couple key takeaways on how to independently take action. This is an interactive session where attendees can share their websites’ homepage and/or specific brand palette and have the team provide feedback in real-time. 

Creating Joy at Work 

2:00 pm. – 3:00 p.m. EDT 

Jessica McCracken, Director- Creative Spark (Front Porch) 

Katie Wade, Director of Creative Engagement- Creative Spark (Front Porch) 

Apply a creative, joyful lens to the work you do. Through interactive exercises, Creative Spark will utilize the power of creative thinking to discover the role of joy in our work experience, helping us shift perspective and see our organizations and ourselves in a new way. 

Low Sensory-Not so Friendly

4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. EDT 

Nell Krahnke, PhD Student- Indiana University 

This workshop will focus specifically on planning and implementing a sensory friendly program. Many organizations are now implementing some form of Sensory Friendly Morning or Day as a way to encourage visitors with sensory needs. This workshop will go through the steps of planning and implementing one of these experiences, with specific focus on common mistakes and challenges that emerge. 

Day 3: Thursday, October 5, 2023 

“Are We Part of the Same General Public?”: A History of Disability Advocacy and Inclusion in the Arts 

12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. EDT 

Armani Wall, Freelance Access Consultant

This presentation delves into the history of museum professionals creating accessible spaces and programs in museums and other arts and culture institutions, and how these developments line up with major events in the Disability Civil Rights Movement. After an overview of the history, the presentation will address the state of accessibility in today's world and where we go from here. 

Access to Inclusion: New Tools for Accessibility Excellence 

4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. EDT 

Jenny Angell, Project Manager- Accessibility Excellence 

(PA Museums) 

Janet Bowen, MLS, Museum Educator-Accessibility Excellence 

(PA Historical & Museum Commission) 

Janetta Green, Chief Executive Officer- Center for Independent Living of Central Pennsylvania 

Heather Schoenwald, Independent Living Specialist- Liberty Resources, Inc 

Disability History in Public Space 

Nicole Belolan, Consulting Public Historian, and Independent Scholar 

Rachel D’Agostino, Curator of Printed Books- The Library Company of Philadelphia 

Petra Kuppers, Anita Gonzalez Collegiate Professor of Performance and Disability Culture- University of Michigan 

Perri Meldon, Park History Fellow- National Park Service 

How are we presenting disability history now, how have we presented it in the past, and how do we want to present it in the future? In this roundtable discussion, panelists shared experiences interpreting disability history in museums, libraries, and online, in terms of both content and accessibility. Covering a range of topics such as: how they identified collaborators and supporters, how and why they work with the disability community (and what that means), the ways they approach behind-the-scenes work versus creating public-facing products, and the  reception of the work they have done. They conclude with a discussion about what they need to build even better spaces for sharing disability history in public.  

Accessible Programming for Long Take @ ICA 

Centering the disability experience, Carolyn Lazard’s Long Take was exhibited at The Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania this past spring of 2023. Join the program and visitor service team as they discuss the successes, growing pains, and access goals they experienced during the run of this exhibition. How did visitors respond to a dance performance without the physical live dancer at a contemporary art space? How has the organization listened to the community feedback? And what is the future of the aesthetics of accessibility?