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Carson City Office: Southern Office: |
 Accessibility |
| DOORS WIDE OPEN! ACCESSIBILITY IN THE ARTS |
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NEVADA ARTS COUNCIL'S ACCESSIBILITY PRINCIPLES & POLICY Making the arts accessible to Nevadans of all cultures and abilities, without prejudice to geographic or economic status, is a priority for the Nevada Arts Council (NAC). Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act states, in part, that “no otherwise qualified person with a disability... shall solely by reason of their disability be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” The NAC encourages its grantees and partners to view accessibility as both a philosophic commitment and a business practice. Methods to address diversity in your community include involving individuals from diverse populations and/or organizations in the planning, implementation, evaluation and follow-up of a program. By making Nevada’s arts and cultural programs, activities, information and facilities accessible and usable to all people, with and without disabilities, we open the door to a new and expanded audience of participants, patrons and advocates. For information on requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or how to make your programs and facilities more accessible, download the Design for Accessibility Handbook along with an Arts Accessibility Checklist on the National Endowment for the Arts’ AccessAbility homepage at www.nea.gov/resources/Accessibility. This website provides information and links to Leadership Initiatives in Arts and Aging, Arts in Healthcare, Arts in Corrections, Universal Design and Careers in the Arts. It also features award-winning accessibility programs implemented across the nation. VSA of Nevada, NAC’s partner in accessibility education, provides arts programs for all Nevadans, including the 15 percent of Nevada’s population with some type of disability. If requested, VSA can provide a public accommodation for auxiliary aids and services when they are necessary to ensure effective communication with individuals with hearing, vision, or speech impairments.
The Nevada Arts Council (NAC) and VSA Nevada (VSAN) are dedicated to insuring that all Nevadans experience physical and programming access to arts and cultural activities. The following principles are our guides:
• Every person including children and adults with disabilities deserves access to high quality arts learning experiences. • All artists in schools and art educators should be prepared to include ALL students including students with disabilities in their instruction. • All children, youth, and adults with/without disabilities should have complete access to community cultural facilities and activities. • All individuals with/without disabilities who aspire to careers in the arts should have the opportunity to develop appropriate skills. Resource for Access Information VSA Nevada @ the Lake Mansion, 250 Court Street, Reno, NV, 89701 Voice/TDD: 775.826.6100 ** Fax: 775-337-6107 ** www.vsanevada.org ** This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
ACCESSibility Resources What is a Disability? ACCESSibility Matters Web ACCESSibillty Logos & Sample Text The Ten Step Guide to Accessible Cultural Programs Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Assistive Devices, Services and Products for Physical and Program Accessibility Design for Accessibility: A Cultural Administrator's Handbook National Arts and Disability Center (NADC) is the national information dissemination, technical assistance and referral center specializing in the field of arts and disability. The NADC is dedicated to promoting the full inclusion of children and adults with disabilities into the visual, performing, media, and literary arts communities. National Endowment for the Arts’ Office for AccessAbility is the advocacy-technical assistance arm of the Arts Endowment to make the arts accessible for people with disabilities, older adults, veterans, and people living in institutions. The National Endowment for the Arts’ Office of Accessibility has created a tip sheet outlining the revised 2010 regulations under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Nevada Department of Employment, Training & Rehabilitation Relay Nevada is a service provided 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for persons with speech and hearing Smithsonian Guidelines for Accessible Exhibition provides a hands-on guide to designing exhibits with accessibility integrated, not as an afterthought. VSA arts of Nevada (VSAN) is the only statewide source of participatory art programs for the 11% of
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