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.