West Central Initiative, Springboard for the Arts hosts 'Art Access for All' event

May 18--By Sarah Huffman

Organizations around Fergus Falls and the surrounding area gathered on Thursday to raise awareness in the community for art accessibility for people with disabilities. The event, Arts Access for All, took place at West Central Initiative in Fergus Falls at 10 a.m., and was lead by accessibility consultant, Sherry Shirek and her husband Jesse and was co-hosted by Springboard for the Arts.

Also attending the event, were leaders from the Viking Library System, Kaddatz Gallery, the Fergus Falls Center for the Arts, New York Mills Regional Cultural Center, the Freedom Resource Center and the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County.

The goal of the event was to educate people and organizations in the community of how they can become more aware of, and accommodating to, persons with disabilities seeking to enjoy the arts.

An example of this include a person in a wheelchair being unable to attend sculpting classes due to the entrance being too far away from the class. Another example was given for blind people in the community who may want to enjoy an art gallery or play, but having no audio description available at those events. Situations like these are numerous in the community and often go unnoticed and unchanged.

Fortunately, Sherry was able to give multiple solutions that are easy and cost effective. Some solutions were as simple as unlocking doors that are closer to events to allow easier access or lowering the paper towel dispenser in bathrooms.

Another topic that was discussed was the reasons behind why people who are deaf or blind may want to attend concerts, art shows, or musicals. These reasons involved feeling included in the community, enjoying the arts, meeting local artists to learn their story and so many other reasons. The fact that someone may not be able to enjoy something in the same way as others does not mean they were incapable of enjoying it.

Some important steps in making these changes that Sherry shared include removing attitudinal barriers such as assuming that one knows what a disabled person needs and instead just asking. Another step is to promote events and activities that have accessibility and available aids. "It is important to budget for accessibility within your organization," Sherry said.

"Once people with disabilities are exposed to accessible art you may make some fans," Jesse said after sharing his personal experience with being blind and getting to attend a play with audio description for the first time, "...I didn't have any interest until I was forced to go and I actually loved it and now I don't like to miss one."

The presentation itself was very interactive and attendees were encouraged to participate in exercises to help understand what persons with disabilities may feel on a daily basis. The group even decided to set up meetings to further discuss the topic and create solutions for the community in the future. By working together they hope to spread awareness for art accessibility and start creating change in the area.

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