BRIDGING: Accessibility to the Arts — What Has Been Accomplished and What We Can Do Next

By Maddie Pivonka

People are involved in the arts in some form on a daily basis, whether we recognize it or not. For most of us, (like the readers of this blog) this seems obvious , but what we do not realize is that not everyone experiences or interacts with the arts in the same way. Because of this lack of awareness, often time our society leaves behind people with disabilities: our cultural systems, institutions, and education programs often lack the necessary accommodations to make arts & cultural education inclusive and accessible. 

Bridging the gaps that exist in the arts, in both education and performance, is an ongoing effort that must be monitored carefully to ensure progress. There are many organizations that exist to not only lower (or eliminate) the barriers for people with disabilities. In order to continue the necessary and ongoing conversations about inclusion and accessibility, I would like to share my experience with a feworganizations making a difference today by bridging the intersectional fields of disability justice and arts & cultural education in order to appreciate the work that has been done and examine what the next steps may be (and how we can all plug in!). 

Background 

First, let’s make note of why involvement in the arts is so crucial for our youth, including  those with disabilities. There are multiple studies that have found a positive relationship between creative endeavors and the development of skills early in life stating, “...engaging with art is essential to the human experience. Almost as soon as motor skills are developed, children communicate through artistic expression.” 

Schoolyard, an organization with a specific mission to make the arts more inclusive goes on to say, “the arts can help build self-esteem, bring joy and provide motivation” for those with disabilities. As we can see, the arts are beneficial in a variety of ways, but in order for everyone to reap these benefits there must be accommodations and flexibility within programming in order to support every young person with their specific accessibility needs. 

BEST BUDDIES 

As someone who was raised in the competitive dance world, my perspective of the arts was more narrow then I knew. I did not see beyond my personal involvement and growth because I fit the mold of someone who could be involved in the arts with little to no difficulty. It was not until my senior year when I became involved with the nonprofit, Best Buddies, that I saw the behind-the-scenes work of eliminating barriers to participation for young people with disabilities. 

Best Buddies is an organization making a big difference in the lives of kids everywhere through their friendship-based programming. They are “dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, and inclusive living for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.” 

Most of their school programs involve friendship pairings that create bonds between students and provide them support as they go through their daily activities. Displayed on the Best Buddies website are statistics showing the direct correlation between their efforts and the development of important social skills which have led to over 1,700 jobs after leaving the Best Buddies program. 

My involvement with Best Buddies came from teaching a small group of students in our P.E class designated for students with disabilities for 30 minutes every weekday. After much practice, those who were comfortable performed our dance with us at our school’s dance concert. Through all of this they were able to develop their coordination, communication skills, and perform in front of an audience which is a task that could be daunting for anyone. Instructing allowed me to see first hand the joy that dancing brought them as well as their improvement.

Best Buddies has shown us how large an effect simple efforts can have. They have not only created friendships but life-long opportunities for these individuals. 

The Berklee Institute for Arts Education and Special Needs (BIAESN) 

The Berklee Institute for Arts Education and Special Needs (BIAESN) regularly presents professional development for educators and arts and cultural organization professionals who work at the intersection of arts and special education. Each year, they offer their premier educational event, the ABLE Assembly: Arts Better the Lives of Everyone Conference, which strives to “share best practices, explore new research, and learn from each other.”

In addition to professional development, the BIAESN, offers local programs in Boston, which strive to bring together students and instructors to create art and learn creatively. Tts programming offers a variety of arts education, across multiple disciplines. They have an array of opportunities including private music lessons, dance classes, musical theater performances, and instrument lessons. All of these are adapted using the best practices and technologies to eliminate barriers for youth with disabilities.

Educators can check out the myriad resources they offer through the ABLE Arts Resource Center - a hub for research and information for anyone seeking to bridge the arts and special education.

Moving Forward…

These organizations are examples of the current efforts being made to eliminate barriers, expand inclusivity and bridge the gap between disability justice and the arts. We all know that the arts are a crucial part of, not only, human development but also human interaction. To (un)intentionally exclude any group from that would be a tragedy; thus we must consider the systematic or unintentional exclusion of youth with disabilities, work harder, and do better.

On my own journey, I wanted to highlight those two specifically to show the variety of efforts being made currently in our field - formal and informal. As a field, we must recognize that accessibility and inclusion are efforts that can not be solved by one program or practice, but will continue to evolve and need further attention from every single member of our field.

What can we do now to bridge our communities and fill the gaps that are created by our systems, which exclude young people with disabilities? Let us advocate to and educate institutions that do not already tackle these systemic barriers impacting those with disabilities. Every action makes a difference in someone’s life which is a beautiful truth to acknowledge.