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The Creative Life Vision, developed during the creation of the Raleigh Arts Plan, is the community's collective vision for its life in the coming decade. To realize this vision, improving the inclusion of people with disabilities in the arts must be a key focus. Goal three of the Raleigh Arts Plan is to ensure equity, access, and inclusion in all culture programming and includes the intention that Raleigh becomes a national model for arts accessibility and inclusion for deaf and disability communities. Universal Access and the Arts creates initiatives that achieve this goal.
Arts Learning Community for Universal Access
What does it mean for an arts organization to include people with disabilities in its programming? While arts organizations are increasing their accommodations, they still face obstacles to making improvements and have questions about the what, why, and how of getting things done.
To support these efforts, the City of Raleigh Arts Commission and the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County have partnered for a sixth year to offer arts and cultural organizations the opportunity to join the Arts Learning Community for Universal Access.
Learn more about the Arts Learning Community for Universal Access and the application process
Betty Siegel Universal Access & the Arts Award
The Betty Siegel Universal Access and the Arts Award recognizes the substantial achievements of Arts Learning Community for Universal Access members who complete all three years of the program.
Honorees have successfully improved the accessibility of their organizations through multiple projects and initiatives over the years. They are also recognized as arts community resources, sharing their knowledge and engaging their arts and cultural peers, as well as others, around the topic of accessibility in the arts.
2019 Award Honorees
| Advocate | Organization |
|---|---|
| Hilary Leggett | N.C. State University Gregg Museum of Art and Design |
| Liani Yirka | North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences |
| Courtney Wheeler | PineCone, Piedmont Council of Traditional Music |
2018 Award Honorees
| Advocate | Organization |
|---|---|
| Jamie Katz Court | PineCone, Piedmont Council of Traditional Music |
| Julia Meder | Sertoma Arts Center |
| Gab Smith | CAM Raleigh |
| Megan Sullivan | Artspace |
Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability (LEAD®) Conference
Raleigh Arts is excited to announce that the Kennedy Center's next Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability (LEAD®) Conference will be held in Raleigh, at the Raleigh Convention Center. This national conference brings more than 600 professionals together to explore practical and innovative ways to design and realize inclusive arts and cultural experiences to engage the communities of people with disabilities.
Join us for the Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability (LEAD®) conference August 1-5, 2022 in Raleigh!
LEAD® Conference Scholarships
To support arts and cultural organizations’ commitment to a fully inclusive arts community, Raleigh Arts and the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County are partnering to provide Raleigh/Wake County-based, nonprofit arts and cultural institutions with scholarships to the 2022 LEAD® Conference at the Raleigh Convention Center.
Learn more about LEAD® Conference Scholarships and the application process
