Universal Access & the Arts

Raleigh Arts


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Arts Learning Community for Universal Access Betty Siegel Universal Access & the Arts Award Disability, the Arts and Raleigh: Inclusive by Design Blog Series
two people talking in wheel chair accessible art gallery

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.

Raleigh is a community connected through arts and culture, where every person is empowered to lead the creative life they envision.

The Creative Life Vision, Page 16 of the Raleigh Arts Plan

Arts Learning Community for Universal Access

Arts Learning Community for Universal Access group photo of 2019/2020 participants

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 eighth 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

three women smiling, two of them are holding glass awards

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

Disability, the Arts and Raleigh: Inclusive by Design Blog Series

Produced in partnership with Raleigh Arts and writer and 2019 Piedmont Laureate David Menconi, this series, published on VisitRaleigh’s website, explores how that vision is playing out when it comes to Deaf and disability community members in the city.

Read the Disability, the Arts and Raleigh: Inclusive by Design series

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