Arts Council
Accessibility Workshop Planned for Owensboro Area Arts and Cultural Organizations

FRANKFORT, Ky. — The Kentucky Arts Council has partnered with the Kentucky Center for the Arts to present the first in a series of accessibility workshops on Monday, July 24, from 1-4:30 p.m. at the RiverPark Center, 101 Davies Street, Owensboro, KY. 

“Accessible Arts Build Audiences!” workshops will address issues as they apply to theatres, auditoriums and other arts and cultural environments.  Topics discussed will be: marketing to people with disabilities; the meaning of accessibility as it applies to both facilities and programs; training tips for staff, board and volunteers; a review of legal obligations and the resources available to organizations in different areas of accessibility. 

Future accessibility workshops are scheduled for Bowling Green, Covington and other areas of the state.  “Accessible Arts Build Audiences!” workshops are scheduled for Saturday, August 19, from 8:30 a.m. – 12 Noon at the Capitol Arts Alliance in Bowling Green, and Saturday, September 9, from 8:30 a.m. – 12 Noon at the Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center in Covington.  Additional workshop site will be announced as scheduled.

“We hope to get to a point in Kentucky where all Kentuckians, regardless of disabilities will be able to enjoy arts experiences,” says Lori Meadows, executive director of the Kentucky Arts Council. “The workshops are a first step in helping arts organizations understand the obstacles disabled people face and coming up with some practical solutions.”

The workshops are free and open to anyone working or volunteering in the arts and cultural sector in Kentucky.  Pre-registration is required.  For more information or to register contact Martha Newman, Director of Access Services, Kentucky Center for the Arts at mnewman@kentuckycenter.org or 502-562-0711 (V), 502-562-0140 (TTY).

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The Kentucky Arts Council is a state agency in the Commerce Cabinet.  Working in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, the Arts Council invests in programs that develop vibrant communities, provide lifelong education in the arts and support arts participation.  Every $1 in grant funds awarded by the Kentucky Arts Council helps grantees secure $15 in earned income and matching funds from individuals, philanthropic sources and other levels of government.