Disability Arts in Canada

Presented by Sean Lee, Cyn Rozeboom, and Kristina McMullin of Tangled Art + Disability this presentation explored Disability Arts in Canada: the Disability Aesthetic, Tangled Art Gallery Programming, Disability Arts Organizational Structure and Fundraising, Accessible Marketing and Outreach. This talk was presented at Flux Factory's TALK BACK in New York City. TALK BACK centers the lives and leadership of disabled artists and organizers, asserting that deep-rooted cultural changes must be made within the art world to become more inclusive and accessible.

Transcript

1. Disability Art in Canada Flux Factory Talk Back 2019 Sean Lee, Cyn Rozeboom, Kristina McMullin Tangled Art + Disability
2. Coming Up: PART 1 The Disability Aesthetic PART 2 Tangled Art Gallery Programming PART 3 Fundraising & Administration PART 4 Other Fun Topics PART 5 Accessible Marketing and Outreach PART 6 Resources & Quick Wins for Access
3. Disability Aesthetic “Disability aesthetics seeks to emphasize the presence of different bodies and minds in the tradition of aesthetic representation—that tradition concerned most precisely with the appearance of the beautiful.” Tobin Siebers
5. Desiring Disability Differently “Disability is here and it is in our futures. It is not something we have but something we participate in. In this way, we vitally need disability arts and culture, and disability pride, as much as we need access, healthcare, housing and employment, for these are the means by which we can live with disability. These are, in other words, the specific practices, sensibilities, and discourses that imbue disability, not only with possibility but with transformative meaning, value and desirability” Fritsch & McGuire, forthcoming
6. tangledarts.org @TangledArtsTO What is DISABILITY ART?
7. “The last avant-garde” Alison Lapper Pregnant (2005), Marc Quinn
8. tangledarts.org @TangledArtsTO Moving towards The Ugly “We must shift from a politic of desirability and beauty to a politic of ugly and magnificence… We all run from the ugly. And the farther we run from it, the more we stigmatize it and the more power we give beauty. Moving beyond a politic of desirability to loving the ugly. Respecting Ugly for how it has shaped us and been exiled” Mia Mingus One Morning in May, 2012 Noëmi Lakmaier
9. tangledarts.org @TangledArtsTO Tangled Art + DISABILITY
10. tangledarts.org @TangledArtsTO Bruce Horak Through A Tired Eye Michelle Peek Photography courtesy of Bodies in Translation: Activist Art, Technology & Access to Life, Re•Vision: The Centre for Art & Social Justice at the University of Guelph.
11. tangledarts.org @TangledArtsTO aislinn thomas Three Windows Michelle Peek Photography courtesy of Bodies in Translation: Activist Art, Technology & Access to Life, Re•Vision: The Centre for Art & Social Justice at the University of Guelph.
12. tangledarts.org @TangledArtsTO Deirdre Logue admiring all we accomplish Nik MacMillancourtesy of Bodies in Translation: Activist Art, Technology & Access to Life, Re•Vision: The Centre for Art & Social Justice at the University of Guelph.
13. Fundraising, Administration & Other Fun Topics
14. The problem of Money
15. FUNDRAISING FUNDRAISING FUNDRAISING FUNDRAISING
16. Fundraising in CANADA vs UNITED STATES
17. Fundraising is not about money* *well it is, but…
19. But what does that LOOK LIKE?
23. Is it GOOD Does it WORK Is it EFFECTIVE
24. Michelle Peek Photography courtesy of Bodies in Translation: Activist Art, Technology & Access to Life, Re•Vision: The Centre for Art & Social Justice at the University of Guelph.
25. tangledarts.org @TangledArtsTO Accessible Marketing PART 1 Accessible Language PART 2 Accessible Design PART 3 Accessible Outreach PART 4 Accessible Events
26. ACCESSIBLE LANGUAGE
27. PLAIN LANGUAGE Logical Active Short Common No one technique defines plain language. Rather, plain language is defined by results—it is easy to read, understand, and use.
28. NON-ABLEIST LANGUAGE Deaf/Hard of Hearing NOT Hearing Impaired Wheelchair user NOT Wheelchair bound Blind/Low Vision NOT Visually Impaired * Disabled or Disability Identified NOT Handicapped Has …. NOT is a victim of or suffers from Non-Ableist language is ever evolving and community led, if you aren’t sure what words to use, ask a member or members the community.
29. ACCESSIBLE DESIGN
30. Typographic Elements Distance Height X 2.5 A 8" 19' A 4" 10' A 2" 5' A 1" 2'6" Size Matters
31. Who can read this? Who can read this?
32. Accessible Graphic Elements
33. Making Images Accessible Untitled 151 Peter Owusu-Ansah
34. PROPER DESCRIPTIONS: Ex #1: A square image filled with pixelated colours ranging in colour. The colours are randomly placed, making each stand out. The colours of the pixels are approximately half reds, pinks, oranges, and yellows and about half shades of blue and grey ranging in shades from dark blue and moving into an almost white. IMPROPER DESCRIPTIONS: Ex #1: A colourful image made up of multiple squares. The first square is light blue, then light grey, then a salmon, then a light grey, then a medium grey, then a dark grey, then a bright light blue, then a midtone grey blue, then a medium grey, then a light grey, then a bright pink, then a bright red, then a white, then a mid tone blue, then a dark blue... Ex #2 IMG_4064.JPG Ex #2 A multicoloured image made up of colourful squre pixels.
36. PROPER DESCRIPTIONS: Ex #1: A photograph of Tangled staff, board members, and volunteers. They pose together, arranged in two rows, facing the camera with smiles. Several people wear bright pink feather boas. Behind and obstructed by the group is a row of gold balloons, bright pink, gold, and clear pompoms are arranged on either side of the balloons. IMPROPER DESCRIPTIONS: Ex #1: The first person is wearing a pink top and jeans. Her right hand is on her hip. She has side bangs and short light brown hair. She is smiling. Next to her is a girl with blonde and purple hair. She is wearing cat eye glasses. She is also wearing a black top, a black and gold belt around her waist, a gold tulle skirt with black lace detail at the hem... Ex #2 IMG_4064.JPG Ex #2 A photograph of Tangled gallery staff, board, and volunteers at a party.
37. ACCESSIBLE OUTREACH
38. TARGETED OUTREACH: Reaching your existing community Already engage with your organization or events Don’t need to be educated on organization but informed on upcoming events Want updates on access policies and event locations, if applicable
39. UNTARGETED OUTREACH: Potentially reaching communities that are not currently engaging with your organization Need to be educated on what your organization does as well as about upcoming events Need information on access policies, event locations to be comfortable attending an event for the first time May need an incentive or specific reasons to get involved
40. TARGETED OUTREACH: UNTARGETED OUTREACH: Website Newsletter Invites Facebook Twitter Instagram Advertising Event Postings Facebook Website Twitter Instagram
41. Making Social Media Accessible
42. INSTAGRAM
43. TWITTER
44. FACEBOOK
45. Michelle Peek Photography courtesy of Bodies in Translation: Activist Art, Technology & Access to Life, Re•Vision: The Centre for Art & Social Justice at the University of Guelph.
46. • Host events and exhibitions in barrier free spaces, close to public transit • Offer cost free or cost reduced tickets for community members • Hire ASL interpreters when possible • Hire care attendants when possible • Provide live captioning when possible • Provide allergy respectful food and beverage • Communicate access components to your communities, as well, communi- cate any barriers to access ACCESSIBLE EVENTS
47. RESOURCES
48. WEBAIM WebAIM’s mission is to expand the potential of the web for people with disabilities by providing the knowledge, technical skills, tools, organizational leadership strategies, and vision that empower organizations to make their own content accessible to people with disabilities. USEFUL FOR Checking colour con- trast Finding resources HOW TO FIND webaim.org RESOURCES: WEB USEFUL FOR Checking colour con- trast Finding resources HOW TO FIND webaim.org WEBAIM WebAIM’s mission is to expand the potential of the web for people with disabilities by providing the knowledge, technical skills, tools, organizational leadership strategies, and vision that empower organizations to make their own content accessible to people with disabilities.
49. TOTA11Y PLUGIN tota11y is a chrome plug in that helps visualize how your site performs with assistive technologies. tota11y aims to reduce this barrier of entry by helping visualize accessibility violations (and successes), while educating on best practices. USEFUL FOR Spotting common accessibility violations Emulating screen reader experience HOW TO FIND Chrome web store: Tota11y RESOURCES: WEB
50. RESOURCES: WEB WORLD WIDE WEBO The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) develops international standards for the Web: HTML, CSS, and many more. Web Accessibility Initiative provides strategies, standards, and resources to make the Web accessible to people with disabilities. USEFUL FOR Finding resources to make websites, applications, and other digital creations more accessible and usable to everyone HOW TO FIND w3.org/WAI/
51. RESOURCES: TOOLKITS INGENIUM ACCESSIBILITY STANDARDS FOR EXHIBITIONS This guide provides technical requirements to enable museum exhibition designers to follow general guidelines to be used on all projects. The requirements are selected from a variety of accessibility standards. USEFUL FOR Technical standards for designers of both digital and pysical spaces to follow. HOW TO FIND ingeniumfoundation.ca
52. RESOURCES: TOOLKITS SHAPE ARTS How to Put On an Accessible Exhibition SHAPE ARTS Created a short guide for curators, programmers and exhibition organisers to give an overview of how to ensure that the exhibition you’re putting on is accessible and inclusive of disabled people. HOW TO FIND www.shapearts.org. uk/news/accessible- curating USEFUL FOR A resources to assist artists and curators in planning, producing, and presenting accessible arts events
53. RESOURCES: TOOLKITS HUMBER & TANGLED ART + DISABILITY A guide to making art spaces accessible This toolkit was created to inform a culture of continued learning as arts organzations become change agents in understanding and promoting the value of creating fully accessible spaces. USEFUL FOR Help to inform and educate students, artists, arts organizations, curators,program directors AND GAL- HOW TO FIND tangledarts.org/ programs/ resources/
54. Quick Wins for Access • Use Sans Serif fonts • Ensure your fonts are large enough • Have consistent contrast between text and background at least 70% • Add image descriptions to digital and social media content • Add subtitles and captions to video • Have transcripts or ASL available for audio content • Use universally understood pictograms to display access features • Refer to existing toolkits
55. Q & A