Very special arts Minnesota
ABLEnews Review, July 1993: Arts
(38) Sat 3 Jul 93 4:57p
By: Gordon Gillesby
To: All
Re: VERY SPECIAL ARTS MINNESOTA
VERY SPECIAL ARTS MINNESOTA
by Craig Dunn
This month's column is a follow up to my column of last month where I sought input regarding accessibility to the arts in the metro area. Oh, by the way, thanks to those of you who responded to my request for personal stories.
This summer Very Special Arts Minnesota (VSAMN) will be collecting and compiling information to be used in an arts guide for the 7 county metropolitan area. The guide under the cover Art Town: An Arts Access Guide, will include accessibility information for Twin Cities' performing and exhibiting arts venues. This guide will allow people with disabilities to know what to expect when they venture out to participate with the arts in the metropolitan area.
This information will be compiled through on-site surveys conducted by people interested in access and in the arts. That is where you come in. We need volunteers to visit the various venues, conduct the survey, and then, report that information back to our office. Depending on the total number of people that are involved as surveyors, each volunteer will probably be called on to conduct the survey in 2-3 sites. Each survey will be done by a team of at least 2 people and the surveys will be conducted during July and August.
Since this access guide will be used by people with disabilities, we are extremely interested in having people with disabilities serving as volunteers for this project. Your insights and experiences with access issues will help to assure that the survey results are accurate and reliable. In addition, since this survey will address more than just wheelchair access, we are looking for people from the various disability communities throughout the 7 county area.
To get this all rolling, a training seminar will be held at Hennepin Center for the Arts in downtown Minneapolis in late June. The seminar, held in the evening and lasting approximately two hours, will be conducted by Sue Lasoff and Deborah Leuchovius and staff and volunteers of VSAMN. All volunteers will be fully briefed about how to carry out the survey and how to set up the survey appointment. All survey materials will be distributed at the meeting and questions will be answered concerning any matters about the project.
If you care about accessibility to the arts for people with disabilities then we would love your assistance with this project. Please contact me (Craig Dunn) for the specific date and time at your earliest convenience at 332-3888. If I am not able to personally take your call, please leave a message on the voice-mail system and I will get back to you.
This project is the first of its kind in the Midwest. We look forward to your help and participation in making the arts accessible to people with disabilities.
This article is from Access Press Newspaper and may be reprinted with attribution; letters and submissions are welcome. For more information or to submit material for publication, please contact:
ACCESS PRESS
3338 University Avenue S.E.
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55414.
612/379-0989 (voice)
612/379-2730 (FAX)
[posted on DRAGnet - Disability Information 612/753-1943 (1:282/1007)]
...For further information, contact CURE, 812 Stephen Street, Berkeley Springs, West Virginia 25411 (304-258-LIFE/258-5433).
