At the annual LEAD Conference (Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disabilities) to be hosted by the Kennedy Center next month in Philadelphia, Jamie Katz Court, the NC Arts Council’s accessibility coordinator, will join accessibility coordinators from Massachusetts, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, and Washington to present “Mapping Accessibility Connections: They’re Closer Than You Think.”
Jamie and her fellow panelists will discuss the many under-explored resources available through state arts agencies for disabled folks. These days, when funding is tight, tapping additional sources of support for accessibility work and professional development is important. So Jamie and company will educate the audience about the learning cohorts, peer networks, thought partners, and other avenues that can advance their disability advocacy efforts.
As in previous years, the NC Arts Council has provided grants to members of NC arts organizations to attend the conference. The yearly LEAD gatherings allow professionals from around the world to convene and work toward the common goal of making arts and cultural spaces accessible for all. The only conference focused on accessibility in cultural venues, LEAD will allow our sponsored attendees to meet and learn from veteran advocates, experts, and thinkers in the field. The proceedings will combine hands-on workshops on practical solutions with panels on longer-range strategy.
After the conference, attendees will participate in monthly follow-up Zoom meetings for the remainder of the calendar year. This will enable everyone involved to explore what they learn at the conference, share their work on accessibility issues, and solve problems.
Jamie says the LEAD Conference “brings together people with decades of experience in arts accessibility along with those who are brand new to the work.” This inclusive atmosphere allows folks with and without disabilities to share their experiences and collaborate, enabling mutual learning and a deepening of everyone’s knowledge and wisdom.