Cultural Accessibility Forum & Exchange (CAFE)
CAFE brings cultural organizations together with members of the disability and low-income communities to focus on improving cultural access for everyone.
This forum addresses issues of cultural accessibility in order to:
- Enhance accessible accommodations offered by the Greater Philadelphia cultural community
- Encourage arts providers within the sector to continue their efforts in making experiences accessible to patrons with disabilities
- Expand awareness of the need for such efforts
Art-Reach’s Cultural Accessibility Forum & Exchange (CAFE) is made possible with support by Independence Public Media Foundation.
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Join ACCESS Jawn
Access Jawn is a Philadelphia-based peer-group powered by Art-Reach to foster a community of cultural professionals who are dedicated to increasing accessibility in the arts. We welcome individuals who are new to the field, an expert, and everyone in between for helpful conversation, knowledge sharing, and FUN!
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Upcoming CAFE sessions:
Offline: Staying Connected without Connectivity
Wednesday, May 26th, 2021 | 1:00 – 2:30 PM ET
ZOOM
Connections between the cultural sector and health and human service agencies are continuing with communities both near and far, but the topic that is overlooked are communities who are disconnected. There are significant barriers to high-speed internet for digital programs or people isolated due to incarceration, disability, and COVID-19 restrictions. This forum will call attention to underrepresented communities who have faced insurmountable hardship- whether immigrant communities, seniors, people who are blind/low vision, people incarcerated, in rural and urban areas of North America.
The following case studies will be presented to highlight examples of offline programs:
- The Barnes Foundation and hybrid programming with art kits that were made for Puentes De Salud early learners and their families in Philadelphia to engage the LatinX immigrant community.
- Covia’s Connection Programs including Well Connected and Social Call. These programs connect older adults to others and are accessible by phone across the country.
- A.R.T. & Justice is an arts-based and Indigenous-led initiative aimed at connecting incarcerated artists and storytellers to the wider community in British Columbia, Canada. The goal is to support the mental health, wellbeing, and dignity of Indigenous Peoples and others disproportionately impacted by the carceral system
The impact of isolation to vulnerable populations and the future of this digital crater will be discussed. Has your organization taken on this work also? Bring examples to share and discuss, this presentation hopes to engage attendees into considering alternative program possibilities for underrepresented communities.
Presenters:
Barbara Wong- Director of Community Engagement, Barnes Foundation
Amber Carroll- Director of COVIA- Well Connected
Kelsey Timler- Ph.D. Candidate, UBC Interdisciplinary Studies & Helen Brown, RN, Ph.D. University of British Columbia, School of Nursing
View Past Presenters
2021
Creating with Access in Mind by Krista Lewis, Deaf and Nontraditional Communication Professional, ODP. Click here to watch.
Let’s Take This Outside by Marcie Bramucci, of People’s Light & Theatre; Amanda Berg Wilson, of The Catamounts; Katy Brown & Nick Piper, of the Barter Theatre. Click here to watch.
2020
Accessibility & Media Production by PhillyCAM, Click here to view CAFE on Youtube.
Just the Ticket: Ticketing Law & and Best Practices by Dani Rose, Ticket Philadelphia & Alex Boyle, Art-Reach
2018
Build A Bridge International presenting, Fostering Resilience through Art Making
Elizabeth Clay presenting, The Digital Welcome Mat: Is Your Website and Marketing Accessible to the Disability Community
I AM, Documentary Film by Art-Reach
