Cultural Accessibility Forum & Exchange (CAFE) creates dialogue between the cultural community and the human service sector to expand understanding and practice in accessibility.  

A large outdoor group shot of Art-Reach staff members and people who are blind or low vision. Everyone is facing the camera and smiling.

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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Coming Up Next! – CAFE 2023

Organizational Buy In – January 2023

How do you get an entire organization on-board with accessibility and inclusion? For every organization this looks different: whether it’s forming an internal DEAI committee, senior leadership with personal community connections, passionate advocates who persist, or all of the above. Join us for a panel discussion with senior administrators from a variety of different organizations to speak candidly and honestly about their journey.

Web Accessibility – March 2023

A spider web of communication and technological barriers exists on the internet. What are the best ways to advocate and present materials to the public that comply with international web accessibility guidelines and build audiences? This session will not teach you how to code and map an accessible website, but it will ensure that you come away with the best practices for effective communication for your organization.

Disability Justice and Disabled Artist Roundtable – May 2023

Disability Justice and its principles address the lack of representation in advocacy for BIPOC and the TSLGBTQIA+ disabled community. Engage with folx doing the work and hear from artists with disabilities from visual, music, dance, and theatre. What are the roadblocks they have faced and how can an organization address ableism when hiring creatives with access needs?

View Past Presenters

2022

Healing Strategies Moderated By Monica Zimmerman, Vice President of Public Education, Engagement and Museum Operations, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

Ross Laird-Author, Clinical ConsultantMargaret Murray- MFA St. Petersburg

Trapeta B. Mayson-Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Philadelphia Poet Laureate, 2021Yolanda Wisher-Philadelphia Contemporary

2021

Offline: Staying Connected without Connectivity by 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. Click here to watch. 

Creating with Access in Mind by Krista Lewis, Deaf & 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


2019

Understanding Service Dogs by United Disabilities Services Foundation Service Dogs.

Accessibility Planning: The Key to Successful Inclusion, presented by John McEwen, Executive Director of New Jersey Theatre Alliance

Know Before You Go Videos featuring the Students at Museums in Philly (STAMP) Teen Council 


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


2017

The Makers of Fierce Kind of Love 

Cultural Access Network Project 

Anne Mulgrave, Manager of Grants and Accessibility at the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council

Dynah Haubert is a staff attorney with Disability Rights Pennsylvania and Johnny Crescendo a leader in the disabled people’s movement.

Roger Ideishi, Associate Professor of Instruction in Rehabilitation Sciences Program Director


Hearing concrete steps we can take and conceptual changes to new approaches was extremely helpful.

— CAFE participant