Accessibility and Inclusion Policy
INTRODUCTION
Arts Bridging the Gap (ABG), both as an organization and as individual team members, are grateful to have the opportunity to work with and beside people who possess a variety of cognitive, physical and emotional abilities and are truly humbled by the diverse cross section of challenges and strengths that every one of our volunteers, participants, team members and visitors brings to our lives and our work.
At ABG, we are committed to creating accessible environments throughout our physical work, all of communications and in all of our practices in order to provide everyone with physical, emotional and intellectual access to, comfort within and the ability to thrive through our community, relationships, classes, events and day to day business. We believe these commitments strengthen our organization, our experience and our impact for everyone: participants employees, trustees, interns, volunteers, visitors and all new friends.
We embrace our role as learners, allies and champions in a greater effort to see equal access for all and consider it our joy and our duty to celebrate all levels of abilities as the beauty that makes up our colorful, complex and diverse world.
We understand that this field of understanding and action is ever growing and expanding. Therefore, we acknowledge that, amongst our best efforts, we will make unintentional omissions or errors occasionally and amongst asking for forgiveness we commit to listening, learning and amending practices with empathy and gratitude to our constant teachers.
Accessibility Policy - Overview
Arts Bridging the Gap believes in making art and community experiences accessible to all people and is committed to providing access to persons regardless of abilities and life challenges, so that they may enjoy and participate in all that ABG and the wider arts community has to offer. It is our goal to remove all barriers and provide a safe, welcoming and empowering space for learning, expression, and inspiration.
We embrace all levels and varieties of physical, emotional, psychological, environmental and learning abilities and work with our participants, staff and visitors to embrace differences; to uplift someone not in spite of their challenges but because of and in celebration of their unique experience and inherent strengths.
We shy away from the use of labels or the practice of limiting a person’s abilities with a clinical diagnosis. Instead we use these diagnoses to create environmental considerations and integrate potential support and accommodations into our settings and programs.
Our educational strategies for inclusion are similar to our strategies for all children; to create an environment rich in diversity, learning, support, and respect for all children and their individual needs, allowing every child to reach his or her potential.
We do however recognize that for those who have mixed abilities their experience of life has most likely not been equal to those who identify as typical. We therefore seek to create an equitable environment within which they can feel equal and strive to make whatever extra accommodations and considerations are needed to create an even field of play.
Inclusion is not simply about placing a child or person with mixed abilities in a regular setting. Inclusion is about how we deal with diversity in our society and how we deal with, or avoid dealing with, our own differences, weaknesses, and fears. Inclusive education benefits all children by developing their respect for human diversity.
We see it as our role as educators, organizers, artists and community members to champion a fully inclusive world. Art has a unique ability to initiate thought, foster dialogue and create change and for this reason it is our moral imperative to be a leader in the effort to see equal access for all and to lead the celebration of the unique value of all members of our communities.
We are excited to use art and project-based learning to form personal connections, points of commonality, explore unique strengths and to create moments to shine for all of our participants, and friends.
Access is a civil rights issue, with a moral imperative. Access to cultural programs is a legal requirement of the Arts and Humanities Endowments’ Section 504 Regulations and the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The access laws extend civil rights similar to those now available on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin and religion to people of all abilities. Access is a diversity issue. Section 504 and ADA promote diversity and inclusion by ensuring broader access to the arts and humanities for all people, regardless of ability.
DEFINITIONS
Access
· Every member of a community* having opportunities and access to encounter, appreciate, participate in, learn and be informed about the arts and culture.
· Everyone experiencing equal access to a full, vibrant creative life, which is essential to a healthy and democratic society.
· Fair and just pathways to appreciate and be exposed to the arts as well as attain information, financial resources and opportunities to fulfill cultural and artistic expression and development.
Abilities
Factors that can impact a person’s abilities:
· Physical challenges including but not limited to
- Impairment in physical function or structure
- Injured body part either chronic or temporary
- Illness either chronic or temporary
- Mental health* challenges including but not limited to:
- Trauma - both current and lifetime memory based
- Post traumatic Disorder
- Depression, anxiety or panic disorders
- Bipolar disorder, schizophrenia etc
- Eating disorders
- Addiction disorders
- Learning challenges including but not limited to:
- Autism and Asperger's Syndrome
- Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia
- ADD, ADHD
- Age and age related conditions
- Geography - a person’s location and travel accessibility
* PLEASE NOTE we believe that mental health is a physical challenge that should not be separated from or stigmatized uniquely to other physical challenges but for the sake of equity we do currently mention such challenges specifically with the hope that in time the two will be treated with a similar level of compassion, transparency and medical rigor.
Equity
- The inclusion and fair representation of multiple diverse populations in outreach and in the allocation of funding, resources (e.g., facilities and fiscal), and programs, providing equitable and fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all people, while at the same time striving to identify and eliminate barriers that have prevented the full participation of some communities.
- All people— including but not limited to those who have been historically underrepresented based on race/ethnicity, age, ability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, socioeconomic status, geography, citizenship status, or religion—are represented in the development of arts policy; the support of artists; the nurturing of accessible, thriving venues for expression; and the fair distribution of programmatic, financial, and informational resources.
- All people have the right to inherit, develop and engage in intellectual, emotional, material, and spiritual traditions and heritage.
- Arts and cultural organizations and artists from all disciplines and cultural traditions are valued equally and supported equitably.
Arts Bridging the Gap acknowledges that in the United States, there are systems of power that grant privilege and access unequally such that inequity and injustice result, and that must be continuously addressed and changed.
Equality
Arts Bridging the Gap views equality as a desired end state but not as an everyday action or behavior. We work with an equity lens to acknowledge the differences of all in order to achieve equality for all.
CONVICTIONS/BELIEF
Arts Bridging the Gap believes that:
· Our challenges are our greatest strength and are the key to our greatest successes both individually and collectively.
· Furthermore, it is our challenges that will define the greatest impact that we each can have in the world.
· Together we are stronger and together, embracing our differences, we are even stronger.
· There is no ‘normal.’
· Currently life is not designed equal for all and therefore we must make considerations and efforts to include and engage all equitably. We must also speak up against such inequities and raise awareness of these unjust situations until they are permanently changed.
· Labels and diagnoses should not define or limit a person or group but instead create access and awareness. We refuse to keep anyone confined by their diagnosis and encourage all to explore beyond the realms of ‘possible.’
· We understand that some people will move through their challenges and some will continue to carry them for the rest of their lives therefore we do not focus on ‘curing’ or ‘healing’ but rather ‘embracing’ and ‘accepting.’
· Some pain and traumas are invisible and we honor the challenges that people are experiencing that cannot be seen at first, second and sometimes, the 100th glance.
· Those defined as ‘disabled’ are profoundly able and often gifted in ways that those defined as typical are not.
· It is our honor to speak up for those who feel marginalized and not yet ready to speak up on their own behalf. We do this however with the commitment to listen first to their needs, speak only with their permission and encourage and support them to speak and represent themselves as soon as they are ready.
We believe that art heals, bridges divides and educates therefore Cultural organizations should lead by example, not merely by legal authority. They should strive to meet or exceed federal, state or local legal requirements. Access is a dynamic work in progress, as new initiatives are developed, art forms change and expand, and new technologies are introduced.
We will make mistakes and omissions. We seek feedback and requests from all who see opportunities for us to create a more accessible environment, community and cultural experience
Exception: Through our trauma informed practices we are honored to embrace a complex variety of challenges. As an essential part of this commitment we may on rare occasions be required to ‘silo’ an individual or delay their involvement if their challenges/traumas are actively triggering or retraumatizing youth within our care.
ACTIONS
(directive to team as well as policy)
Organizational:
· ABG has identified a Subcommittee of board members to regularly address and assess our commitment to accessibility and inclusion and ensure we are constantly adjusting our commitment.
· Actively seek and create partnerships with nonprofit organizations that serve populations of mixed abilities as defined above.
· Ensure our volunteer forms address accessibility and provide a welcoming place for people to advocate for their specific needs.
· Ensure that our team and our board reflect the same diversity that we embrace with our accessibility beliefs and policy.
Physical accommodations:
· All workshops, events and community moments are to be held in ADA compliant locations with comfortable access for all including wheelchair and mobility aid users.
· Consider other mobility issues (e.g., steepness of slopes, height of buzzers, access to seating, distance of parking from destination, heavy doors).
· Special/Adapted equipment and changes in the physical environment may be necessary to support all participants. Be ready to accommodate this need.
· When possible, consider using principles of universal design so environments can be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible.
· Certain types of light can be triggers (such as seizure disorders), so it is important to either avoid fluorescent lighting, strobe lights, and flash photos, or warn people significantly ahead of time.
· There should be restrooms that are both physically accessible and designated as gender neutral, which is both inclusive for members of the LGBTQ community and for people who may have caregivers accompany them.
· Provide a quiet space for those with sensory needs as well as a rest space with chairs, water etc for those who require regular breaks from certain activities.
· There should be both visual and non-visual items available for use.
· Especially for events, there should be American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and CART4captioning available, which often involves booking these services significantly in advance.
· Additionally, create agreements with ASL and interpretation agencies to have interpreters available when needed.
· Transport for those in challenging geographic locations should be explored and provided where possible.
· Para-transit or other services may need to be arranged/offered. If transportation cannot be provided then we should explore video options.
· Live streaming or video conferencing availability can help include those that may not be able to make the event for reasons related to location or physical abilities, or for any other potential reason.
· All written materials should be provided in an accessible format.
· All volunteer and participant sign up/application forms shall include questions relating to special considerations or support that can be offered - with examples to serve as framework and guide for requests.
Psychological/Emotional considerations
Amongst our team, volunteers and participants we promote a culture of ‘Embrace you as you are today’ - all emotions are valid and we ask for honesty over perfection.
· Ask participants and guest if there are any emotional triggers we should consider or be aware of before inviting them to participate in activities.
· Acknowledge mental health as an integral element of full body wellness and ask questions in regard to accommodations needed for both mental and physical health.
· Through the practice and modeling of inscaping, encourage the sharing of current emotional state and reasons why - where comfort allows - in order to avoid affecting another team member.
· Through positive reinforcement and constant inclusion encourage others to expand their possibilities beyond a diagnosis.
· Provide a cooling off area/calm space for those being triggered or experiencing trauma - without judgement or visible tension
Trauma Informed Care
As a trauma informed organization, we approach each individual with the assumption that they have experienced some form of trauma in their lifetime and therefore offer empathy, compassion and non-judgement in all of our moments of connection.
· We ask “what happened to this person?” not “what is wrong with this person?”
· We embrace these five principles in all of our work: safety, choice, collaboration, trustworthiness and empowerment
· Further to this we- create a physically and emotionally safe environment, establishing trust and boundaries, supporting autonomy and choice, creating collaborative relationships and participation opportunities and using a strengths and empowerment-focused perspective to promote resilience.
Language:
· We respect the inherent worth, dignity, and multiple talents of all people including speaking and writing respectfully and appropriately about an individual. We encourage all to use Person- or people-first language emphasizing the person first, not their abilities.
· We ask that all avoid language that operates on ability assumptions, such as “I need everyone to stand now.” Instead, “If you are able, please stand with me.”
· We do not speak about trauma fueled responses as ‘in your head’ or ‘being emotional’ but rather ask questions to understand the experience of the person.
Responsibilities
It shall be the responsibility of the Board to establish and maintain policies and procedures and to bring these procedures into effect.
It shall be the responsibility of the Executive Director to ensure implementation of these policies and procedures.
Environmental Sustainability Policy
Introduction
The earth’s environment is under severe stress from uncontrolled human activity, threatening the living conditions of our future generation who we at Arts Bridging the Gap serve, and putting at severe risk the survival of all humans and our planet.
At Arts Bridging the Gap we are committed to, and passionate about, doing our part to preserve the environmental sustainability of the planet, at all levels of our operations through our own practices, as a participant in a variety of communities, and as a participant in the Global social discourse.
Arts Bridging the Gap aspires to minimize its impact on our environment and maximize the effective use of resources. We strive to achieve this not only in our direct actions but also by increasing communication and awareness of both our sustainability efforts, the effort of others and fostering and celebrating responsible environmental behavior amongst staff, volunteers, and our community.
Arts Bridging the Gap is committed not only to complying with applicable law in all of its operations but to minimizing risks and impacts through the development of robust and documented systems to implement, measure, monitor, and disseminate excellent environmental performance within our operations both internally and when interacting with the wider community.
This Environmental Sustainability Policy aims to integrate a philosophy of sustainable development into all the organization’s activities and to establish and promote exemplary environmental practice in our operations.
Policy Overview
Arts Bridging the Gap commits itself to minimizing its impact on our environment through
Providing a safe and healthful workplace;
Having an environmental sustainability aware and proactive culture,
where responsibility is assigned and understood;
Being an environmentally responsible neighbor in our community;
Conserving natural resources by reusing and recycling;
Using, in our own operations, processes that do not adversely affect the environment;
Ensuring the responsible use of energy throughout the organization;
Participating in efforts to improve environmental protection and
understanding;
Taking steps to improve environmental performance continually;
Conducting rigorous audits, evaluations, and self-assessments of the
implementation of this policy;
Working with suppliers who promote sound environmental practices; and
Enhancing awareness among our employees, volunteers, and community educating and motivating them to act in an environmentally responsible manner.
Policy in Action ; Procedures
Arts Bridging the Gap will develop guidelines for staff, volunteers and
users to adopt sound environmental work practices, and adequate
training will be provided to ensure these practices are carried out.
Arts Bridging the Gap will act responsibly to correct incidents or
conditions that endanger health, safety, or the environment. It will promptly report any such incidents to the relevant authorities and inform affected parties as appropriate.
Arts Bridging the Gap will reuse and recycle materials, purchase recycled materials, and use recyclable packaging and other reusable materials wherever possible.
Arts Bridging the Gap will ensure its services and products are safe, efficient in their use of energy, protective of the environment, and able to be reused, recycled or disposed of safely.
Arts Bridging the Gap will minimize materials and energy use, do our utmost to prevent air, water, and other pollution, and dispose of waste safely and responsibly.
Arts Bridging the Gap will conserve energy by improving energy efficiency and giving preference to renewable over non-renewable energy sources when possible.
Arts Bridging the Gap will utilize its particular knowledge and experience to contribute to environmentally sustainable techniques, technology, knowledge and methods.
Arts Bridging the Gap will meet or exceed all applicable government requirements and voluntary requirements generally observed in its field, and will, in addition, adhere to the more stringent requirements of its own environmental policy.
In order to continually improve its environmental management system Arts Bridging the Gap will conduct audits and self-assessments of its compliance with this policy.
Arts Bridging the Gap will maintain an open and honest dialogue with staff, volunteers, stakeholders, and the public about the environmental, health and safety performance of its operations and services.
Arts Bridging the Gap will ensure that every employee, volunteer and contractor is informed of and expected to follow this policy and to report any environmental, health, or safety concern to management so that action may be taken.
Our Street Art Initiative uses low to zero VOC emitting outdoor paint products to ensure our impact on the planet is as minimal as possible. We work with re-usable containers, brushes, and other painting supplies to reduce the amount of waste that goes into landfills. All of our leftover paint water is sent to designated water treatment facilities to protect the earths water cycle from synthetic compounds. Furthermore, all of our discarded paint is sent to official paint recycling centers for proper chemical treatment and disposal. Part of our mission is to educate kids about the issues they will face in their lifetime, and by taking these steps we are helping inform our program participants of how to protect the environment and choose more earth friendly products.
For a detailed description of particular sustainability practices adopted by Arts Bridging the Gap please reference ‘ABG Sustainability in Action’– please contact georgia@artsbridgingthegap.org for this document.
Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Arts Bridging the Gap supports a full creative life for all humans, and believes that all members of a community should experience arts which reflect and nourish their identity, self-esteem and self-efficacy.
Arts Bridging the Gap is committed to ensuring racial and cultural equity in its outreach, funding, leadership, resource allocation, partnerships, and programs.
Arts Bridging the Gap believes that equity moves past inclusion and representation; accepting that power has created uneven starting points for some communities and individuals. We therefore commit to championing policies and practices of cultural equity that empower a just, inclusive, equitable nation.
Definitions:
Inclusion and access:
Every member of a community* having opportunities and access to encounter, appreciate, participate in, learn and be informed about the arts and culture.
Everyone experiencing equal access to a full, vibrant creative life, which is essential to a healthy and democratic society.
Fair and just pathways to appreciate and be exposed to the arts as well as attain information, financial resources and opportunities to fulfill cultural and artistic expression and development.
Cultural equity:
The inclusion and fair representation of multiple diverse populations in outreach and in the allocation of funding, resources (e.g., facilities and fiscal), and programs, providing equitable and fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all people, while at the same time striving to identify and eliminate barriers that have prevented the full participation of some communities.
All people— including but not limited to those who have been historically underrepresented based on race/ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, socioeconomic status, geography, citizenship status, or religion—are represented in the development of arts policy; the support of artists; the nurturing of accessible, thriving venues for expression; and the fair distribution of programmatic, financial, and informational resources.
All people have the right to inherit, develop and engage in intellectual, emotional, material, and spiritual traditions and heritage.
Arts and cultural organizations and artists from all disciplines and cultural traditions are valued equally and supported equitably.
Arts Bridging the Gap Acknowledges that in In the United States, there are systems of power that grant privilege and access unequally such that inequity and injustice result, and that must be continuously addressed and changed.
Diversity
An Arts and cultural organization that reflect sand embraces the diversity of its communities in staffing, leadership, programming, including artists, and audiences/participants.
This definition includes all the ways in which people differ, including but not limited to, race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, geography, citizenship status, religion, language, physical appearance, and those affiliating with multiple identities.
Our definition also includes diversity of thought: ideas, perspectives, and values.
As an organization Arts Bridging the Gap is founded and run on the beliefs that:
Our community’s diversity is an asset to our arts and cultural environment and our economy
Every individual has the right to engage in arts and culture that celebrate their highest potential.
Every individual has the right to participate in creative thinking and expression.
Including communities through the arts and culture achieves our highest potential, by promoting mutual respect and understanding.
The prominent presence of artists challenges inequities and encourages alternatives and that therefore we must lead in our actions.
Inequity is pervasive and historic. Simple diverse representation does not dismantle the unequal nature of voice, resource allocation, and visibility that exist in the arts and cultural ecosystems. Disparities and discrimination are daily occurrences that are entrenched in long standing majority privilege and power inside and outside of the arts; tackling issues surrounding these occurrences requires an understanding of the root causes of disparities within our society.
Furthermore, Arts Bridging the Gap believes that cultural equity is critical to the long-term viability of the arts sector. We must all hold ourselves accountable, because acknowledging and challenging our inequities and working in partnership is how we will make change happen.
As an organization Arts Bridging the Gap takes these actions every day to ensure that our work and practices are driven by the above beliefs:
Provide informed, authentic leadership for cultural equity.
Pursue cultural consciousness throughout our organization through substantive learning and formal, transparent policies.
Acknowledge and dismantle any inequities within our policies, systems, programs, and services.
Commit time and resources to expand more diverse leadership within our board, staff, and advisory bodies.
Encourage substantive learning to build cultural consciousness and to proliferate pro-equity policies and practices by all of our constituencies and audiences.
Practice proactive outreach to multiple diverse communities to support involvement and engagement in opportunities, programs, resources, and partnerships and provide accessibility and inclusivity in all aspects of leadership, partnerships, and programs.
Champion equitable resources to support and serve multiple diverse populations specifically.
Commit to systemic change that will remove barriers, thus improving access, empowerment and representation in the development and distribution of arts policy and resources to diverse communities and individuals.
Acknowledge that there are different methods of communication, and embraces a variety of communication styles that will allow for equitable access
*Arts Bridging the Gap define communities as municipalities, neighborhoods, social and cultural enclaves, diverse groups, and groups with distinct demographic characteristics as well as more formal institutions and organizations. We believe every human deserves to be a valued member of a community.
Adopted on 10/28/2018
(Signed by all Board of Directors)
Los Angeles County Arts and Culture Report: From Words to Action
Our work was recently featured in the Los Angeles County Arts and Culture Report: From Words to Action - to learn more about DEI efforts of cultural organization across Los Angeles please, click below.