Access/VSA International Network
@accessvsa.bsky.social
Kennedy Center Office of Access/VSA, producing: LEAD Conference, VSA Emerging Young Artists, Playwrights Discovery & Intl Young Musicians! AccessVSA.org
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Access/VSA International Network | cultural arts and disability
The Kennedy Center Access/VSA International Network provides community, education, and resources to creatives, educators, and arts leaders striving for the full inclusion of people in cultural arts and disability.
AccessVSA.org
Hi! 👋 We’re the Kennedy Center Office of Access/VSA in Washington, DC. We run programs such as:
- Leadership Exchange in Arts & Disability Annual Conference
- Access/VSA Intl Network
- Emerging Young Artists
- International Young Musicians
- Playwright Discovery Program
Learn more → AccessVSA.org
- Leadership Exchange in Arts & Disability Annual Conference
- Access/VSA Intl Network
- Emerging Young Artists
- International Young Musicians
- Playwright Discovery Program
Learn more → AccessVSA.org
Join us August 18-22 in Cleveland for the 2025 Leadership Exchange in Arts & Disability Conference! LEAD introduces leaders to cultural accessibility and provides ongoing learning, support, camaraderie, and inspiration—necessary fuel for anyone working to change the status quo. accesslead.org
April 17, 2025 at 1:12 AM
Join us August 18-22 in Cleveland for the 2025 Leadership Exchange in Arts & Disability Conference! LEAD introduces leaders to cultural accessibility and provides ongoing learning, support, camaraderie, and inspiration—necessary fuel for anyone working to change the status quo. accesslead.org
“My cast, they’re wise. They're compassionate. They're incredibly creative and imaginative and have so many things to share about their views of the world. We should be listening to that.” www.keranews.org/news/2025-04...
This new Dallas theater has a ‘Big Heart.’ And all its stars are adults with disabilities
Big Heart Theater works with adults who have intellectual and developmental disabilities to create original musical theater productions.
www.keranews.org
April 17, 2025 at 1:08 AM
“My cast, they’re wise. They're compassionate. They're incredibly creative and imaginative and have so many things to share about their views of the world. We should be listening to that.” www.keranews.org/news/2025-04...
“Our differences due to our disabilities are not a deficit, but actually the very reason why we're able to create unique music." www.wbur.org/news/2025/04...
Berklee group gives musicians with disabilities space to grow
The Berklee Music Inclusion Ensemble highlights the talents of musicians with disabilities. The group will play to their biggest crowd yet Saturday at the Berklee Performance Center.
www.wbur.org
April 17, 2025 at 1:06 AM
“Our differences due to our disabilities are not a deficit, but actually the very reason why we're able to create unique music." www.wbur.org/news/2025/04...
Reposted by Access/VSA International Network
Diseducation, the latest from @lachimusic.bsky.social and Apl.De.Ap of the Black Eyed Peas, is a loud and proud #DisabilityPride anthem that educates everyone that #disabled people are joyful and independent - and don’t need pity.
But don't take our word for it. Take Lachi's! #BlindNewWorld ⬇️
But don't take our word for it. Take Lachi's! #BlindNewWorld ⬇️
April 16, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Diseducation, the latest from @lachimusic.bsky.social and Apl.De.Ap of the Black Eyed Peas, is a loud and proud #DisabilityPride anthem that educates everyone that #disabled people are joyful and independent - and don’t need pity.
But don't take our word for it. Take Lachi's! #BlindNewWorld ⬇️
But don't take our word for it. Take Lachi's! #BlindNewWorld ⬇️
We love hanging out with you on Bluesky! Want to hang out with us on Instagram too? www.instagram.com/accessvsa?ig...
April 16, 2025 at 11:42 PM
We love hanging out with you on Bluesky! Want to hang out with us on Instagram too? www.instagram.com/accessvsa?ig...
Now more than ever, we need our community. To draw inspiration, to bounce ideas off, and to be there for each other.
Though our monthly Teas are typically member-only events, this month all our online networking and learning events are FREE! Head to accessvsa.org/learn to learn more or register.
Though our monthly Teas are typically member-only events, this month all our online networking and learning events are FREE! Head to accessvsa.org/learn to learn more or register.
April 12, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Now more than ever, we need our community. To draw inspiration, to bounce ideas off, and to be there for each other.
Though our monthly Teas are typically member-only events, this month all our online networking and learning events are FREE! Head to accessvsa.org/learn to learn more or register.
Though our monthly Teas are typically member-only events, this month all our online networking and learning events are FREE! Head to accessvsa.org/learn to learn more or register.
Nominations for the 2025 LEAD Awards are now open! Nominate a friend, colleague or yourself for one of 3 categories: Emerging Leader, Community Asset & Excellence in Accessibility Leadership
Deadline to submit is April 30. bit.ly/LEADAWARDS2025
Deadline to submit is April 30. bit.ly/LEADAWARDS2025
April 12, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Nominations for the 2025 LEAD Awards are now open! Nominate a friend, colleague or yourself for one of 3 categories: Emerging Leader, Community Asset & Excellence in Accessibility Leadership
Deadline to submit is April 30. bit.ly/LEADAWARDS2025
Deadline to submit is April 30. bit.ly/LEADAWARDS2025
“Many other technologies that recognize fingerspelling in ASL have not been adopted by the deaf & hard-of-hearing community because the hardware is bulky & impractical. We sought to develop a single ring to capture all the subtle and complex finger movement in ASL.”
www.popsci.com/technology/s...
www.popsci.com/technology/s...
Wearable ring translates sign language into text
SpellRing is trained on 20,000 words in American Sign Language.
www.popsci.com
March 19, 2025 at 1:44 PM
“Many other technologies that recognize fingerspelling in ASL have not been adopted by the deaf & hard-of-hearing community because the hardware is bulky & impractical. We sought to develop a single ring to capture all the subtle and complex finger movement in ASL.”
www.popsci.com/technology/s...
www.popsci.com/technology/s...
The Access/VSA team is gearing up for the 2025 LEAD Conference taking place August 18-22 in Cleveland, Ohio.
📅 Mark your calendar for Aug 18-22, 2025
📍 Huntington Convention Center
🎟️ Registration will open in April
🛏️ Hotel details will be announced soon
Questions? Head to accesslead.org!
📅 Mark your calendar for Aug 18-22, 2025
📍 Huntington Convention Center
🎟️ Registration will open in April
🛏️ Hotel details will be announced soon
Questions? Head to accesslead.org!
March 19, 2025 at 1:42 PM
The Access/VSA team is gearing up for the 2025 LEAD Conference taking place August 18-22 in Cleveland, Ohio.
📅 Mark your calendar for Aug 18-22, 2025
📍 Huntington Convention Center
🎟️ Registration will open in April
🛏️ Hotel details will be announced soon
Questions? Head to accesslead.org!
📅 Mark your calendar for Aug 18-22, 2025
📍 Huntington Convention Center
🎟️ Registration will open in April
🛏️ Hotel details will be announced soon
Questions? Head to accesslead.org!
“The new hub will feature a performance venue, arts studio, gallery space for contemporary works completed by artists with disabilities, a cafe, and indoor and outdoor gathering spaces.” www.msn.com/en-ca/news/c...
March 14, 2025 at 8:23 PM
“The new hub will feature a performance venue, arts studio, gallery space for contemporary works completed by artists with disabilities, a cafe, and indoor and outdoor gathering spaces.” www.msn.com/en-ca/news/c...
Reposted by Access/VSA International Network
Pinnacle Mountain State Park introduces all-terrain wheelchairs to enhance trail access katv.com/news/local/p... #a11y
Pinnacle Mountain State Park introduces all-terrain wheelchairs to enhance trail access
Pinnacle Mountain State Park is working to make its scenic trails more accessible to visitors with mobility challenges.
katv.com
March 14, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Pinnacle Mountain State Park introduces all-terrain wheelchairs to enhance trail access katv.com/news/local/p... #a11y
Join us for our next Access/VSA Network webinar: Making Inclusive Museums Now on Tuesday, March 18 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET with Joel Sanders of JSA/MIXdesign!
This webinar is FREE for members; $15 for non-members. Register now at accessvsa.org!
This webinar is FREE for members; $15 for non-members. Register now at accessvsa.org!
March 14, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Join us for our next Access/VSA Network webinar: Making Inclusive Museums Now on Tuesday, March 18 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET with Joel Sanders of JSA/MIXdesign!
This webinar is FREE for members; $15 for non-members. Register now at accessvsa.org!
This webinar is FREE for members; $15 for non-members. Register now at accessvsa.org!
“It has become more apparent to me that there are a great majority of problems with not only physical inaccessibility but also social acceptance and understanding that extend beyond the individual.” trinitonian.com/2025/01/30/r...
Redefining Strength: Disability, Identity and Community
When you think of the term “disabled,” you may think of a close family member, someone you spoke to at a disABILITYsa or the San Antonio Community Resource Directory volunteer event or maybe you have ...
trinitonian.com
February 6, 2025 at 6:48 PM
“It has become more apparent to me that there are a great majority of problems with not only physical inaccessibility but also social acceptance and understanding that extend beyond the individual.” trinitonian.com/2025/01/30/r...
“A lot of times, you’ll be in one space designed for disabled bodies that won’t have awareness around race. Or you’ll be in a space that’s queer-friendly but doesn’t have a politic around fatness.” www.dancemagazine.com/how-we-move-...
How We Move Offers a New Kind of Intensive Designed for Disabled and Multiply Marginalized Artists
With How We Move, a new intensive for dancers 18 and older, Harville and her collaborators hope to create a space where Disabled, multiply marginalized artists can find community, agency, and creative...
www.dancemagazine.com
February 6, 2025 at 6:29 PM
“A lot of times, you’ll be in one space designed for disabled bodies that won’t have awareness around race. Or you’ll be in a space that’s queer-friendly but doesn’t have a politic around fatness.” www.dancemagazine.com/how-we-move-...
We are asking artists ages 15-26 to explore how their art interacts with their disability identity, to spark something new in CATALYST, our @kennedycenter.bsky.social 2025 Emerging Young Artists Program. Apply by Feb 28 at www.accessvsa.org/creativecare...
February 6, 2025 at 6:25 PM
We are asking artists ages 15-26 to explore how their art interacts with their disability identity, to spark something new in CATALYST, our @kennedycenter.bsky.social 2025 Emerging Young Artists Program. Apply by Feb 28 at www.accessvsa.org/creativecare...
Superfest Disability Film Festival is open for submissions through Feb 21! The event celebrates cutting-edge cinema that portrays disability culture in all its diverse, complex, and empowering facets. superfestfilm.org/submissions?...
SUBMISSIONS — Superfest
FILM SUBMISSIONS
superfestfilm.org
January 7, 2025 at 11:44 PM
Superfest Disability Film Festival is open for submissions through Feb 21! The event celebrates cutting-edge cinema that portrays disability culture in all its diverse, complex, and empowering facets. superfestfilm.org/submissions?...
Blind singer-songwriter and guitarist Raul Midon is nothing if not prolific. His 14th and latest album Lost & Found is a blend of what he calls “smooth folk,” “alt-pop,” and “jazz.”
Friday, January 10
6:00 p.m. ET
FREE in-person & live stream
www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/mil...
Friday, January 10
6:00 p.m. ET
FREE in-person & live stream
www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/mil...
January 3, 2025 at 1:33 PM
Blind singer-songwriter and guitarist Raul Midon is nothing if not prolific. His 14th and latest album Lost & Found is a blend of what he calls “smooth folk,” “alt-pop,” and “jazz.”
Friday, January 10
6:00 p.m. ET
FREE in-person & live stream
www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/mil...
Friday, January 10
6:00 p.m. ET
FREE in-person & live stream
www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/mil...
Reposted by Access/VSA International Network
Is finding a new job your New Years' resolution? NDRN and our member agencies are hiring! Come join the fight for disability rights www.ndrn.org/about/careers/
Careers - NDRN
Please contact us if you're interested in sharing an employment opportunity on this page. Submissions are shared at the…
www.ndrn.org
January 2, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Is finding a new job your New Years' resolution? NDRN and our member agencies are hiring! Come join the fight for disability rights www.ndrn.org/about/careers/
FREE webinar (Jan 16 @ 2pm ET): Embracing Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in the Arts: Creating Accessible and Engaging Learning Environments
us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
January 2, 2025 at 7:03 PM
FREE webinar (Jan 16 @ 2pm ET): Embracing Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in the Arts: Creating Accessible and Engaging Learning Environments
us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
“The work in “For Dear Life” traces the outlines of an alternative: a culture that finds beauty in fragility and strength in interdependency, in which community is not a marketing buzzword but a vital part of life for the disabled and the able-bodied alike.” www.artforum.com/events/pst-a...
“FOR DEAR LIFE: ART, MEDICINE, AND DISABILITY”
The work in “For Dear Life” traces the outlines of an alternative: a culture that finds beauty in fragility and strength in interdependency, in which community is not a marketing buzzword but a vital ...
www.artforum.com
January 1, 2025 at 2:46 PM
“The work in “For Dear Life” traces the outlines of an alternative: a culture that finds beauty in fragility and strength in interdependency, in which community is not a marketing buzzword but a vital part of life for the disabled and the able-bodied alike.” www.artforum.com/events/pst-a...
Apply now for our 2025 Creative Careers programs! Kennedy-center.org/vsa
December 22, 2024 at 1:01 AM
Apply now for our 2025 Creative Careers programs! Kennedy-center.org/vsa
When you enter the 2025 Tiny Desk Contest, you join a nationwide community of music-makers and creators. Get started on your video now! Entries open on Jan. 14. tinydeskcontest.npr.org/2025/announc... @npr.org
Enter NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Contest
Unsigned artists: Send us a video of you playing an original song (behind a desk!) and you could play your very own Tiny Desk concert.
tinydeskcontest.npr.org
December 21, 2024 at 5:38 PM
When you enter the 2025 Tiny Desk Contest, you join a nationwide community of music-makers and creators. Get started on your video now! Entries open on Jan. 14. tinydeskcontest.npr.org/2025/announc... @npr.org
“Bode credits much of this intentionality to disability coordinator Chantelle Nassari, who evaluated all aspects of the film set to make sure it was accessible for wheelchair users (like herself and actor Bode) and anyone with any access needs in the cast and crew.” www.popsugar.com/health/wicke...
How "Wicked"'s Accessibility Coordinator Made the Land of Oz More Inclusive
PS spoke to the accessibility coordinator for "Wicked," Chantelle Nassari, about her work on the film and why every production needs this role.
www.popsugar.com
December 16, 2024 at 4:28 AM
“Bode credits much of this intentionality to disability coordinator Chantelle Nassari, who evaluated all aspects of the film set to make sure it was accessible for wheelchair users (like herself and actor Bode) and anyone with any access needs in the cast and crew.” www.popsugar.com/health/wicke...
"Once I started getting a lot more [speaking opportunities] at events in the disability sector, where I was basically doing motivational talks, I used that as a way to showcase my music and my story of how I've overcome challenges and limitations.” amp.abc.net.au/article/1046...
December 12, 2024 at 2:36 PM
"Once I started getting a lot more [speaking opportunities] at events in the disability sector, where I was basically doing motivational talks, I used that as a way to showcase my music and my story of how I've overcome challenges and limitations.” amp.abc.net.au/article/1046...
“Photos taken by disabled people can challenge how society sees disability. By showing mobility aids or disabilities openly, these photos can change the story.” disabilityhorizons.com/2024/12/view...
Viewing disability and difference through the eye of a lens
Photographer Claire Gilliam uses self-portraiture to explore and accept her disabled body, challenging societal beauty norms.
disabilityhorizons.com
December 12, 2024 at 2:29 PM
“Photos taken by disabled people can challenge how society sees disability. By showing mobility aids or disabilities openly, these photos can change the story.” disabilityhorizons.com/2024/12/view...