The Maine Arts Commission Offers Free Accessibility Workshops

Accessibility Matters!

Did you know that new guidelines for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act go into effect in March? Do you know how these changes will affect your organization? Do you know where you can go for more information on these guidelines?

The Maine Arts Commission has all the answers you need and the agency is heading out on the road, with a team of experts, to share this information with cultural venues and community organizations in Maine.

Sixteen percent of Maine residents report some type of disability, and that is a large, untapped audience. New guidelines for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act go into effect in March, and the Maine Arts Commission is gearing up to prepare local arts organizations to meet compliance standards. The agency will conduct three accessibility compliance workshops in Portland on March 27, Camden on March 30 and in Bangor on April 27.

The workshops are free to attend and will include information on programmatic compliance as well as issues related to architectural and sensory barrier removal. They will be led by Maine Arts Commission Accessibility Coordinator Keith Ludden, who will be joined by Architect Jill Johanning, and Independent Living Specialist Jeremy Libby from Alpha One Independent Living Center, Aisha Hixon, Community Outreach Coordinator for the Iris Network, and Elissa Moran, Director of the Maine Center on Deafness. Johanning and Libby will discuss architectural barriers and solutions. Moran will discuss accommodations for persons with hearing impairments, and Hixon will discuss accommodations for persons with low vision.

These workshops are expected to attract a great deal of interest and we encourage you to sign up today. To register, follow this link

For more information, contact Keith Ludden, Accessibility Coordinator , 207/287-2713,keith.ludden@maine.gov NexTalk ID: keith.ludden, TTY: 207/877-3878.