Education
Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability
General Information |
2008 Conference and Training |
Conference Schedule |
LEAD Awards Information |
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2008 Conference and Training - Information
- What is LEAD?
- Register for LEAD 2008!
- Download the 2008 Conference Brochure
- Registration Information
- Come LEAD With Us!
- Don’t Miss Out!
- About our Partners
- Pre-Conference Sessions
- Conference Highlights
- Special Events
- Scholarships
- Conference Hotels
- Directions and Travel Information
- About Fort Lauderdale
- Acknowledgements
- Contact Us
August 21-24, 2008
In partnership with the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, VSA arts of Florida, and the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Come LEAD With Us!
We’re taking LEAD on the road again in 2008! This year the Kennedy Center is pleased to partner with the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, VSA arts of Florida, and the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs to bring the 2008 LEAD Conference and Training to Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Drawing on national and local resources, the conference will provide an array of opportunities to:
- Discuss issues ranging from physical and programmatic access to ticketing policies and marketing strategies;
- Share ideas and learn what has been successful at other arts organizations and cultural institutions;
- Engage in an open dialogue with representatives from the Disability Rights Section of the Department of Justice;
- Learn about best practices and how to develop sound policies; and
- Participate in stimulating and enriching discussions with leaders in the field.
With sessions and special events in the beautiful Broward Center for the Performing Arts, you’ll have an opportunity to experience the finest of Fort Lauderdale.
So plan your trip to the Sunshine State and become a part of this national network of leaders vested in creating and shaping the future of access and accommodations for the inclusion of seniors and people with disabilities in the cultural arts.
Contact us to be added to the mailing list and to receive updates about conference events!
Don’t Miss Out!
The LEAD Conference provides professional development opportunities for:
- Accessibility Managers and Coordinators
- Box Office and House Managers
- Outreach and Education Coordinators
- Patron and Visitor Services Managers
- State and Local Government ADA/504 Coordinators
- University and College ADA/Accessibility Coordinators
- Marketing and Audience Development Directors
- States Arts Commission/Council Accessibility Coordinators
- Volunteers and Board Members
About our Partners
The Broward Center for the Performing Arts
In the heart of the Riverwalk Arts & Entertainment District, the Broward Center is one of the premier performing arts facilities in South Florida, now in its 17th year. With two magnificent theaters, award-winning educational partnerships, and a commitment to programming that embraces the exciting, international influences of our multi-cultural community, the Broward Center offers world-class events in a lush, tropical setting. For more information, www.browardcenter.org for more information.
VSA arts of Florida
VSA arts of Florida is a member of the international network of VSA arts, an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Founded in 1981 by the Florida Department of Education and the Florida Department of State, VSA arts of Florida is a program of the College of Education, University of South Florida. Through an extensive network of program sites and partnerships statewide, we provide inclusive arts, education and cultural opportunities for and by people with disabilities. In 2006-2007, VSA arts of Florida directly served 35,000 individuals with disabilities and 150,000 other participants. For more information, please visit www.vsafl.org.
The Florida Division of Cultural Affairs
The Florida Division of Cultural Affairs is Florida's state arts agency. The Division fosters the development of arts activities and services in the state of Florida through its grant programs and other opportunities. The Division impacts all of Florida's 67 counties by supporting over 25,000 cultural events and opportunities. In one year alone, 27 million people participated in programs supported by the Division; including nearly 8 million school-aged children. For more information, please visit www.florida-arts.org.
Pre-Conference Workshops
August 21, 2008
Come early for one or two in-depth, interactive workshops on specific topics related to access in the cultural arts. Boxed lunches will be provided for participants who are taking both a morning and afternoon session. Pre-conference sessions are $75.00 each.
Morning Pre-Conference Workshops – 8:00 am to Noon
Basic Policy Development: Part One of a Two-Part Series to Help You Craft, Implement, Enforce, and Troubleshoot Access Policies for Your Venue
An encore presentation of LEAD 2007’s Policy Writing is Not for Sissies!, this workshop provides you with the nuts and bolts you need to develop, implement and enforce defensible accessibility policies. Each participant receives a policy development guidebook. Especially recommended for those new to policy writing, approval, and maintenance.
At the completion of Basic Policy Development, participants will be able to:
- Identify evidence-based reasons for policies.
- Develop a template policy format and process for in-house use.
- Identify necessary components for a comprehensive organizational assessment of policy needs.
- Identify core resources for verification of policy content and compliance.
- Identify factors needed for successful policy development and implementation, including the policy-practice connection and in-house awareness.
- Identify principles to defend the contents of, and need for, the policies you produce.
Don’t Be Caught by Surprise: Sound Ticketing Policies are your Friends
When do you release wheelchair accessible locations? Do you offer discounted tickets to patrons with disabilities? Where do you seat patrons who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind or have low vision? How do you accommodate unusual requests? The answers to these questions should be in your box office policies. Come to this session to learn how to write effective policies and implement procedures that will ensure that patrons with disabilities have equal access to tickets and performances.
Presenter: Betty Siegel, Director of Accessibility, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (DC)
Audio Description from A to Z: 10 Steps to Creating and Maintaining a Successful Service
Whether creating an in-house audio description service for a single performing arts presenter/producer or museum/exhibit facility or creating a community-wide service for the various venues of multiple program providers, the essential steps to creating and maintaining a successful service remain the same. In a lecture/discussion format, the workshop leaders and participants will explore creating an advisory board; hiring an audio description trainer; securing buy-in from decision makers; determining equipment needs; budgeting, fund raising, and marketing; training describers and involved staff; and ongoing evaluation of the program and describers.
Presenters: Founding Members of the Audio Description Coalition: Janet Zoubek Dickson, Access Coordinator, McCarter Theatre (NJ); Ruth M. Feldman, Director of Education and Accessibility Services, Yale Repertory Theatre (CT); Celia Hughes, Executive Director, VSA arts of Texas, (TX) Deborah Lewis, Executive Director, ELA Foundation (CA) Michael T. Mooney, Manager of Outreach and Access Programs, Paper Mill Playhouse (NJ) Bill Patterson, President, Audio Description Solutions (PA)
Creating Arts for All
This dynamic, interactive session will train staff and volunteers from theaters, museums, community centers, after school arts programs, and others how to universally design their educational arts programming to make it accessible to children of all abilities. Participants will learn unique strategies and best practices for engaging a wide range of children in several arts disciplines. Everyone will leave the training with specific, universally-designed arts activities they can replicate with the children in their program.
Presenters: Martin English, M.F.A., Executive Director of Accessible Arts, Inc. (KS); Kit Bardwell, M.M., Program Director of Accessible Arts, Inc. (KS)
Afternoon Pre-Conference Workshops – 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Tips, Tools, and Techniques for Effective Volunteer and Staff Training*
Your staff and volunteers are the public face of your institution. With proper training they can be enthusiastic and informed allies in your efforts to create a completely disability and senior-friendly patron/visitor experience. This session will address strategies for maximizing your training efforts, offer practical suggestions, supply sample training manuals and materials, and look at key components of thorough and effective training sessions.
Presenters: Cindy Brown, ADA and Accessibility Specialist (OR); Celia Hughes, Executive Director, VSA arts of Texas (TX)
*Please note that this session will run from 12:30 pm until 5:30 pm.
Advanced Policy Development: Part Two of a Two-Part Series to Help You Craft, Implement, Enforce, and Troubleshoot Access Policies for Your Venue
If you need help making your policies work in real life, this workshop is for you. Workgroups will gain practical experience by applying the principles learned in Basic to produce venue-tailored policies that comply with accessibility standards. Strategies for identifying and overcoming problems with policy implementation and maintenance will be discussed. Each participant receives a policy development workbook. Recommended for those involved in policy development, implementation and enforcement—administrators, legal counsel, managers, marketing directors, staff educators, policy committee members, program coordinators.
Prerequisite: Basic Policy Development or equivalent experience. Bring to class: Examples of policy-related problems from your venue that you want to discuss.
At the end of Advanced Policy Development, participants will be able to:- Discuss various strategies for achieving administrative support and end-user compliance.
- Discuss strategies for in-house teambuilding for accessibility issues.
- Compare centralized and decentralized accessibility responsibility and oversight.
- Discuss related education and performance requirements for employees and contractors.
Listen to a Bench, Chew on a Painting: Multi-Sensory Approaches to Museum Visits
How can temperature and texture affect your experience of a sculpture? How can a description shape the way you see a painting? How can taste and smell evoke the mood of a photograph, and fix it in your memory forever?
As visitor demographics shift and the population ages, museums are increasingly striving to address the needs of diverse visitor populations. This workshop will give you the tools to begin new programming or expand current access in increasingly inclusive ways.
Explore how art and history museums can use multi-sensory interpretation strategies to create a richer appreciation and understanding of their collections. We will see how employing multiple, redundant and simultaneous versions of information as a means of improving comprehension, engagement and access to visitors with a range of abilities and preferences, will benefit everyone. Through interactive hands-on exercises, participants will discover the benefits of investigating a work of art through touch, sound, smell, taste and movement, as well as through looking, discussion and description.
Presenters: Hannah Goodwin, Accessibility Manager, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MA); Rebecca McGinnis, Access Coordinator, Metropolitan Museum of Art (NY), Hope McMath, Director of Education, Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens (FL)
ADA Basics: Titles I, II, III
The perfect session for beginners! Start your LEAD 2008 experience with a solid introduction to the Americans with Disabilities Act. Speakers from two regional Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers will define Titles I, II, and III of the ADA and discuss how they apply to cultural organizations, whether public or private, non-profit or government.
Presenters: Robin Jones, Project Director and Principal Investigator, DBTAC: Great Lakes ADA Center (IL); Shelley Kaplan, Project Director, DBTAC-Southeast (GA)
Conflict is Inevitable; Combat is Optional: Mediation Skills for Everyone
Mediation skills have highly practical applications in managing the interpersonal and institutional conflicts which arts organizations, in general, and ADA professionals, in particular, may encounter. Role-play is the most common technique for teaching mediators and this session will involve extensive role-plays (relax, it's fun and will be gently coached) and will teach conflict management and mediation skills that can be put to work immediately to defuse, transform and resolve conflicts, handle complaints, satisfy constituencies that they have been heard, avoid litigation, and enhance the chance for peace.
Presenter: Madge S. Thorsen, Attorney (MN)
Conference Highlights
Subject to change.
Please click here for more details!
Legal Issues – Current Trends
Always one of the most popular sessions! This is your chance to participate in a frank and open discussion of legal and compliance issues for cultural organizations with representatives from the Disability Rights Section of the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice and ADA Information and Technology Center. Discuss key issues and the legal effects on your organization.
Technology Update: What’s Hot and What’s Not
Find out about the latest developments in accessible technologies for cultural environments. Discover what works and what doesn’t.
Leadership in Dialogue – Taking the Conversation to a New Level
Take advantage of this opportunity to share your successes and garner new ideas from other cultural arts access experts in a personal and substantive way. By bringing together the talents and energies of the accomplished professionals who attend the LEAD conference, we can build upon the legacy of ideas that have fostered significant projects and continue to advance the field.
Accommodating the Growing Senior Population
Broaden the scope of your organization’s accessibility mission to be inclusive of older audiences, visitors, and volunteers. Discover ways to address the needs of your senior visitors and audience and improve participation by senior volunteers.
Special Events
Subject to change.
Opening Reception - Free!
Thursday, August 21 from 5:30 to 7:00 pm
Celebrate the start of the 2008 LEAD. Reconnect with colleagues and make new contacts!
Art Metrano
Thursday, August 21 at 8:00 pm
Tickets are $31.50
Enjoy the funny, poignant, and powerful story of actor/comedian Art Metrano’s rise to fame, the accident that almost ended his career, but instead gave him new perspective on life.
This performance will be sign interpreted, captioned, and audio described.
LEAD Awards Dinner
Saturday, August 23 at 7:00 pm
Tickets are $35.
Always one of the best conference events, the Awards Dinner is not to be missed! Join us for an elegant evening to present the 2008 Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability Awards for Excellence in Accessibility Leadership in recognition of the achievements and contributions of an individual and an organization to the field of cultural arts access.
Click here for more information about the LEAD Awards.
Scholarships
The Kennedy Center is delighted to announce that scholarships are available to attend this year’s LEAD conference! Read below to find out if your organization is eligible for financial assistance for registration fees or travel expenses.
Staff and Volunteers at Florida Arts Organizations
VSA arts of Florida is offering 40 scholarships to staff or volunteers at Florida arts organizations. Scholarships will be for registration fees only. For more information and to apply, please contact Marian Winters at (813) 558-5095 (Voice and TTY), 888-844-ARTS (voice and TTY), mwinters@tempest.coedu.usf.edu, or visit www.vsafl.org and click on LEAD Registration
Registration
Click here to download the LEAD Registration Form. Submit your completed registration form via:
Email to: mailto:access@kenned-center.org
Click the "Submit via Email" button embedded in the form to automatically open a new email message with the completed registration form attached.
LEAD 2008
Accessibility Program
The Kennedy Center
P.O. Box 101510
Arlington, VA 22210
Fax to:
(202) 416-8802;
Attention: Accessibility
Please remember to fax both sides of the form
Full Conference - August 22–24
- $150 per person for Board or staff members of arts organizations, arts services agencies, cultural organizations, or cultural services agencies; University and College staff members; State and Local Government employees
- TEAM DISCOUNT: $130 per person. If your organization sends more than one person, the full conference fee drops to $130 per person! (Note: Team Discount ONLY applies to individuals who are eligible for the $150 registration fee.)
- $250 per person for staff members of non-profit disability service organizations
- $450 per person for employees of consulting, architecture, and law firms and other organizations
One-Day Conference Pass
Access to conference sessions for one day
Available only to board or staff members of arts organizations, arts services agencies, cultural organizations, or cultural services agencies, University and College staff, and State and Local Government employees
- $75 for Friday, August 22
- $75 for Saturday, August 23
Pre-Conference Workshops
Pre-Conference Workshops are $75 each. Each workshop is 4 hours long. Morning sessions will begin at 8:00 am and afternoon sessions will start at 1:00pm. Please note that Tips, Tools, and Techniques for Volunteer and Staff Training will run from 12:30 pm until 5:30 pm. Boxed lunches will be provided for individuals who register for both a morning and afternoon session.
Conference Hotels
Rates for the LEAD conference have been arranged at two hotels. To receive the conference rates, make your reservation by July 21, 2008 and ask for the Kennedy Center Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability (LEAD) Conference rate. A limited number of rooms are being held so call immediately!
Accessible transportation will be provided between the conference hotels and the Broward Center for the Performing Arts during the conference.
The Atlantic Resort and Spa 601 North Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard,
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
(866) 837-4274 ext. 2555 (voice)
(866) 211-4611 (voice)
Room Rate: $169/night (rate does not include tax)
Check in: 4:00 pm
Check out: 11:00 am
Parking: Valet - $14/day
Amenities: (please visit the hotel’s website for a complete list)
- Wireless High Speed Internet Access (Charge)
- 24-Hour Business Center with Internet Access (Charge)
- 2 Lounges and 1 Restaurant located in the Hotel
- Outdoor Heated Pool
- 24-Hour Fitness Facility
620 East Las Olas Blvd.,
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301
(800) 325-3280 (voice)
(954) 467-0671 ext. 7169 (voice)
Room Rate: $109.00/night (rate does not include tax or overnight parking charges, some restrictions may apply)
Check in: 3:00 pm
Check out: 11:00 am
Parking: Valet - $18/day; Garage Self-Parking - $12/day plus tax
Amenities: (please visit the hotel’s website for a complete list)
- Free High-Speed Internet Connection (wired connection)
- 24-hour business center
- Heated outdoor pool
- 2 Restaurants and 2 Lounges inside the Hotel
- Only a 20-minute walk along the river to the Broward Center
Directions and Travel Information
Traveling to Fort Lauderdale
The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) is the closest airport to the Broward Center. More information is available at http://www.broward.org/airport and http://www.broward.org/airport/airport_services.htm#four. Information on taxis, rental cars, public transportation, and shuttle service is available online at http://www.broward.org/airport/parking_transportation.htm.
Miami International Airport (MIA) is located approximately 30 miles from the Broward Center and the two conference hotels. Please visit http://www.miami-airport.com/ or http://www.miami-airport.com/html/ada.html for more information. Information about ground transportation between the Miami airport and Fort Lauderdale is available at http://www.miami-airport.com/html/parking_and_transportation.htm.
Directions to the Broward Center
The Broward Center is conveniently located in the Riverwalk Arts & Entertainment District in downtown Fort Lauderdale at 201 SW Fifth Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312.
Tri-Rail
Exit at the Fort Lauderdale Station (Broward Blvd.). Transportation from the station to the Center is available via Route 53 Tri-Rail Shuttle until 7:50 p.m. Call (800) TRI-RAIL for train schedules or (954) 728-8512 for bus schedules. More information is available at http://www.tri-rail.com/destinations/broward_county.htm.
By Car
I-95 From Broward Boulevard and points North
I-95: Exit Broward Blvd. East. Turn right onto SW 5th Ave. Continue to the next intersection and turn right onto SW 2nd Street. Free parking for conference attendees, during conference hours, will be in the Broward Center’s Valet Parking Lot located on your right.
I-95 From Broward Boulevard and points South
I-95: Exit Davie Blvd. East. Turn left at SW 4th Ave. Turn right at SW 2nd St. Free parking for conference attendees, during conference hours, will be in the Broward Center’s Valet Lot located on your left.
Federal Highway (US1)
Turn onto Broward Blvd. West. Turn left onto SW 5th Ave. Continue to the next intersection and turn right onto SW 2nd Street. Free parking for conference attendees, during conference hours, will be in the Broward Center’s Valet Parking Lot located on your right.
Parking Information
LEAD Conference attendees will be able to park in the Broward Center’s Valet Parking lot at no cost.
About Fort Lauderdale
More information about Fort Lauderdale, including maps and lists of things to do, is available online at www.sunny.org.
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to the members of the 2007 LEAD Conference Planning and Content Committees.
2008 LEAD Conference Planning Committee Members:
- Lew Balaban, Community Advocate
- Shelly Bradshaw, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
- David Dillon, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
- Judy Litt, Playground Theatre
- Brendan Glynn, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
- Jan Goodheart, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
- Beth Gordon, VSA arts of Florida
- Morgan Lewis, Florida Department of State / Division of Cultural Affairs
- Peter Neirouz, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
- Garry Novick, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
- Christina Oppelt, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
- Sue Rosenblum, Broward Center for the Performing arts
- Marian Winters, VSA arts of Florida
2008 LEAD Conference Content Committee Members:
- Rae Atira-Soncea, Overture Center (WI)
- Linda Jane Austen, The Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts (AZ)
- Cindy Brown, Accessibility Specialist (OR)
- David Dillon, Broward Center for the Performing Arts (FL)
- Martin English, Accessible Arts, Inc. (KS)
- Ruth Feldman, Yale Repertory Theatre (CT)
- Hannah Goodwin, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MA)
- Beth Gordon, VSA arts of Florida (FL)
- Hunter Gullickson, Guthrie Theater (MN)
- Celia Hughes, VSA arts of Texas (TX)
- Melissa Janssen, Zoological Society of San Diego, San Diego Zoo (CA)
- Deborah Lewis, ELA Foundation (CA)
- Rebecca McGinnis, Museum of Modern Art (NY)
- Hope McMath, Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens (FL)
- Michael Mooney, Paper Mill Playhouse (NJ)
- Marirose Morris, Wyoming Arts Council (WY)
- Martha Newman, The Kentucky Center (KY)
- Garry Novick, Broward Center for the Performing Arts (FL)
- Betty Siegel, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (DC)
- Jon Skaalen, VSA arts of Minnesota (MN)
- Mimi Smith, Amaryllis Theatre/VSA arts of Pennsylvania (PA)
- Jessica Swanson, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (DC)
- Street Thoma, The Philadelphia Museum of Art (PA)
- Marian Winters, VSA arts of Florida (FL)
- Beth Ziebarth, Smithsonian Institution (DC)
Contact Us
(202) 416-8727 (voice)
(202) 416-8728 (TTY)
(202) 416-8802 (fax)
