Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability

Workshops

Capacity Building Workshop: August 19, 20, & 21 2013
Pre-Conference Workshops: August 20 & 21, 2013
Full Conference: August 21-23, 2013

On This Page:

• Join us for LEAD 2013
• About our Partners
• Who attends LEAD?
• Conference Highlights
• Registration Eligibility and Rates
• Conference Hotels
• Travel Information
• Contact Us

2013 Conference and Training - Washington, DC

Join us for LEAD 2013

The LEAD conference continues to be the one place where leaders and newcomers in the field of access to the cultural arts for individuals with disabilities and older adults can meet and mingle with peers, learn about the latest technological advances, get the straight talk on legal issues, and contribute to the collective knowledge base of what does and doesn’t work for building and engaging audiences, patrons, and visitors of all ages and abilities.

• Basic to Advanced: No matter what level of experience you have, there’s always something to learn. The building blocks will give newcomers the tools and information they need to develop a successful accessibility program while the discussion groups and advanced track address accessibility for the most experienced.
• Facilities to Programs: Sessions and discussions will cover all aspects of accessibility from the built environment to programs and communication.
• Legal Obligations & Customer Service: Learn about relevant laws and regulations and explore accessibility from the customer service and business case perspectives.
• Networking: Engage in conversations with colleagues who are enthusiastic about accessibility and eager to share their insights and learn from others.

Please join us in DC this August to continue the dynamic dialogue to share exciting ideas and explore new and innovative ways to welcome everyone through the doors of our organizations.

About Our Partners

Who Attends LEAD?

Whether your organization is big or small, your programming is indoors or outside, or if you come from a performing arts center, art gallery, zoo, museum, theater, or park, the networking and information offered at LEAD can help you improve accessibility for all of your patrons and visitors.

LEAD provides professional development for:

• Accessibility Managers and Coordinators
• Box Office and House Managers
• Outreach and Education Coordinators
• Patrons and Visitor Services Managers
• Facilities and Operations Managers
• Exhibition Designers
• State and Local Government ADA/504 Coordinators
• Marketing and Audience Development Directors
• State Arts Commission/Council Accessibility Coordinators

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Conference Highlights

• Doing Access Justice: Legal Issues for Arts Administrators

  Always one of the most popular sessions at LEAD, this forum is a dynamic, participant-driven Q&A session with experts from the U.S. Department of Justice and Disability Business and Technical Assistance Centers.

• The Challenges and Opportunities of Working with Older Volunteers: Best Practices and Case Studies to Guide your Work in the New Demographics Around Longevity

  There’s no question that volunteers are a vital part of many cultural arts organizations but how do you continue to effectively engage them as they age? Join the National Center on Creative Aging for a discussion on the results of a joint project with the LEAD network to identify best practices for accommodating and engaging aging volunteers. Share your challenges and solutions and get answers to your questions.

• Technology and Electronic Media

  LEAD features a series of sessions focused specifically on technology.  Topics range from captioning video, accessible electronic publications, handheld devices, mobile websites and accessible apps.

• The Basics

  This series of sessions is designed for those who are new to accessibility or who need a refresher on the building blocks of a successful accessibility program. Presenters will cover everything from physical access to planning; programmatic access to marketing.

• ADA Overview

  Start your LEAD experience with a comprehensive introduction to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Discover how the ADA applies to cultural arts organizations in the areas of employment, participation in programs and services, effective communication, and facility access. Learn about ADA compliance and creative ways to leverage compliance to draw in new visitors and patrons.

• Tips, Tools and Techniques for Effective Staff Training

  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 materials, and look at key components of thorough and effective training sessions. Come with a training in mind and leave with the tips and tools needed to make it a dynamic, interactive experience.

• Website Accessibility Consultations

  Meet one-on-one with an expert on accessible web design and get practical, useful recommendations on how to make your website more accessible. Not the web developer for your organization? No problem! During the consult, you'll receive a detailed report that you can take back to your IT department!
  Space is limited. Please request a consultation when you register!

Pre-Conference Workshops
Subject to Change

• Creating and Evaluating Multi-Sensory Tours
  Tuesday, August 20 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
  
  

  This session will focus on making museum and cultural experiences accessible to all visitors, by using a multi-sensory approach. Through interactive activities participants will learn about tools for multi-sensory engagement; develop a framework to use within their own institution; and understand the basics of evaluation as part of further program development. At the end of the day participants will leave with an outline of the structure and components for creating a multi-sensory tour at their home museum or organization. Activities will include hands-on experience with a variety of tactile materials, fragrance, audio, movement and poetry, which will be followed by feedback and discussion. Throughout the course of the day, attendees will work both in groups and individually, having the opportunity to practice and experiment with various approaches to multi-sensory tours and how they might be used with diverse audiences.
  Hannah Goodwin, Manager of Accessibility, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MA)
  Annie Leist, Volunteer and Blind/Low Vision Consultant, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MA), Rebecca McGinnis, Museum Educator for Access and Community Programs, Metropolitan Museum of Art (NY)

• Tips, Tools and Techniques for Effective Staff Training
  Tuesday, August 20 from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
  
  

  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 materials, and look at key components of thorough and effective training sessions. Come with a training in mind and leave with the tips and tools needed to make it a dynamic, interactive experience.
  Talleri McRae, Associate Education Director, Stage One Family Theatre (KY)
  Diane Nutting, Director of Access and Inclusion, Imagination Stage (MD)

• The Three "Rs" of Fundraising: Research, Writing and Relationships
  Wednesday, August 21 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
  
  

  Times are tough and arts organizations are struggling to find funding to support their programs. There's no magic bullet but there are tools and techniques that will make your proposals and organization stand out in the crowd. This session will focus on practical tips for finding foundations and funders whose mission matches that of your programs and initiatives. The presenter will also provide useful strategies for developing and maintaining relationships with foundations that will, hopefully, lead to future or sustained funding. And no session on fundraising would be complete without a discussion on the basics of grant writing. Find out how to make the most of your proposal and how to avoid common pitfalls.
  Kim Hutchinson, President/CEO, Disability Funders Network (VA)

• ADA Overview
  Wednesday, August 21 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
  

  Start your LEAD experience with a comprehensive introduction to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Discover how the ADA applies to cultural arts organizations in the areas of employment, participation in programs and services, effective communication, and facility access. Learn about ADA compliance and creative ways to leverage compliance to draw in new visitors and patrons. This session will include a lot of question and answer segments and small group work.

  Marian Vessels, Director, Mid-Atlantic ADA Center (MD)
  
  
• Move 'em Out: Emergency Evacuation Basics and Planning
  Wednesday, August 21 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
  
  

  The session will focus on crowd management basics with an emphasis on developing evacuation plans that includes moving patrons with disabilities to safety. Participants will learn about the challenges of moving people to new locations in a variety of situations, industry standard terms and formulas and the importance of trained staff. Scenarios will be presented in large group and team settings. Participants will determine the type of evacuation necessary, demonstrate how they would direct people to exits, identify way finding aids, create a pre-event check list, and more.
  Sally Garrison, Patron & Client Services Coordinator, Tempe Center for the Arts (AZ)

• The Challenges and Opportunities of Working with Older Volunteers: Best Practices and Case Studies to Guide your Work in the New Demographics around Longevity
  Wednesday, August 21 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
  
  

  There's no question that volunteers are a vital part of many cultural arts organizations but how do you continue to effectively engage them as they age? Join the National Center on Creative Aging for a discussion on the results of a joint project with the LEAD network to identify best practices for accommodating and engaging aging volunteers. Share your challenges and solutions and get answers to your questions.
  Gay Hanna, Executive Director, National Center on Creative Aging (DC)

Capacity Building Workshops
Subject to Change

• Developing Audio Description Skills:
  Monday, August 19 - Tuesday, August 20 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
  
  
• Learn the Core Skills of Audio Description
• Apply these skills to your choice of live performances, visual art, or exhibits
• Train with two of the founders of the Audio Description Coalition, who together have more than 50 years of professional audio description experience
• Plan the next steps in your professional development as an audio describer

This fast-paced, interactive workshop allows students to discover the essentials that apply to audio description of live performances, visual art, multimedia and exhibits. Working in small groups, students learn the practical application of the core skills through participatory exercises, consumer input, lectures and demonstrations. At the conclusion of this workshop, new describers will be ready to further develop their skills as beginning describers and experienced describers will approach their work with refreshed and enhanced skills.

This Capacity Building Workshop is based on the audio description curriculum developed by an international committee of audio description professionals in 2011. The training is structured to accommodate describers at all levels of expertise--from beginners who have never tried audio description to experienced describers who want to expand their existing skills. Workshop leaders will provide individual guidance to help participants take the next steps in their development by being available for follow-up calls and emails throughout the next year.
Presenters: Deborah Lewis, CEO, Arts Access Now (CA); Celia Hughes, Executive Director, VSA Texas (TX), Andrea Day: In-house Describer, Theater Development Fund (NYC)

• Peer Session for State Arts Agency and Regional Arts Organization Accessibility Coordinators:
  Tuesday, August 20 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Wednesday, August 21 from 8:00 a.m. to Noon
  
  

  The National Endowment for the Arts invites State Arts Agency (SAA) and Regional Arts Organization (RAO) Accessibility Coordinators (ACs) to attend a peer session to share ideas and learn from experts. You will also learn about resources and build connections to help you facilitate access to cultural events, programs, and activities for all audiences throughout your state. Topics will feature a preview of the new Design for Accessibility Web site and Accessibility Checklist; the latest updates on electronic accessibility for arts organizations; and strategies for establishing relevant partnerships.
  Open to SAA and RAO Accessibility Coordinators only.

• Tech@LEAD
  
  

  In collaboration with the Carl and Ruth Shapiro National Center for Accessible Media at WGBH and the Smithsonian Institution, the Center will present Tech@LEAD. Tech@LEAD is a pilot event that will bring together diverse experts and practitioners from a variety of fields, including the arts, education, design, exhibition, media, electronic and information technology, online experiences and mobile and portable device development and manufacture - all to advance the development and application of innovative technologies that support the inclusion of people with disabilities in the cultural life of our world.

  Tech@LEAD is a by-invitation-only event.

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Registration Eligibility and Rates

Eligibility:

Not all registrations will be accepted. Space is limited and preference will be given to paid staff at cultural arts organizations or cultural arts service or government agencies who are directly responsible for making programs and facilities accessible to people with disabilities. The Kennedy Center reserves the right to decline registrations. In the event that registration is declined, the Center will issue a refund for any fees collected.

Team Registration Discounts:

If your organization sends more than one person to the full conference, the registration rate drops to $175 per person!  Please Note: The team registration rate is only available to board or staff members of arts or cultural organizations; arts or cultural service agencies; university or college staff; and federal, state or local government employees.

Full Conference: August 21–23

The full conference will begin at 1:00 p.m. on August 21 and continue all day August 22 and 23. Breakfast and lunch are included on August 22 and 23.  The full conference registration fee also includes one ticket to the LEAD Awards Dinner on August 23.

• $195: Arts/Cultural Organizations, Federal/State/Local Government, College/University, Arts Service Agency Staff:/each Team Member
• $175: Team Member (more than one person from the same organization is attending). The team member rate is only available to the following types organizations: Arts/Cultural Organizations, Federal/State/Local Government, College/University, Arts Service Agency Staff / Team Members are each
• $495: Non-Profit Disability Service Organization Staff
• $695: For-Profit Disability Service Organization Staff

One-Day Passes:

One-Day passes are available only to staff members of arts or cultural organizations, arts or cultural services agencies, University and College staff, and Federal, State and Local Government employees.

• $100: Wednesday, August 21 (Note: The conference will begin at 1:00 p.m. on August 21.)
• $100: Thursday, August 22
• $100: Friday, August 23

Pre-Conference Workshops: August 20 & 21

Sets of four workshops will be offered concurrently from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday August 21 and 8 a.m. to Noon on Wednesday, August 21. Dates and times are subject to change.

• $80 per person: All Pre-Conference Workshops

Developing Audio Description Skills: August 19 & 20

A two -day workshop from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Monday, August 19 and Tuesday, August 20. Dates and times are subject to change.
$550 per person

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Conference Hotels

Conference rates have been arranged at two hotels within walking distance of the Kennedy Center. To receive these rates, reservations must be made by July 20, 2013. If making your reservation via phone please be sure to ask for the Kennedy Center LEAD Conference rate or use the promo code listed for each hotel below. Rates do not include tax. A limited number of rooms are being held so reserve immediately!

The Melrose Hotel

2430 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20037

Rate: $149/night
GROUP CODE:1308KENNED

Book your room by phone or online at:
1 (800) 635-7673 (voice)
1 (202) 955-5765 (fax)
www.melrosehoteldc.com

• Approximately 0.4 miles from the Kennedy Center
• Twenty-five accessible rooms, six have roll-in showers
• The lobby is accessible through the front entrance of the hotel on Pennsylvania Ave.
• The hotel elevators to all guest rooms are accessible via wheelchair lift

The George Washington University Inn

824 New Hampshire Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20037

Rate: $149/night ($20/additional per adult staying in the same room)
$169/night Studio Suite if available
$199/night One-Bedroom Suite if available
PROMO CODE: 1308KENNED_001

Book your room by phone at:
1 (202) 337-6620 (voice)
1 (800) 426-4455 (voice)
1 (202) 298-7499 (fax) www.gwuinn.com

• Approximately 0.3 miles from the Kennedy Center
• Eight accessible rooms, four have roll-in showers
• Ten standard rooms have been reserved
• Wheelchair accessible entrance is in the back of the hotel on 25th Street
• A second wheelchair accessible entrance is to the right of the front door through the restaurant.

Additional Hotels

For additional hotel listings, visit the D.C. Convention and Visitors Association on the web at www.washington.org. For information about accessible travel, please visit www.gimponthego.com or www.disabilityguide.org.

Travel Information

Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA)

(http://www.metwashairports.com/reagan/reagan.htm) is the closest and most convenient airport to the Kennedy Center. Taxi fare is approximately $15. The airport is also on the Blue and Yellow lines of the Metro system. One-way fare ranges from $2.05-2.55.

Dulles Airport (IAD) (http://www.metwashairports.com/dulles/dulles.htm) in Virginia is a 30- to 60-minute drive from the Kennedy Center. Taxi fare is approximately $50. The Washington Flyer shuttle bus goes from Dulles to West Falls Church Metro station for $10 one-way or $18 round-trip. For more information, please visit www.washflyer.com. To plan your route from the West Falls Church Metro station, please visit www.wmata.com.

Baltimore-Washington Airport (BWI) (http://www.bwiairport.com/en) is a 45-to-75-minute drive from the Kennedy Center. Taxi fare is approximately $65.00. The Marc Train shuttle and train will connect you to the Metro system. For more information, please visit www.mtamaryland.com.

Metro

The Metro rail system is one of the easiest ways to get around the D.C. area. If you plan on using the metro we encourage you to visit Metro’s website (www.wmata.com) to find out more about accessibility features, maps, and fare cards. If you do plan on using the metro more than five times during your visit, reusable SmarTrip cards are the most cost effective option and can be pre-ordered (http://www.wmata.com/fares/purchase/store/) and shipped to your home.

Driving Directions
Please follow this link on the Kennedy Center's website for detailed instructions

Parking
Information or directions to the parking garage at the Kennedy Center. For the conference we are able to offer a discounted parking rate of $7.00 per day.

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Contact Us

(202) 416-8727 (voice)
(202) 416-8728 (TTY)
(202) 416-8802 (fax)

access@kennedy-center.org