Education
Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability

General Information | 2007 Conference and Training | Conference Schedule | LEAD Awards Information | Resources

Conference Schedule

Subject to change

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• What is LEAD?
• Thursday, August 16
• Friday, August 17
• Saturday, August 18
• Sunday, August 19
• Contact Us

Thursday, August 16

Sessions will be held at the Guthrie Theater

9:00 am to 5:00 pm - Registration

10:30 am to 5:00 pm

Pre-Conference Workshop

• Tips, Tools, and Techniques for Effective Volunteer and Staff Training
  Back by popular demand!
  Effective training is 90% of the battle … make that 100%! 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: Celia Hughes, Executive Director VSA arts of Texas (TX); Cindy Brown, ADA and Accessibility Specialist (AZ)
  Boxed lunch will be provided.

1:00 pm to 5:00 pm

Pre-Conference Workshops

• Audio Description Beyond Live Theater Performances: An Introduction to Museums, Exhibits, and Outdoor Spaces, including Video Kiosks
  Although audio description is best known in the context of live theatre performances, it has successfully made a wide variety of cultural experiences accessible to people who are blind or have low vision. This participatory workshop will allow members to learn the techniques and to try describing visual art, historic artifacts, scenic vistas, and film and video segments from exhibit kiosks. Training and experience as an audio describer or knowledge of audio description is highly recommended.
  Presenters: Bill Patterson, Audio Description Solutions (PA); Janet Zoubek Dickson, McCarter Theatre (NJ)
  
  
• From Blueprints to Broadway: Building Accessibility Into the Contemporary Arts Center
  Using recent experiences at Overture Center for the Arts in Madison, Wisconsin as a starting point, this hands-on workshop will give you the information that you need to start your organization on the road to becoming more accessible to people with disabilities and older adults. Touching on universal design, physical spaces, community relations, programming, procedures and training, we’ll discuss how to make a contemporary arts center accessible. Find out what works, avoid common pitfalls, and be prepared for the challenges you will face while improving, constructing, or renovating your facility.
  Presenters: Rae Atira-Soncea, Director of Education, Outreach and Accessibility, Overture Center (WI); Angela L. Bennett, Disability Rights Coordinator, City of Madison (WI); Rudy Lienau, Theater Operations Director, Overture Center (WI); Jacquie Goetz Director of Patron Services, Overture Center (WI); Glenn Weihert Facilities Superintendent, Overture Center (WI); MichaelHuffman, President, Huffman Facility Development, Inc. (WI)
  
  
• Policy Writing: NOT FOR SISSIES! Learn how to initiate and streamline your accessibility policy development process
  Policies are the backbone of organizational operations. Good policies can help retain employees and customers. Are you unnerved at the thought of sorting through the accessibility mandates to figure out whether or how they apply to your site? Are you confused about what a “good policy” should contain, or how to get it accepted and implemented? Do you have policies that need updating but insufficient resources to get them done?
  Be brave. Pack up your dread, uncertainty and (let’s face it) procrastination and trade it in for the competence and confidence you need to turn out elegant, defensible policies that work for your sites.
  This workshop is designed to provide support and direction to help you develop or approve organizational policies related to accessibility. It will cover effective ways to:
  
  
  1. Develop a policy framework.
  2. Perform a comprehensive organizational assessment.
  3. Apply the assessment data to the policy framework.
  4. Verify the policy content for compliance with mandates and internal standards, before it is deployed.
  5. Identify factors needed for successful policy implementation, including the policy-practice connection and in-house awareness.
  6. Address obstacles like change aversion and orphaned priorities.
  7. Defend the contents of, and need for, the policies you produce.
  
  

  Make what you learn stick. Bring one of your problem policies to the workshop for a let’s-work-out-the-bugs discussion.
  Presenter: Susan L. Duncan, RN, Duncan Consulting (WA)

5:30 pm to 7:00 pm - Opening Reception – Free!

• McKnight Foundation Terrace
  Celebrate the start of the 2007 LEAD Conference overlooking the Mississippi River on the terrace of the McKnight Foundation, one of the leading arts funders in the country. Reconnect with colleagues and make new contacts!

7:30 pm - 1776

• Tickets are only $17!
  Guthrie Theater’s Wurtele Thrust Stage
  Directed by John Miller-Stephany, this Tony Award-winning "Best Musical" is an unabashed salute to American patriotism. In a rollicking and witty musical score John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin lead a cast of characters through the creation of the courageous document which defined the American Revolution, culminating in a powerful conclusion as the delegates are called forward to sign the Declaration of Independence. Music & lyrics by Sherman Edwards, Book by Peter Stone, Based on a concept by Sherman Edwards. This performance will be sign-interpreted, captioned, and audio described.

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Friday, August 17

Conference sessions will be held at the Guthrie Theater.

8:00 am to 5:00 pm - Registration

8:00 am to 8:30 am - Continental Breakfast

8:30 am to 9:00 am - Plenary Sessions

• Welcome


• What is the Role of the ADA Coordinator?
  As the ADA/504 Coordinator, which hat do you wear? Are you an advocate for the disability community? For your institution? An expert? Advisor? Enforcer? The answer is probably all of the above.
  Betty Siegel, Director of Accessibility, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (DC)

9:00 am to 10:00 am – Plenary Session

• Putting Things into Perspective: The History of the Disability Rights Movement
  Discussions about accessibility to cultural facilities and programs makes a lot more sense when looked at through the lens of the disability and civil rights movement. Frame your view of disability by seeing the past and become part of the movement for an accessible future.
  Rae Atira-Soncea, Director of Education, Outreach and Accessibility, Overture Center (WI); Krista Flores, The Smithsonian Institution Accessibility Program (DC)

10:00 am to 10:15 am – Break

10:15 am to Noon – Concurrent Sessions

• Nuts and Bolts of Accessibility Part 1: An Introduction to Physical Access
  During this three-part series, leaders in the field will offer practical advice on everything you always wanted to know - but were afraid to ask - about access and accommodations for patrons and visitors with disabilities.
  Get out that tape measure and get ready to investigate the Guthrie Theater's doors, ramps, restrooms, and more! Panelists will identify useful surveys and tools, and discuss how to assess a facility before taking participants on a tour to put their newly acquired skills to the test.
  Hunter Gullickson, Box Office Operations and Access Services Manager, The Guthrie Theater (MN); Susan Lasoff, MS, OTR/L, Occupational Therapist and Accessibility Specialist (MN)
  
  
• Challenging Patrons: Identifying Boundaries
  Participate in an interactive discussion led by the legal team working with the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts. Walk through a variety of hypothetical situations and analyze how arts institutions should approach the dilemmas raised by challenging patrons.
  Dr. Peter Blanck, Professor and Chair, Burton Blatt Institute, Syracuse University (NY); R. Douglas Burchett. Attorney, Blackburn, Hundley, & Domene, PLLC (KY); Pam Ledford, Attorney, Blackburn, Hundley, & Domene, PLLC (KY)

Noon to 1:00 pm – Lunch

1:00 pm to 5:00 pm – Individualized Website Accessibility Consultations

• Meet with Knowbility web specialists for an individualized consultation and get useful recommendations for making accessibility improvements to your organization’s website. (Space is limited. Must request consultation on registration form.)

1:00 pm to 1:30 pm – Kevin Kling, Keynote Speaker

• Kevin Kling grew up in Osseo, Minnesota and graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in 1979 with a B. A. in Theatre. He built his reputation in the Twin Cities during the 1990’s with his groundbreaking plays “21A” and “Fear and Loving in Minneapolis,” toured a one-man show of “Home and Away” across the US in the early 1990’s, and took his most recent one-man show “Freezing Paradise” on the road across the Midwest after a run at the Guthrie Lab. While his writing and performing continue unabated, he has also become well known for his regular storytelling contributions to NPR’s “All Things Considered, “ and has recently released his fifth CD collection, a boxed set titled “Collected Stories” which includes his 4 CD collections of stories and a DVD.

  Currently, Kevin is working on compiling a book of short stories, and continues to write plays and stories in a rigorous fashion. He has taught and led workshops as a guest resident at numerous schools, colleges, and festivals around the globe including Gustavus Adolphus, St. Olaf College, and most recently at Virginia Commonwealth University, and was invited to perform at the acclaimed National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee this past October.

1:30 pm to 2:45 pm – Concurrent Sessions

• Planning and Prioritizing: 12 Steps to Equal Access
  It only takes 12 Steps to plan for a successful access program, but what are those steps and how do you use them effectively to set policy, to set priorities, and to ensure equal access? Come to this session and find out!
  Deborah Lewis, Executive Director, ELA Foundation (CA)
  
  
• Access for Under $100
  Everyone always says access is too expensive. Explore the world of accessibility for under $100 and walk away with a list of easy and inexpensive "fixes."
  Cindy Brown, ADA and Accessibility Specialist (AZ)


• Universal Design: The Intersection of Buildings and Programs
  Inquiring minds want to know about Universal Design and how to apply it in real life situations. This panel will explore what Universal Design is and how the principles of Universal Design can be applied to both buildings and program. Taking the Plains Art Museum as a case study the panel will talk about Universal Design in buildings, plans to enhance program access and the collaborative process used to identify planning strategies.
  Steve Beckermann, Director of Operations, Plains Art Museum (ND); Sandra Ben-Haim, Curator of Education, Plains Art Museum (ND); Jan Majewski, Accessibility Specialist, U.S. Department of Justice (DC)

2:45 pm to 3:00 pm – Break

3:00 pm to 4:15 pm – Concurrent Sessions

• Nuts and Bolts of Accessibility Part 2: Communicating Effectively with People who are Blind or have Low Vision
  Explore the requirements and issues of "effective communication" as applied to patrons and visitors who are blind or have low vision. Discover how to make exhibitions and performances accessible, discuss the role of audio description in various environments, and learn about alternative formats for print materials.
  Rebecca McGinnis, Access Coordinator, Metropolitan Museum of Art (NY); Michael Mooney, Manager of Outreach and Access, Paper Mill Playhouse (NJ)
  
  
• Interacting with and Supporting Patrons and Visitors with Cognitive Disabilities
  This population is frequently overlooked. How can museums and theaters do a better job addressing the needs of patrons and visitors with cognitive disabilities through integrated programming or directed programs?
  Jeanne Calvit, Interact Center For The Visual & Performing Arts (MN); Craig Dunn, Executive Director, VSA arts of Minnesota (MN); Hannah Goodwin, Accessibility Manager, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MA)
  
  
• Transforming Enthusiasm into Organizational Buy-In
  A case study of how staff at the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Wild Animal Park is working to build institutional support and incorporate access and inclusion into the organization’s corporate culture.
  Bob Dillon, Associate Director of Operations, Zoological Society of San Diego (CA); Melissa Janssen, Legal Administrator, Zoological Society of San Diego (CA); Sheri Sherman, Education Specialist, Zoological Society of San Diego (CA)

4:15 pm to 5:30 pm – Concurrent Sessions

• Nuts and Bolts of Accessibility Part 3: Communicating Effectively with People who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing
  From accessible exhibitions and performances to the use of sign language interpreters, captioning, and assistive listening devices, take a look at the ways arts organizations can be accessible to patrons and visitors who are deaf or hard of hearing.
  Betty Siegel, Director of Accessibility, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (DC)
  
  
• Service Animals: What You Can and Cannot Do
  The law permits patrons, visitors and employees to bring their service animals into your facility. But what do you do if an animal presents challenging behaviors? Are there limits on what constitutes a “service animal”? How do you know if the animal is a risk in a particular area? Get answers to these and other questions and work through procedures that will make everyone comfortable.
  Susan L. Duncan, RN, Duncan Consulting (WA)
  
  
• Unique Issues of Museum Access: Collaborating, Partnering and Moving Forward
  Engage in a dialogue regarding the unique issues of access that museums face. Discussion will revolve around ways in which museums across the nation have approached access successfully and unsuccessfully, ways in which access was attempted and new ways of addressing the rising expectations of visitors and staff.
  Facilitated by: Hannah Goodwin, Manager of Accessibility, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MA); Rebecca McGinnis, Access Coordinator, Metropolitan Museum of Art (NY); Beth Ziebarth, Director of Accessibility, The Smithsonian Institution Accessibility Program (DC)

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Saturday, August 18

Conference sessions will be held at the Guthrie Theater.

8:00 am to 5:00 pm - Registration

8:00 am to 9:00 am - Continental Breakfast

9:00 am to Noon – Plenary Session

• Legal Issues – Current Trends
  Participate in a frank and open discussion of legal and compliance issues for cultural organizations with John Wodatch, Chief of the Disability Rights Section of the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice and Robin Jones, Project Director and Principal Investigator from the Great Lakes ADA Information and Technology Center. Discuss key issues and the legal effects on your organization.

Noon to 1:00 pm – Lunch

12:30 pm to 1:00 pm – Curbside Consultations

• Sign up to talk one-on-one with a seasoned professional and get answers to your questions! Topics may include, but are not limited to, audio description, reviewing architectural plans, approaching renovation and new construction, brochures and marketing tools, assistive listening devices, grantwriting and fundraising for access, working with visitors who have cognitive disabilities, technology for access, open captioning, and more!

1:00 pm to 2:30 pm – Concurrent Sessions

• Conflict Resolution and Mediation
  Professionals in the field of mediation will share techniques, tips, and tools that will enable ADA/504 Coordinators and accessibility managers to become successful advocates and liaisons between the disability community and their organizations. Learn ways to defuse tough situations and handle complaints.
  Presenters To Be Announced
  
  
• Success! Finding your Market and Developing Your Potential
  America’s 54 million people with disabilities are waiting to be reached by organizations like yours. With an aggregate income that exceeds $1 trillion, and disposable income that tops $220 billion, this market spends heavily with organizations that address their needs and provide exceptional customer service. To reach this untapped segment, you need insight, expertise, and a thorough understanding of consumers with disabilities. No one wants to turn away 54 million potential visitors and patrons. It is time to bring them in the door.
  Carmen Jones, President, Solutions Marketing Group (VA)
  
  
• Wayfinding
  Finding one’s way around in theaters, museums, and other cultural venues is not always easy or intuitive … but it should be. Dr. Carpman, an expert in the field of wayfinding, will provide insight into the means by which we can improve the way we structure the built environment and provide directional information to assist visitors and patrons with disabilities.
  Janet Carpman, PhD, Carpman Grants Associates, Wayfinding Consultants (MI)

2:30 pm to 2:45 pm – Break

2:45 pm to 4:15 pm – Concurrent Sessions

• Growing Relationships with the Disability Community
  Hear from other arts organizations about how they successfully reached and stayed connected to the disability community in their area and how those relationships have enhanced accessible programs and expanded audiences. Get specific recommendations for identifying, connecting to, and working with advocacy, government, and disability groups in your community.
  Presenters To Be Announced.
  
  
• New Technologies: What the Future Holds
  Captioning that appears on your eyeglasses. Cell phones that give you a self-guided tour with the potential for audio description. See new technologies that are in development as well as old technologies used in a new way.
  David Asheim, President, Guide by Cell Inc. (CA); Leanne West, Research Scientist, Georgia Tech Research Institute (GA)

4:15 pm to 5:15 pm – Roundtable Discussions

• Aging Volunteers
  There really is no "expert" or one organization that handles the issue of aging volunteers better than any other. This discussion will be an exchange of ideas and best practices from organizations across the country.
  
  
• Fundraising
  Talk with foundation representatives and other granting organizations about how to write successful grants and get funding for Disability and Cultural programs.
  
  
• Questions You’ve Been Afraid to Ask Until Now
  Exposure to new ideas, unusual language and odd acronyms can be overwhelming. Meet with a supportive group of colleagues to decompress and get any lingering questions or concerns addressed.

7:00 pm – LEAD Awards Dinner

• Tickets are $35
  Minneapolis Institute of Arts Graves Reception Hall
  Always one of the best conference events, the Awards Dinner is not to be missed! Join us for an elegant evening of fabulous food and fine company to celebrate the accomplishments of the recipients of the 2007 Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability Awards for Excellence in Accessibility Leadership. While you’re there, take some time to explore the galleries and see items from the Minneapolis Institute of Arts Modernist Design, Modernist Paperworks, Expressionism and Modern & Contemporary collection! Click here for more information about the LEAD Awards.
  
  Accessible transportation will be provided between the conference hotels and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

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Sunday, August 19

10:00 am to 1:00 pm – Leadership in Dialogue: Taking the Conversation to a New Level

• At the Courtyard Downtown at the Depot Hotel
  
  You are invited to participate in an open forum to discuss the issues facing leaders in the area of cultural arts and accessibility. 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. 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.
  
  Please note: This session is only available to individuals who are also attending the full conference and is intended for cultural arts access professionals with several years of experience. Space is limited. Please indicate that you will be attending on your registration sheet.

Contact Us

• (202) 416-8727 (voice)
• (202) 416-8728 (TTY)
• (202) 416-8802 (fax)
• access@kennedy-center.org

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