

VSA arts of Massachusetts  (VSAM), founded in the mid 1970's and incorporated in 1980 represents part of international network of VSA arts organizations serving all fifty states and nearly 100 nations. VSAM works with partner organizations throughout the country to promote the arts by, with and for people with disabilities.

The National Cultural Access Initiative (NCAI) is a national effort to create opportunities for people with and without disabilities to make systemic change influencing the quality and accessibility of cultural resources. The main objective of the NCAI is to benefit both individuals with disabilities who want to participate in our nation's rich cultural life and cultural institutions seeking to expand and diversify their audiences. The basic premise of the Initiative is to build a powerful national network for access to the arts and culture.  We provide training in how to conduct cultural access surveys and technical assistance in the creation of cultural access initiatives that are responsive to the specific needs of different communities.  Most important of all, we provide a national forum for the collection of information about cultural access and the exchange of ideas, resources and models for best practice in programmatic cultural access. Visit us at www.accessexpressed.net

EXAMPLES OF NCAI TRAINING TOPICS:
* Conducting your own Disability Awareness Exercise/Program
* Developing your own Community Access Monitor Training
* Field Work/Site Surveys of Museums, Performing Arts Centers and Historic Sites
* Programmatic Access
* Marketing & Communication- Models for Cultural Access newsletters, directories and web sites
* ADA Compliance and Opportunities
* ADA Mini-Grants- what can be done?
* Joining www.accessexpressed.net with Directory Entries and Calendar Listings!
* How to create your own state cultural access resource directory!
* Many more! We will custom design your training needs!

CONTACT INFORMATION

Bonnie S. Kaplan, Director of Cultural Access
VSA arts of Massachusetts
2 Boylston Street  #211
Boston, MA  02116
(617) 350-6535 TTY  (617) 350-7713 V  (617) 482-4298 Fax
BSK@vsamass.org

