ACCESSIBILITY Toolkit
what’s on this page?
Who is this Toolkit for?
This toolkit is designed to support organizations, event organizers, and artists in creating more accessible spaces, programs, and experiences. Individual artists can also use these resources to improve accessibility within their own creative practice, business, or personal projects. Whether you’re implementing accessibility initiatives or building your foundational knowledge, this toolkit serves as a practical resource for understanding how accessibility benefits everyone and contributes to more inclusive communities.
How Disability Shows Up in Our Lives
Not all disabilities are visible. Many people have disabilities that are not immediately apparent, including chronic illnesses, mental health conditions, neurological differences, sensory disabilities, and chronic pain. Because disabilities are not always outwardly recognizable, it is important to avoid making assumptions about an individual’s needs or abilities and to foster environments that are accessible and inclusive for everyone.
Accessibility LAWS
Understanding accessibility laws and regulations is an important step toward creating more inclusive and equitable organizations, events, and spaces. While laws provide important standards, accessibility should be viewed as an ongoing commitment that goes beyond minimum legal requirements.
Accessibility planning
Planning for accessibility is an ongoing process that begins long before an event or project takes place. The resources below provide practical guidance, checklists, and best practices to help you identify barriers, implement inclusive strategies, and create more accessible experiences for your organization, event, or project.
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This 12-Step Plan was developed by Deborah Lewis, a national accessibility consultant, to help arts organizations identify their weaknesses in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and to create a plan that will complete their access needs. It can be used with other tools on this website.
Metropolitan Regional Arts Council & VSA Minnesota’s Arts Access Planning Guide Spreadsheet
This self-survey tool, created by VSA Minnesota and the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council in 2016, guides an arts group or venue through its policies, programs, facilities, events and access plan to identify its accessibility strengths and what may need attention in order to remove barriers to participation. The tool is a spreadsheet that includes instructions, a three-part survey and a sheet where you will construct an access plan based on the findings of the 3-part survey. A separate 20-question Questionnaire and other Access Plan resources are also available on this website.
Minnesota State Council on Disability Building Access Survey
Sample ADA Access Plans
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Description Tip Sheet from The Described and Captioned Media Program for speakers to consider when describing slides
How to make presentations accessible to all from the Web Accessibility Initiative
Accessible Meetings, Events and Conference Guide from ADA Hospitality
Association of University Centers on Disabilities guides on presentations and handouts.
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These symbols advertise your accessibility to employees, customers, audiences, and anyone else who needs access to your building or offices. Examples of places you’ll want to promote your accessibility include: advertisements, newsletters, conference and program brochures, membership forms, building signage, floor plans and maps.
The Accessible Icon Project is an ongoing work of design activism. It starts with a graphic icon, free for use in the public domain, and continues its work as a collaboration among people with disabilities and their allies toward a more accessible world.
Accommodation Guides & Resources
Below is a list of local and national resources and guides for various types of accommodations.
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Local Resources & Consultants
Above and Beyond with U
Above & Beyond With U’s goal is to ensure that everyone—regardless of mobility—can have a safe, comfortable, and memorable experience at your business, organization, or public space.
The Arc Northland
Provides resources to promote and protect the human rights of people with disabilities and their families.
Lighthouse Center for Vital Living
Provide a range of services, including specialized training and occupational therapy, to empower those we serve to lead confident, independent, and fulfilling lives.
Great Lakes ADA Center
The Great Lakes ADA Center’s mission is to increase awareness and knowledge with the ultimate goal of achieving voluntary compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. This is accomplished within targeted audiences through provision of customized training, expert assistance, and dissemination of information developed by various sources, including the federal agencies responsible for enforcement of the ADA.
Clarity Interpreting Services
Interpreters who will facilitate your conversations during phone calls and in-person appointments involving health care or legal matters, during community presentations and workplace safety trainings, or during social events and recreational tours. We can also provide sign language interpreters.
ADA Minnesota
The Minnesota Council on Disability works with government agencies, community organizations, and businesses to promote the rights of people with disabilities, compliance with accessibility laws and regulations, and the removal of accessibility barriers.
Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities (RAMPD)
RAMPD is a professional platform equipping the music and live entertainment industry with disability-inclusive tools, programming, and strategy.
LanguageLine Solutions
The world’s largest provider of language access and the most trusted advisor in the industry.
Accessibility Tools & idea hub
When addressing the accessibility of your organization or arts event, some ideas are obvious, while others are things you’ve maybe never heard of. This list is to serve as an idea hub for you to begin exploring all the ways you can improve your organization through accessibility.
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Captioning
Live Captioning or CART captioning (Communication Access Realtime Translation)
8-inch tablet-style device that offers, free, unlimited, fast, and accurate real-time AI captioning
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Audio Description (AD)
Tactile Drawing Board
Sensational BlackBoard - tactile picture making for artists and non-artists
Specialized thermal devices used to create tactile maps, diagrams, and text for individuals who are blind or low vision.
Magnifiers
Music and Audio Production Tools
Reaper DAW - a favorite among blind audio producers due to its screen reader compatibility and customizable scripts.
Avid Pro Tools - supports screen readers like JAWS and NVDA for more advanced sound editing.
Ableton Live - making strides in accessibility, with improvements in screen reader support and keyboard navigation.
Dancing Dots - offers technology, educational resources and training to assist blind people to read, write, and record their music.
Portable Audio Apps - make it easy to compose and record on the go
Backpack Studio
GarageBand
Screenreaders
Real-time Visual Assistants
Be My Eyes - connects blind or low vision users who want assistance, with volunteers and companies across the world, through live video and AI.
Seeing AI - allow for image description, photo tagging, and real-time content feedback.
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Make your space wheelchair accessible
Wheelchair ramps
Wheelchair lifts
Add mobility tools to your arts services
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Website Accessibility Audit
Social Media Accessibility Training
Include Alt Text in all photos and/or photo descriptions
Color Blindness Checker
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Interpretation
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Create an Access Plan (see guides in “Accessibility Planning” section)
Improve organization wayfinding
List your accessible entrances/spaces on your website
Bonus if you include images!
List your available accessibility adaptations on your website and/or in your event listings.
Create an emergency evacuation plan.