Celebrating 25 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act
Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez welcomed more than 350 arts leaders to the ADA Silver Anniversary Summit on September 24th and 25th, 2015 in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Presented by the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and its partners the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts and the Florida Access Coalition for the Arts (FLACA), the Summit focused on accessibility and inclusion in the arts and how cultural organizations can make their programs more accessible for individuals with disabilities.
Among the national and local experts featured at the Summit were access and inclusion consultant Beth Gordon; Valerie Fletcher, Executive Director, Institute for Human Centered Design, Boston; Judy Litt, Director, Education and Community Engagement, Miami Theater Center; Gillian Thomas, President & CEO, Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science; Ernie Martinez, Chairperson, Miami-Dade County Commission on Disability Issues; Merry Lynn Morris, Instructor, School of Theatre & Dance, University of South Florida; Heidi Johnson-Wright, ADA Coordinator, Miami-Dade County; Virginia A. Jacko, President & CEO, Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired; Talleri McRae, Theatre Access, Inclusion and Education Consultant, Louisville, KY; Jennifer Sabo, Executive Director, VSA Florida; and Henry Evans, Founder, Robots for Humanity in California. Click here for a complete list of the summit presenters, bios and contact information
The Summit also showcased the talents of artists with disabilities with awe-inspiring performances by Karen Peterson and Dancers, JohnPaul Jebian / Waving Hands, the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired "Better Chance" Music Production Program, and Antiheroes Project.
The Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs' arts education, access and engagement programs reflect the high priority of the Department to expand opportunities for children and families, as well as create increased access and opportunities for residents and visitors to participate fully in the arts. For more information, please visit our Arts Education, Access and Engagement page.
Materials and photos from the Summit will be posted here.
Click here for MiamiArtZine story - Americans with Disabilities Act Silver Anniversary Summit
Press Release: MIAMI’S ARTS LEADERS CELEBRATE THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA) WITH TWO-DAY SUMMIT
Click here to view the Summit schedule.
Follow the ADA Silver Anniversary Summit on social media @MiamiDadeArts and using #MiamiArtsADA25.