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ACS Conference – Measuring Identity, Diversity and Inclusion in Canada @ 150 and Beyond

Promoting Inclusion in the Arts for People

with Disabilities:

A Canada Arts Presentation Fund (CAPF) case study

Allyson Green, Policy Research Group

Outline

• Introduction

• The role of the arts in the lives of people with

disabilities

• Barriers to accessing arts funding for people

with disabilities

• Canada Arts Presentation Fund (CAPF)

community consultation findings

• Removing barriers to arts funding for people

with disabilities

• Next steps for CAPF

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Introduction

• According to Statistics Canada, 1out of 7

Canadians reported having a disability in 2006.

• 35.4% reported mild impairment;

• 24.8% reported moderate impairment; and

• 39.8% reported severe to very severe impairment.

• These numbers are rising as Canada’s

population ages.

• Social, economic and cultural implications.

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The Social Model of Disability

• ‘Impairment’ is often interpreted as a fixed

characteristic in body and/or mind.

• ‘Disability’ can be understood as a social

construction where barriers – like inaccessible

transportation or working conditions – disadvantage

or exclude individuals with impairments from full

social, economic, and cultural participation.

• In this sense, impaired individuals are disabled by

society.

• No matter how ‘disability’ is used, self-identification

is key.

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“Compared to

persons without

disabilities, persons

with disabilities

experience significant

cultural… disadvantages.”

Michael Prince – Absent Citizens: Disability Politics and Policy in Canada

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The role of the arts in the lives of people

with disabilities

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“All artists should have the

same choices regardless of

disability. Artists who have a

disability may choose to

locate themselves and their

work in a mainstream

cultural context, they may

identify as an outsider artist

or they may identify with

disability arts. The freedom

of choice is the obvious issue.”

Cultural Ministers Council (2009) – Australia

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Barriers to accessing arts funding for

people with disabilities

• Availability of accessible information

• Availability of support services

• Attitudes and awareness of arts providers

• Perceived stigma

• Travel, transportation and location

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Canada Arts Presentation Fund (CAPF)

community consultation findings

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• The Canada Arts Presentation Fund (CAPF) felt that

the program did not necessarily reflect the

demographics of the diverse Canadian population.

• Realized that this may be due to structural barriers

preventing all Canadians from applying for funding.

• The Canada Arts Presentation Fund held

roundtables in Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton,

as well as one-on-one interviews in Whitehorse.

• Spoke to 15 people from 11 disability arts

organizations.

• Round tables/discussions intended to identify

different methods to apply for funding.

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“Our collective goal in this sector

must be to create a range of

opportunities, so that an artist with a

disability can attend [a] disability arts

festival…develop their own practice,

choose to collaborate with non-

disabled artists; access appropriate

training; and, compete in the

mainstream for roles, studio space

and performance opportunities.”Canada Council for the Arts (2010)

Removing barriers to arts funding for

people with disabilities

• Recognize disability arts as legitimate and

valuable

• Place accessibility needs on the agenda

• Provide disability equity training

• Apply accessible customer services standards

• Universal design

• Stakeholder consultations / meetings

• Review candidate criteria

• Invite applicants to self-identify access needs

• Make all public meetings accessible

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Removing barriers to arts funding for people with disabilities (Con’t)

• Introduce access resources as line items in

projects, operations and program budget forms

• Ensure representation by people with disabilities

on juries and in programs

• Provide program information in accessible

formats (screen-readable, audio, captioned

videos)

• Consider financial supports for the application

and final report processes

• Conduct internal evaluations of program

accessibility

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“Ideally, the goal should be a universal design where

individuals with and without disabilities can access all facilities and programs. Until that concept becomes a reality,

administrators need to be proactive about finding solutions to

existing architectural, [conceptual] and attitudinal barriers.”

Canada Council for the Arts (2010)

Next steps for the Canadian Arts

Presentation Fund (CAPF)

• Identify, share and apply learnings from the

study based on stakeholder feedback.

• Findings and recommendations are currently being finalized.

• Recommendations to inform changes to the application method for 2018-2019 projects.

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ReferencesAllan, Julie. “Encounters with Exclusion through Disability Arts.” Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs 5.1 (2005): 31-26.

Austin, Sarah and Chris Brophy. “Beyond Access: The Creative Case for Inclusive Arts Practice Literature Review.” Melbourne, Australia: Arts Access Victoria, 2015.

Clare, Eli. Exile and Pride: Disability, Queerness and Liberation. Cambridge, MA: South End Press, 2009.

Cultural Ministers Council. “National Arts and Disability Strategy.” Commonwealth of Australia (2009): http://ag.gov.au/cca.

Garland-Thomson, Rosemarie “Staring Back: Self-Representations of Disabled Performance Artists.” American Quarterly 52.2 (2000): 334-338.

Jacobson, Rose and Geoff McMurchy. “Focus on Disability and Deaf Arts in Canada.” Canada Council for the Arts(December 2010): http://canadacouncil.ca/research/research-library/2011/09/focus-on-disability-and-deaf-arts-in-canada.

Lawrence, Matson. “Barriers to Access: Report on the Barriers Faced by Young Disabled and D/deaf People in Accessing Youth Arts Provision in Scotland.” Birds of Paradise Theatre Company, 2016.

Ludwig, Erin. “Stigma in the Arts: How Perceptual Barriers Influence Individuals’ with Disabilities Participation in Arts Organizations.” The Journal of Arts Management, Law and Society 42.3 (2012): 141-151.

Ogilvie, Kelvin K. and Art Eggleton. “In From the Margins, Part !!: Reducing Barriers to Social Inclusion and Social Cohesion.” Senate of Canada (2013): https://sencanada.ca/content/sen/committee/411/soci/dpk/01jun13/home-e.htm.

Ontario Arts Council. “Accessibility Policies.” Ontario Arts Council,http://www.arts.on.ca/oac/media/oac/Access%20and%20Equity/OAC-Accessibility-policies.docx. Accessed 23 February 2017.

Potter, Susan. “Fair Access to the Arts.” Creative Future (2015): https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjCxLaP8o_SAhWK1IMKHTsJCYMQFgghMAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.creativefuture.org.uk%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F11%2FFINAL-Barriers-to-Access-report.pdf&usg=AFQjCNEIznnhMpwpXk2lTcOL2qkCbGB9IA.

Sandahl, C. and P. Auslander. Bodies in Commotion. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2005.

Withers, A.J. Disability Politics and Theory. Winnipeg: Fernwood Publishing, 2012.

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Image Credits

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