The Americans with Disabilities Act gives civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities. It guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications.

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)
Washington, D.C.
www.arts.gov

The Endowment maintains an extensive listing of resources pertaining to accessibility and universal design. The NEA web site contains the text of the ADA act, as well as the ADA Architectural Guidelines (ADAAG), an ADA compliance guide, and links to other useful sites.

The NEA distributes Design for Accessibility: A Cultural Administrator's Handbook. This how-to reference and resource guide for integrating older adults and people with disabilities into all aspects of an arts organization was produced by a partnership of NEA, NEH, NASAA, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, with additional funding from MetLife Foundation.

The Endowment also offers an Accessibility Planning and Resource Guide for Cultural Administrators, which is available in Portable Document Format (PDF). View and/or download this publication.

New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA)
arts4all@nysca.org.

In partnership with the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA), we offer an Arts Accessibility Advisory Network, providing expertise on a number of accessibility topics.
We also offer a list of foundations that fund capital projects - available by emailing arts4all@nysca.org.

Accessibility answers by email
Our email address for inquiries about accessibility issues is arts4all@nysca.org
When you e-mail a question to us we will either send you an email response, or send you resource material/information by snail mail, or we will pass your question on to someone who knows more than we do (we'll get your permission to do that before we forward your email to any other resource person).

If you want to be on our email list to receive information about new universal planning resources and initiatives, send us your e-mail address. If you would like to sponsor a workshop or have other ideas for enhancing access in the arts, let us know.

Beyond Access to Opportunity, produced by NYSCA, is a comprehensive guide to planning and achieving usability in cultural settings by those with and without disabilities and those of all ages. It explains in detail the basics of architectural and non-architectural accessibility as well as an extensive section on planning. Copies of the guide can be requested by email at arts4all@nysca.org.

American Association of Museums
www.aam-us.org

The AAM bookstore has some very useful material including the book and video, "Everyone's Welcome: The Americans with Disabilities Act and Museums."

American Foundation for the Blind
www.afb.org

The American Foundation for the Blind web site has extensive information on vision studies, adaptive technology information, recorded books, used equipment purchase, and publications.

National Arts and Disability Center
nadc.ucla.edu

NADC is a national information dissemination, technical assistance and referral center specializing in the field of arts and disability. It has resource directories, annotated bibliographies, related links and hosts conferences.

National Association for the Deaf
www.nad.org

Offers resources and publications for the deaf and hard of hearing.

National Center on Accessibility
www.ncaonline.org

The Center at Indiana University is an important source of information, particularly for architectural access issues.

New York State Human Rights Law
www.dhr.state.ny.us/

New York's Human Rights Law guarantees the State's citizens equal opportunity to "enjoy a full and productive life." including in public accommodation, housing, employment, etc. The law should be reviewed to understand the definitions of "disability" and "reasonable accommodation".

New York State Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities
www.cqc.state.ny.us

As the successor agency to the former NYS Commission on Quality of Care for the Mentally Disabled and NYS Office of Advocate for Persons with Disabilities, the CQCAPD serves as an advocate and a resource for individuals of all ages with all types of disabilities.

Northeast ADA IT Center
Phone: 1-800-949-4232
www.northeastada.org

Provides resources, technical assistance, publications and workshops on accessibility issues.

U.S. Department of Justice
www.ada.gov/

The ADA section of the Department of Justice's web site includes ADA law, updates on the law and how it is used and a good technical assistance program. The website offers information on the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

As an employer, you may have responsibilities under ADA and the New York Human Rights Law. To understand what they are, check: www.dhr.state.ny.us and www.eeoc.gov