Florida Division of Cultural Affairs

Promoting arts and culture through programs, services and the Museum of Florida History.

Resources

Accessibility

The Florida Division of Cultural Affairs works to ensure that meaningful arts experiences are available to all of its state's citizens, including people with disabilities, patients and caregivers in healthcare settings, and older adults. The Division assures that all of our offerings are accessible. Our grantees sign a contract certifying that they will comply with Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The resources listed below can assist our grantees and others not only in complying with these laws, but in raising awareness and improving overall customer service.

National Resources

Design for Accessibility: A Cultural Administrator's Handbook 

The Florida Division of Cultural Affairs provides copies of Design for Accessibility: A Cultural Administrator's Handbook free of charge for arts organizations. Published by the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, this book addresses all aspects of both architectural and programming accessibility for people with disabilities. It's designed not only to help arts organizations comply with Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, but also to assist in ensuring that access is an integral part of an organization's mission, planning, programming, outreach, meetings, budgets, and staffing.

You may download a copy (http://www.nea.gov/resources/accessibility/pubs/DesignAccessibility.html) of the handbook as a PDF file or view it chapter by chapter. Hard copies of the handbook can be ordered through the NASAA web site.  http://nasaa-arts.org/

The Accessibility Planning and Resource Guide for Cultural Administrators

is an online companion to the printed text Design for Accessibility: A Cultural Administrator's Handbook. The guide provides recommendations to cultural administrators on how to achieve accessible and inclusive programming for everyone including individuals with disabilities and older adults.

Arts and Humanities Accessibility Checklist

The Arts and Humanities Accessibility Checklist is designed to assist arts and humanities organizations in performing on-site evaluations of their organizations' policies, programs, services, and facilities. This process will help arts groups to plan, budget, and complete necessary access improvements to meet or

NEA Office for AccessAbility

The National Endowment for the Arts' Office for AccessAbility is the advocacy-technical assistance arm of the Arts Endowment, whose mission is to make the arts accessible for people with disabilities, older adults, veterans, and people living in institutions. The Office for AccessAbility provides a variety of services and tools, including:

Accessible Information Exchange: Meeting on a Level Playing Field

This U.S. Department of Justice publication focuses on planning and conducting meetings and events that are accessible to people with disabilities.

Maintaining Accessibility in Museums

This is another U.S. Department of Justice publication addressing the essentials of museum accessibility.

Accessible Exhibition Design

This "living document" by the Smithsonian Institution is designed to help museums incorporate accessible design as a "new philosophy of exhibit development."

Americans with Disabilities Act web site

This is the official source of information and technical assistance about the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Audio Description

This website is specifically oriented towards the subject of audio description and its Web site includes information on technology, service providers, trends, and more.

Disability Access Symbols

This site is an excellent resource for obtaining free standardized graphic symbols for publicity and advertising, both on the Web and in print.

Section 504 Workbook

The Workbook is intended to assist organizations in their efforts to: (a) comply with the National Endowment for the Arts regulations implementing Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, including the preparation of a self-evaluation of all programs, activities, policies and practices to determine areas of noncompliance, and (b) better understand the relationship between 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

VSA Arts

With a mission of creating a society where all people with disabilities learn through, participate in, and enjoy the arts, VSA arts both showcases accomplishments of disabled artists and offers education programs to increase disability awareness.

Florida Resources

VSA Florida

Creating a society in which people with disabilities can learn through, participate in and enjoy the arts. Headquartered at the University of South Florida, VSA Florida (VSAFL) is a member of the international network of VSA, an affiliate of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Florida Clearinghouse on Disability Information

The Florida Clearinghouse on Disability Information is your one stop referral source providing resources to assist with your disability needs. To speak to a Disability Specialist call 1-877-ADA-4YOU (232-4968) Toll Free – Voice – TYY

Advocacy Center for Persons with Disabilities, Inc.

The Advocacy Center for Persons with Disabilities, Inc. is the official, Governor-designated protection and advocacy system for the State of Florida. The Advocacy Center has authority and responsibility under eight federal programs.

Florida Council for Community Mental Health

The Florida Council for Community Mental Health (FCCMH) is a statewide association of 70 community-based mental health and substance abuse agencies. The association's membership includes a number of agencies that specialize in substance abuse services and children's services, as well as hospital-based programs.

Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology

The Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology is an organization whose mission is to improve the quality of life for all Floridians with disabilities through advocacy and awareness activities that increase access to and acquisition of assistive services and technology.

Other Resources

  • For free copies of the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) required under Title III (public accommodations) and other technical assistance materials concerning architectural, transportation and communications issues: The United States Access Board (Architectural & Transportation Barriers Compliance Board), 1331 F Street, NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20004-1111; Phone: (voice) (202) 272–0080; toll free (800) 872–2253; Phone: TTY (202) 272–0082; toll free (800) 993-2822; (202) 272–0081 FAX; e-mail: info@access-board.gov; http://www.access-board.gov/
  • For information and assistance on ADA Titles II & III: U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Disability Rights Section – NYA, 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20530; (800) 514–0301 voice; (800) 514–0383 TTY; http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.html
  • For information and assistance on transportation issues: U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington DC 20590; Voice: (866) 377-8642; TTY (800) 877-8339; http://www.dot.gov
  • For information and assistance on employment issues:
    U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 131 M Street NE, Washington, DC 20507; (202) 663–4900 voice; (202) 663–4494 TTY; http://www.eeoc.gov
  • For information and assistance on access to parks, historic properties and museums: National Park Service, 1849 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20240; (202) 208-3818 voice; http://www.nps.gov/
  • National Center on Accessibility, Indiana University Research Park, 501 N. Morton Street, Suite 109, Bloomington, IN 47404; (812) 856–4422 voice; (812) 856–4421 TTY; (812) 856-4480 FAX; e-mail: nca@indiana.edu; http://www.ncaonline.org
  • For a copy of Section 504 Self-Evaluation Workbook, contact the Civil Rights Office, National Endowment for the Arts, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Room 219, Washington, DC 20506; (202) 682–5454 voice;  http://www.arts.gov/manageaward/SECTION504Workbook.pdf
  • For information and assistance on Florida Building Codes: Florida Community Affairs; Web site: http://www.floridabuilding.org/c/  Department of Community Affairs, Codes and Standards, 2555 Shumard Oaks Boulevard, Tallahassee, Florida, 32399-2100.