Culture and Arts Environments for All - Making Policy Reality

Philippa Daly Smith, Access Consultant, Principal Officer, Access Improvement, Disability Services Commission, Australia

Rationale

Worldwide not all people have the same opportunities to enjoy arts and cultural activities.

In Western Australian over 220 Government authorities are required by law to have Disability Service Plans demonstrating how they are making their services accessible. The Disability Services Commission oversees this initiative.

Some organisations are more successful in achieving both a corporate commitment and practical improvements to their information, services and facilities.

This presentation outlines the work of an access award winning authority, the Department of Culture and the Arts, to consider what lessons may be learned from the agencies policies, procedures and initiatives.

This highly visual presentation will demonstrate how policy can result in systematic changes in the way that information, services and facilities are planned and managed. Initiatives outlined include policy review, staff education and audits of services identifying access barriers and solutions.

Audience Participation

There will be a focused discussion about strategies that are most likely to lead to a comprehensive change in the culture of an organisation so that the principles of inclusion and universal design are fundamental to the way business is done and therefore sustainable over time.

Audience discussion will be encouraged about the experiences of others in trying to create universal, inclusive and sustainable community experiences.

The focus of questions will be:

What made this organization so successful?
What lessons can we learn?
What were/are the main challenges?
What related experiences would audience members like to share?

Scope of Collaborators

The collaborators are staff of the Disability Services Commission and Department of Culture and Arts (DCA) and organisations represented on their Disability Arts Advisory Committee, including DADAA (Disability and the Arts, Disadvantage and the Arts, Australia.) disability consumer representatives, Perth Theatre Trust and the Museum, Art Gallery and State Library of Western Australia.

Community feedback has also been consistently sought.

Products

Policy and Resource Accessibility Products:

Report on customers consultations identifying participation barriers to arts and cultural activities.
Access Guidelines for State Government Information, Services and Facilities developed by the Disability Services Commission and released as Policy by the Premier of Western Australia in 2003. These include an accessible events checklist.
Disability Service Plan developed by the Department for Culture and the Arts
Various policies related to inclusive customer service.
A variety of resources developed by the Disability Services Commission to support access and inclusion.

Accessible and Inclusive Service Products:

Infrastructure upgrades to existing buildings housing art galleries, museums, theatres, libraries and other cultural indoor and outdoor venues.
Information upgrades to improve accessibility of printed material, advertising, ticketing procedures, signage, captioning, websites and visitor interpretive programs and technology.
Staff services including exhibition planners liaising with client groups to ensure programs are universally designed and provision of services for specific client groups such as people who are deaf.
Examples of events incorporating inclusive pricing policies including complementary entry for carers.

History

The Disability Service Plan is now in its sixth year with all authorities reporting annually on their Disability Service Plan implementation.

Current Status

Following an evaluation of the legislation relating to the Disability Services Plans initiative, the plans framework is being modified with a greater emphasis on inclusion and sustainability. Successful agencies such as the Department for Culture and the Arts are being examined for common traits.

Expectations for the Future

A strength of the Plans initiative is the unprecedented development of information networks established between government agencies through public recording of agency achievements and contact points.

A major challenge is how to consistently convert Disability Service Plans from individual policies to "fundamental givens" of agency's planning, including funded and contracted out services.

This conference discussion will also assist to inform the current updating of the plans initiative.

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