A dozen or so people with dwarfism, three of them in power chairs, congregate in a photography exhibition. The works are hung at a lower height than average. — View of the exhibition “Composing Dwarfism: Reframing Short Stature in Contemporary Photography,” 2014, curated by Amanda Cachia, showing works by Ricardo Gil and Laura Swanson, at San Diego Space 4 Art.

How to Make Exhibitions and Art Events Accessible

Want to make your cultural offerings accessible, but not sure where to begin? Below is a selection of guidelines for making exhibitions and events accessible to disabled people. Each has a specific target: one is a tool for artists to advocate for accessibility when working with institutions, while others are tailored toward curators, digital event managers, large museums, or small nonprofits. That’s because access is best thought of as a responsibility shared among artists, curators, and venue directors, rather than an afterthought or the job of museum educators alone. Though there is no one-size-fits-all solution to accessible exhibition design (since individual art events, like disabled peoples’ individual needs, are often unique), there are helpful precedents, standards, and regulations. As we approach the thirtieth anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, and as brick-and-mortar exhibitions are reopening around the world, listening to the wisdom of access experts remains imperative.

For artists

Artist and writer Johanna Hedva outlines prerequisites for their collaboration with institutions and organizations in this email template. They use this template, their “access rider,” when responding to invitations to exhibit, speak, or perform. It’s a model for artists who want to hold the institutions and organizations they work with accountable: Hedva outlines not only their own access needs, but, in solidarity with other disabled people, advocates for accommodating others as well. Artists Leah Clements, Alice Hattrick, and Lizzy Rose provide tips for making your own access rider on their Access Docs for Artists website.
For curators

In her essay “The Politics of Creative Access: Guidelines for a Critical Dis/Ability Curatorial Practice,” disabled scholar and curator Amanda Cachia recounts her experience “negotiating access”—her phrase—with artists and exhibiting venues. She frames access as a creative and conceptual force behind her curatorial practice, pushing beyond the bare-minimum requirements. In addition to presenting hypothetical or ideal types of access, Cachia also recounts specific scenarios she’s encountered in her practice. It’s helpful to see how she thinks through access, since artworks and exhibitions take so many forms and no set of guidelines could anticipate them all.
For nonprofits and smaller organizations

Accessibility in the Arts: A Promise and a Practice is a primer for small arts organizations. The text—which disabled artist Carolyn Lazard wrote for the Brooklyn-based nonprofit Recess in 2019—is a convenient reference tool that is mindful of small budgets. Among Lazard’s key takeaways is an entire section devoted to transparency and listing access information: if, for example, a space is not wheelchair accessible or a performance will involve strobe lights, it’s helpful to let people know in advance.
For museums

“Guidelines for Accessible Exhibition Design” details all accessibility requirements for exhibitions at the Smithsonian Museums in Washington, D.C., and is a strong model for other institutions. It details information on proper circulation routes—for instance, leaving a wide enough space between pedestals to allow wheelchair users through—and ideal heights for tables and vitrines. It also includes instructions for lectures and performances.
For digital content

Digital content accessibility guidelines are available on New York University’s website. They include instructions for making emails and documents compatible with screen readers used by blind and low vision people, guidelines for creating closed captions that transcribe sounds for d/Deaf people, and tips for accessible web design. The guidelines are not art specific, but it’s important for arts professionals as to consider making exhibitions accessible remotely, since some disabled people may not be able to attend shows in person. These how-to guides complement the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which is a comprehensive list of requirements, rather than instructions.