Accessible Arts, Inc.

What We Do

Accessible Arts, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing equal access to the arts for children and youth with physical, emotional and psychological disabilities. Accessible Arts began as the Kansas State Board of Education Arts with the Handicapped Program in 1980 and was incorporated as an independent arts and disabilities organization in 1988. We received the 1998 Governor's Arts Award for Outstanding Arts Organization (Special Merit). Our mission is to champion the arts for children with disabilities and advocate access to the arts.

Accessible Arts provides a wide range of services making the arts accessible to people of all ages and abilities. These services include:

Training Workshops - assisting teachers, artists, parents, & therapists in providing more effective arts experiences for everyone.
Arts Demonstrations with Students - emphasizing instructional methods focusing on individual student abilities.
Technical Assistance - to teachers, therapists, artists and parents presenting arts experiences to students with disabilities.
Resource Center - containing a unique collection of print, audio & video materials on the arts, therapies, special education, and accessibility.
Educational Materials - including videos, monographs,
- Access to the Arts curriculum modules with video, and
- Arts in the Environment, a video account of a unique outdoor workshop.
Direct Services, Consultation, Evaluation - Kansas State School for the Blind, and other agencies by contracted arrangement.
Many of our services are available at reduced fees or no charge to the participants.

Our publications are available in braille and large print.
For more information, please call or write:

1100 State Avenue • Kansas City, KS 66102

(913) 281-1133 [Voice & TTY] (913) 281-1515 [ FAX] e-mail accarts@accessiblearts.org

Rhythm Weaving—Threads of Diversity is a companion workshop for The Jellybean Conspiracy for middle school students.Diversity and disability themes come alive as Bongo Barry and Cowbell Martin engage the students in this interactive rhythm, music and movement workshop. Using theme-based phrases, students will chant, use body percussion, explore movement and play hand percussion instruments. Accelerated Learning Theory states that information connected to movement and rhythm has a greater chance of being assimilated. The process begins on a very literal base using language to express the message. By the end, students are expressing the message non-verbally using musical instruments and the rhythms they have created to express the feelings from a less literal, more creative level.

Families with a Beat, features drumming, dancing, and singing. This highly interactive workshop is designed for parents and children in the school district, giving them the opportunity to explore diversity issues in a non-threatening community setting.
The workshops focus on themes including diversity, tolerance, and respect. They also demonstrate music and movement as sources of creative expression and help participants develop positive attitudes towards people with developmental disabilities.

Discovery Trails Trips & Arts Projects '04, an exploration of the historic Westward movement. AAI collaborates with the Kansas State School for the Blind (KSSB) to immerse visually impaired students in the pioneer experience through arts based learning activities. A two-week Trail trip each June provides the impetus for follow-up arts projects during the school year. In the fall each year, visually impaired teens create tactile landscape boxes of Trail sites they experienced on the summer trip. They use these creations to teach Trail history and create art with 4th graders in Kansas City metropolitan area elementary schools. New in 2004 was a collaboration with Trail friends from the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota. Aided by the U.S. National Fish and Wildlife Service for major funding and printing of flyers, the teens sponsored a large mural for public participation in recreating the now-extinct Carolina Parakeet. They also participated in other programs commemorating the Lewis & Clark landing at Kaw Point in Kansas City, Kansas.

Art of Learning '04 was held this year in Hays and Garden City, Kansas for a total of about eighty participants. To increase the quantity and effectiveness of artist-school collaborations (particularly working with children with disabilities and at-risk youth), the Partners provided a program of communication, training, and planning opportunities designed for the mutual benefit and professional development of artists, teachers, and local arts organizations. The Partners gave artists the tools to work in the schools and educators the tools to work with the artists. Each offering is somewhat different as trainers adapt to the requested needs and dynamics are impacted by those who attend. Of special interest this year was the addition of a session on "The Brain and Arts Learning." The program, produced by a collaboration of Accessible Arts, Kansas Alliance for Arts Education, Kansas State Department of Education, Baker University and Storytellers, Inc., continues to receive high acclaim from all who attend. Some participants traveled from Kansas City to Garden City to attend for a second time. Graduate credits are available.

The Return of the Scalet Pimpernel '04 returned in collaboration with Kansas City Arts Partners for a successful run in Kansas City, Missouri elementary and special education schools and several performances at the University of Missouri, Kansas City. Numerous performances and interactive workshops were also provided on the Kansas side of State Line and on tour through western Kansas in Chapman, Abilene, Salina, Wichita, Ulysses, and Quinter.

pARTicipate 2/too, encompassed ordinary citizens, arts professionals, administrators, educators and community leaders. The unifying criteria was a belief in the value of the arts in our communities and a passion for discovering ways to incorporate more arts in the lives of Kansans. This was a participant-driven conference, with no pre-conceived areas of discussion. Issues addressed included: Arts Leadership in the Community, Funding, Arts for Pre-schoolers, Entrepreneurship, Engaging Age 30-50 Generations, Marketing, At-risk Students, Panel: Issues in Arts Education, Intergenerational Learning, Professional Development, Integrating the Arts into the General Curriculum, Folk Music, Audience Building, Overcoming Limited Positions and Funding, Panel: Evaluation/Assessment, Statewide Arts Newspaper for Tourists, Arts and Tourism, Arts to Tell Stories, and Out-of-School Programs. This event was sponsored by members of KARG (Kansas Arts Resource Group) composed of Accessible Arts, Inc., Association of Community Arts Agencies of Kansas (ACAAK), KanArts, Kansas Alliance for Arts Education, Kansas Arts Commission, and Kansas State Department of Education. (Additional funding was by Kansas Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts.)

Night-Out at the American Heartland Theatre, resulted from AAI Executive Director Martin English's being cast in the role of the father for the production, A Christmas Story. AAI arranged with the Heartland to have one special evening performance that we would help promote and for which we would offer adaptations for patrons with disabilities. For this special performance, AAI provided two deaf-interpreters, audio description, a tactile tour of the set beforehand, and half-price tickets for those who made their reservations through us. One hundred patrons of all abilities took advantage of our offer.

Art of Learning '03, was held this year in two locations, each time capitalizing on the unique talents and interests of those who participated. Both groups were about evenly divided between educators and artists. The Kansas City group, however, had several educators and artists from the Jazz community and some dancers; the Salina community included several storytellers. Each includes a one-day 'Follow-up' in to review successes and challenges following written commitments made at the workshops. Hands-on curriculum planning including the arts pointed out two things: learning is enhanced by the arts and is more fun, and more workshops are needed to more effectively integrate the arts into the general curriculum. The Art of Learning is a collaboration of AAI, Kansas Alliance for Arts Education, Storytellers, Inc., Kansas State Department of Education, and Baker University. Funding is by the Kansas Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts.

99 Drums '03, captivated 99 youngsters from 7-16 in age from the metropolitan area and as far west as Wichita. Participants of all abilities and various cultures learned that they could enjoy, help, and learn from each other. Drumming and dancing workshops were presented for West African, Caribbean, Hispanic, and Native American cultures. A local Hmong group also shared their native dances and foods. Sixty-eight volunteers provided invaluable assistance and expertise, many remaining for the entire weekend, day, or regular assignments during the weekend. The finale, a stunning public performance by the participants and by participants joined by artists and their private students was of stellar quality for any city. The next 99 Drums is tentatively scheduled for April 15-17 or 22-24, 2005.

Heart of America Wind Symphony Benefit Concert, in 2003 followed a theme of 'The Lord of the Rings'. Held in Yardley Hall at Johnson County Community College, the evening featured dance performances by Reach...a movement collective inc. and the City in Motion's Children's Dance Theater, mime performances by JJ and Juliana Jones, and visual art displays by artists with disabilities. Music was taken from Johan de Meij's Symphony #1 - The Lord of the Rings which was inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien's popular trilogy. When a 'visitor from Middle Earth' burst onto the stage demanding "the ring," a fight ensued with the Master of Ceremonies, ending only when a modern-day watch was offered instead.

The Living Museum, a part of FilmFest Kansas City, was presented during Disabilities Month through a collaboration with the Coalition for Independence, VSA arts of Missouri, and Unity Temple on the Plaza. The filmmaker/producer, Jessica Yu, won the Oscar for best documentary short subject in 1997 for Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O'Brien.The Living Museum refers to the magical place in which artists with mental illness work in a 20,000 square foot studio where every wall is a canvas, every floor is a foundation, and every fallen tree is a potential sculpture. The film explores the questions: What is art? What makes an artist? What is the relationship between art and mental illness? Yu comments, "After a while you...stop trying to figure out who's a patient and who isn't." Yu presents the complex lives of six very different talents, from a young black artist who creates politically charged pop art to a middle-aged woman who creates minimalist pastels of strict line and color.

Following a reception at Eden Alley and the screening of the film, a discussion of the film was held. Panelists were Bob Ault (Ault's Academy of Art in Topeka and founding member of the American Art Therapy Association and the Kansas Art Therapy Association) and Dr. Mahasen DeSilva (Topeka Veterans Administration Hospital).

The Art of Learning, a collaborative effort with Kansas Alliance for Arts Education, Kansas State Department of Education and Storytellers, Inc. The goal was to increase the quantity and effectiveness of artist-school collaborations (particularly working with children with disabilities and at-risk youth). The Partners provided a program of communication, training, and planning opportunities designed for the mutual benefit and professional development of artists, teachers, and local arts organizations. Artists received the tools to work in the schools and educators the tools to work with the artists. Click here for additional information about the 2002 program.

Nature of Art ~ Mark Manning and Friends, an early fall stroll along scenic Turkey Creek Streamway Park path viewing watercolor art placed stragegically in the settings where they were painted. Accessible Arts collaborated with the Kansas City artist to draw in additional artists, musicians, and crafts for a delightful day which was sponsored by Merriam, Kansas Parks & Recreation. The AAI information booth featured construction of bird houses and picture frames for children and a found-art weaving for all ages.

The Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel, a fast-paced musical with clever dialogue, delightful songs and plenty of action. Children and adults enjoyed the situations and identified with the characters in this one-hour play. Throughout the play, characters of different abilities discover that all of them have unique voices and skills. Each one overcomes a specific challenge and uses his or her own ability as a productive part of the team. This original play, commissioned by Accessible Arts, starred professional actors and was enjoyed by communities, district school children and special education students of Wyandotte County, the Kansas City metropolitan area, and Independence, Victoria, Hays, Liberal, Dodge City, and Wichita in central and western Kansas.

Schools were given an opportunity to offer students several hands-on workshops following the performances. Accessible Arts staff and professional artists presented the workshops, which featured drama, music/movement, and visual arts. Through the arts, artists and students explored the themes of the play including self-worth, tolerance, respect, problem solving and teamwork. Additional details may be found under "archives" in the Spring 2002 newsletter.

Heart of America Wind Symphony Benefit Concert, an accessible public performance, featured music from West Side Story. A wheelchair dance, performed to Felix Mendelssohn's Nocturne,complemented the evening's theme, Everybody Dance. Student actors from the Kansas School for the Deaf presented a scene from West Side Story, with interpreters for the hearing audience. The evening also included visual art displays by artists with disabilities.

Jellybean Conspiracy Workshop, a one-day workshop with Howard Martin and Barry Bernstein at Franklin Sixth Grade school in Wellington, Kansas. The students participated in rhythm, music, and dramatic sketches which focused on themes of empathy, personal value, tolerance, respect for self and others -- and FUN. The highlight of the workshop was 'Rhythm Weaving.' The workshop was followed by a student performance of 'Bless Cricket, Crest Toothpaste and Tommy Tune' through Howard Martin's Jellybean Conspiracy. This performance featured a high school student with Down Syndrome as the lead character.

99 Drums (2001), a weekend of hands-on music and dance workshops exploring the art, history, customs, and food of West African, Native American, Mexican and Caribbean cultures. Workshops and performances were presented by professional artists including Pat Conway, Vanessa Gibbs and Jaisson Taylor of Traditional Music Society; Toni Tsatoke and Jay Mule of Pelathe Community Resource Center; and Rose Marie Mendez of Fiesta Mexicana. Bird Fleming of Traditional Music Society was the Artistic Director. A total of 423 persons were involved in this very successful program including: 75 participating youth, 29 performers, and 50 volunteers. The final performance was attended by an additional 225 friends, families, and community residents.

In Touch with Art, a collaborative program sponsored by the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Accessible Arts, VSA arts of Missouri and VSA arts of Washington D.C. This unique first-time event successfully included 600 members of the blind and sighted communities by permitting visitors to experience museum sculptures and raw art materials through touch. Visitors also created their own works of art by making clay sculptures.

Sentenced to the Arts is a project in the Jackson County Juvenile Detention Centers. Recognizing the many children with behavioral and emotional disabilities flooding the justice system, Accessible Arts contracted with Jackson County to design a program to encourage alternatives to violent behavior by channeling aggression into pro-social expressions in the arts.

Oregon Trail Trip & Arts Projects, an exploration of the historic Westward movement. AAI collaborates with the Kansas State School for the Blind to involve visually impaired students in the pioneer experience through arts based learning activities. A two-week Trail trip each June provides the impetus for follow-up arts projects during the school year. In the fall of 2000, seven visually impaired teens created tactile landscape boxes of Oregon Trail sites they had experienced on the summer trip. The teens used these creations to teach Trail history and create art with 4^th graders at Warford Elementary School in Kansas City.

Tell Your Story, a collaborative program with KU Medical Center's Child Development Unit. Kansas City, Kansas at-risk youth attended an AAI photography workshop and were given disposable cameras to tell their story through pictures.

Shakespeare in the Wings Workshops, AAI staff and actors from the Missouri Repertory Theatre provided a series of Shakespearean workshops that culminated in a theatre performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Kansas State School for the Blind Forensic students. The program will also travel to the Kansas School for the Deaf this April.

Island Adventure, a one-day workshop at the Vision Rehabilitation Center in Wichita which included students with visual and physical disabilities. Students explored Pacific island themes through music, movement and visual art ending in a public performance.

With Palpable Cause, a touchable sculpture exhibit by Nik Ratzlaff which included tours and artist demonstrations for several Kansas City community groups including Children’s Center for the Visually Impaired and Alphapointe.

Our County: Portrait of a Community offered leadership opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities. Adult clients of the Prairie Developmental Center were trained and deputized as community reporters who collected information and assisted the community in sharing their stories through writing, drawing, photos and audio tapes. The result was a collection of memorabilia on the walls of the community center. This digest was transformed into larger-than-life murals mounted in store-front windows depicting the vibrant life and history of a small rural community.

Access to the Arts, a curriculum project funded by the U. S. Department of Education, which includes arts/special education training for college students pursuing a teaching career.

Arts in the Environment, a unique arts workshop celebrating the history and geology of Gove, Scott and Logan Counties.

Bridges to our Children linked artists with disabilities as role models to children at the School for the Deaf and the School for the Blind.

The Art Therapies in Education: Nurturing the Imagination linked Special Education Cooperatives and Universities to train personnel and students in the delivery of art therapy and educational art services to children with disabilities.

The Arts Speak a Universal Language, an Arts in Early Education grant, created a statewide project targeting children with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) for early identification of disabilities through the arts.

Dr. Nancy Knapp, professor of art therapy, stated in her Governor’s Arts Award nomination, Accessible Arts provides a magnificent array of services to an unprecedented number of different people in formats without apparent limitations. A visiting arts professional from Boston stated, Accessible Arts is unique and absolutely superb...most states would give anything to have a similar program.

Accessible Arts is known both regionally and nationally for the quality of its accessible arts programming and the professional excellence of the artists and personnel it employs. Agencies such as Children’s Center for the Visually Impaired, Genesis, Jackson County Family Courts, Jackson County Alternative School Network, Hope House, Kaw Valley Center, Boys and Girls Clubs, Johnson County Mental Health, Social Work p.r.n., Campfire, and the Kansas School for the Deaf have all requested training and information about adaptations in the arts.

The Training and Demonstration program is designed to train teachers, paraprofessionals, artists, therapists, parents and others in the arts as a medium for meeting the educational and/or therapeutic goals of students with disabilities. Accessible Arts staff and consultants are professionals experienced in the arts of dance, movement, music, visual arts, drama, creative writing, poetry and storytelling. Workshops provide theoretical information as well as hands-on experience using effective arts methods with children. Accessible Arts training workshops are active, lively, dynamic, and energetic!

Prior to a workshop, Accessible Arts will work directly with the participating site(s) to determine the needs and plan for an appropriate consultant and workshop topic. Typically one or more Accessible Arts consultants conduct training workshops for professionals, focusing on methods, materials and resources. This is followed by on-site demonstrations bringing the arts to children in classrooms and other settings. To enhance the lasting usefulness of the trainings and demonstrations, Accessible Arts provides continuing resource and assessment services in an ongoing relationship with the participating site(s).

Workshop costs are set for each program based on length, number of consultants, and site location. The cost covers consultant’s fees, travel, meals, lodging, and supplies. The site provides staff released time, workshop space, and audio visual equipment. In many cases, sites are able to defray expenses by inviting other interested parties such as additional school districts, special education cooperatives, parent-teacher organizations, or arts agencies to share the cost or by charging workshop fees. Many of our services are available at reduced fees or no charge to the participants.

To receive further information or to schedule a Workshop, please contact us by phone or email.