Disability Awareness Training Slideshow

Disability Awareness Training

© ART BEYOND SIGHT 2014 www.absawarenessmonth.org

You will be able to answer these questions:

Why make your museum, institution or site accessible to people with disabilities?

Who are your users with disabilities?

How is disability defined?

What is accessibility? How do you welcome different groups of patrons with disabilities?

What is Universal Design?© ART BEYOND SIGHT 2014 www.absawarenessmonth.org

WHY MAKE YOUR INSTITUTION ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES?

Institutional Perspective

Economic Perspective

Legal Perspective


Institutional Perspective: Your Accessibility Market – Not Only Museum Visitors

Accessibility is not just for your general public of museum visitors! Your museum should also be accessible for:

…your employees

…your board of directors

…your funders

…your artists, scientists, historians, performers

…museum service providers and vendors

…anyone who comes through the doors


Economic Perspective: Why Create Access to the Arts?

Museums and other cultural institutions cannot afford to lose, or exclude by omission, this large a group from their audience, staffing or funding base.

• Almost 1-in-6 Americans, or 56 million people, age 5 and over, experience a disability (2009), about 19%.

• 56 million Americans with disabilities have an aggregate income of $1 trillion, with disposable income of $220 billion (larger than the highly sought-after teen market of $170 billion). Of them 73% are heads of households; 58% own their own homes; 48% are principal shoppers; 46% are married.

• 20.3 million of America’s 69.6 million families have at least one member with a disability.

• The disabilities of aging – mobility, vision, hearing and cognition – are categories that will grow as the baby boom generation ages. Half of the “Baby Boomers" over 65 have a disability. The Administration on Aging projects that by 2030 there will be more than 69 million people age 65 and older. It is the fastest growing segment of the population.


Legal Perspective: Why Create Access to the Arts?

Creating access is a legal responsibility, mandated by federal statutes as well as state and local laws. If your state minimums are higher than federal, you must meet your state’s codes.

Keep in mind that the law outlines only the minimum requirements.


Disability Legislation: Overview• Rehabilitation Act of 1973: Defines the rights of people with disabilities.

Section 504 of this act forbids federally funded public and private organizations from excluding or denying individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to receive benefits/services.

• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990: Sets basic requirements for access to all to public spaces, including museums. Covers physical requirements for buildings/exhibits plus the need to provide equal experiences/learning opportunities for people with disabilities.

• Telecommunications Act of 1996: Enables access for all Americans to the benefits of the information superhighway.

• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1994: Designed to protect the rights of students with disabilities by ensuring free appropriate public education to all, regardless of ability. Also provides federal financing to state/local educational agencies to guarantee special education for qualifying students.

• State and Local Accessibility Laws provide minimums for public buildings, transportation, etc.© ART BEYOND SIGHT 2014 www.absawarenessmonth.org

Spirit of the Law: Equal Opportunity to Participate

The spirit of the law is that everyone must have an equal opportunity to participate in cultural life. In the best of all possible worlds, accessibility is transparent and integrated into the everyday functioning of the museum or institution. It should not be a “special” service. Participation for people with disabilities should be:

•As independent and discreet as possible. Activities, exhibitions and services, as much as is practicable, should not be segregated from other visitors’ experiences.

•As complete as possible. The aim of accessibility accommodations is to provide comparable level of information and experience as is given to visitors without disabilities.



ADA Resources

For more information contact your regional Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers (DBTACs). They provide public awareness materials, technical assistance, training, and referrals on the ADA. For more information visit their website:

http://www.adata.org/

To reach the Center in your region, call toll-free: V/TTY: 1-800-949-4232

Copies of ADA publications are available at no or reasonable cost.


http://www.adata.org/

HOW IS DISABILITY DEFINED?

Paradigm Shift: From Medical Disability Model to Social Model

New Definition of Disability and Its Impact of Defining

Accessibility

“Invisible” Disabilities


Changing View of Disability

• Disability is a human reality that has been perceived differently by diverse cultures and historical periods.

• For most of the 20th century, disability was defined according to a medical model.

• Disability has traditionally been assumed to be a way to characterize a particular set of largely static, functional limitations.

• This led to stereotyping and defining a person by condition or limitations.


Disability Redefined

Disability is the

world’s largest

minority group and it

is one that anyone

can join at any time.


New World Health Organization (WHO) Definition of Disabilities

In 2001, the WHO established a new definition of disability; it is based on human rights, or social models, and focuses on the interaction between a person with a disability and the environment. DISABILITY is an umbrella term, which includes several components:

• impairments: a problem in body function or structure

• activity limitations: a difficulty encountered by an individual in executing a task or action

• participation restrictions: a problem experienced by an individual’s involvement in life situations


New View: Social or Human Rights Model• This places emphasis on contextual factors and the role played by

societies and institutions (including cultural institutions) in defining, causing, or maintaining a disability, or disabling experiences.

• This paradigm shift allows us to focus on strategies that minimize disabling experiences rather than “correct” or modify the individual with a disability.


Paradigm Shift: Definition of Disability

OLD APPROACH • A diagnosis• A person is limited by the

impairment or condition• A medical "problem"

NEW PARADIGM• Individuals with temporary

or permanent impairments require accommodations to carry out life activities

• A socio-environmental issue involving accessibility, accommodations, and equity


Paradigm Shift: Strategies to Address Disability

OLD APPROACH • Fix the individual• Correct the deficit• Provide medical, vocational,

or psychological rehabilitation services

• People with disabilities are objects of intervention, research subjects or patients

NEW PARADIGM• Remove barriers • Access through

accommodations and universal design

• Opportunities and education for a range of abilities

• Patrons with disabilities get involved as community members, advisors, decision makers


New Definition of Disability and Its Impact on Defining Accessibility

Disability is a mainstream experience of being human, not something that resides in some individuals. All of us experience some change in ability, whether permanent or temporary.

Disability as a contextual experience. Functional limitation is a fact. Disability is a phenomenon of the experience that occurs by the individual intersecting with the environment, including physical, information, communication, social, and policy environments.

Valerie Fletcher, Institute for Human Centered Design


“Invisible” DisabilitiesMany people who benefit from or need accessible accommodations may not identify themselves as having a disability. WHY? • Changes may be temporary, such as the result of an accident

or as a side effect of medication. • Changes are incremental and happen slowly, so the moment

when we identify ourselves as having a disability never arrives.

• Most people over 60 have or will have “acquired limitations.” As we age, we can’t walk as far, and our eyes, ears, and hands don’t work as well.

• The need for accessibility – better lighting, larger print, magnified sound, accessible elevators and bathrooms, or more seating – will remain.


Accessibility

Communication Strategies Accessible DesignAccommodations and Enhancements: Mobility, Cognitive, and SensoryAccessible Web© ART BEYOND SIGHT 2014 www.absawarenessmonth.org

Accessibility Skills: Communication StrategiesPeople-first Language

Communication Tips: Basics

Welcoming People with Physical Disabilities

Welcoming People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

Welcoming People with Autism, Alzheimer’s and their Families

Welcoming People who are Visually Impaired

Sighted Guide Technique


People-first Language

People-first language emphasizes the person, not the disability. Disability is not the primary, defining characteristic of an individual, but one of several aspects of the whole person.

Note re: Deaf Culture. Many people who are D/deaf communicate using American Sign Language and consider themselves to be members of a cultural and linguistic minority. Other individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing communicate through listening and spoken language.

As always: If you don’t know, ask the person what is preferred.


People-first LanguagePeople-first Language

people with disabilities he has an intellectual disability my son has autism she has Down syndrome he has a learning disability she has a physical disability he’s of short stature or he’s short she has an emotional disability he uses a wheelchair typical kids or kids without disabilities she receives special education

services/additional support services accessible parking, bathrooms, etc. she has a need for…

Labels Not to Use

• the handicapped or disabled• the mentally retarded• my son is autistic• she’s a Downs kid, a

mongoloid• he’s learning disabled• she’s crippled• he’s a dwarf (or midget)• she’s emotionally disturbed• he’s wheelchair bound or

confined to a wheelchair• normal and/or healthy kid• she’s in special ed• handicapped parking,

bathrooms, etc.• she has a problem with…

This material is reprinted with the permission of© 1999 The North Carolina Office on Disability and Health


Common Stereotypes to Avoid

• Representing or treating a person with a disability as dependent or as an object of pity

• Putting the person with a disability on a pedestal

• Representing the person with a disability as having special gifts or abilities because of his or her disability


Communication Tips: Basics

• Don’t be afraid to make a mistake. • Treat adults as adults.• Don’t make assumptions about what a person can or

cannot do.• Ask before giving assistance. If you offer help and the

person says “no,” don’t insist. If the answer is “yes,” ask how you can best help and follow directions.

• If someone with a disability is accompanied by another individual, address the person with a disability directly. Don’t speak through the other person.

• Expect diversity of preferences and opinions.


WelcomingPeople with Physical Disabilities

• Personal space includes a person’s wheelchair, crutches, cane or other mobility aid. Never move them without permission.

• Do not push a person’s wheelchair or take the arm of someone walking with difficulty without first asking if you can help.

• When speaking to a person using a wheelchair for more than a few minutes, try to find a seat for yourself so that the two of you are at eye level.


Welcoming People who are D/deaf or Hard of Hearing

• Ask the person how he or she prefers to communicate.• If you are speaking through an interpreter, remember that the

interpreter may lag a few words behind. Pause occasionally.• Talk directly to the person who is D/deaf or hard of hearing, not to

the interpreter. • Before you speak, make sure you have the person’s attention

and that he/she is looking at you. A wave, a light touch on the shoulder are appropriate ways to get attention. If an individual uses listening and spoken language, saying the individual’s name is an appropriate way to get his or her attention.

• Speak in a clear, expressive manner. Do not over enunciate or exaggerate words, or raise your voice.

• The goal is communication; don’t pretend to understand if you did not. Ask the person to repeat it or write it down.


Speech- or Lip-reading: Things to Remember

• It is important to note that not all D/deaf individuals can lip-read.

• At best it is about a 50% guess, with the remainder understood through context. Sometimes words are missed and many words look the same on the lips, such as when forming words containing “f” and “v”, “s” and “z”, “sh” and “ch” and “b”, “m” and “p”. As a result, names of people, places, or things (words that cannot be “figured out”) should be spelled out.

• Make sure there is lighting on your face, and keep your hands and other objects away from your mouth.

• Face the person directly and maintain eye contact. Don’t turn your back or walk around while talking.


WelcomingPeople who are D/deaf or Hard of Hearing (cont.)

• If the person uses sign language, and you know any American Sign Language (ASL) or fingerspelling, try it.

• If you offer museum programs in ASL, consider training an individual who is fluent in ASL to facilitate your program.

• Have staff trained to take calls via relay from D/deaf callers.• Using an email address for reservations (as opposed to a phone

number) can be much easier for many people who are D/deaf.• People who are D/deaf or hard of hearing, use assistive listening

devices, hearing loops, captioned films, and captioned museum tours.

• One option is CART (Communication Access Real-time Translation, also referred to as real-time captioning; can be done via the Internet). Often, your visitor can voice for him or herself (expressive communication) and uses CART to understand what others are saying, especially in meetings, classrooms, or large events (receptive communication).


Welcoming People with Dementia and their Families

When first meeting a visitor with dementia:

• Be open hearted. People with dementia respond well to genuine hospitality.

• Speak directly to the person. Assume that he/she is capable of responding.

• Wait for a response. It takes people with dementia longer to process information, especially when they are in a new environment.


Welcoming People with Dementia and their Families (cont.)

When greeting a visitor with dementia:

• Make eye contact with the person. Get to eye level. Shake hands upon greeting.

• Introduce yourself. Ask, “And you are?”• Give clear directions to waiting areas, coat room,

restrooms (one at a time).• Use gesture to clarify directions.


Welcoming People with Dementia and their Families (cont.)

When giving a group tour:

• Provide a name tag in a large, bold font for each participant.• Introduce the group leader.• Use simple, bold signage to enhance orientation (example: 4th

floor go right →). These signs may be generated specifically for the visit.

• When moving through the museum, be clear about where you are going. For instance, say, “We are taking this elevator to 4.”

• People with dementia do not want sympathy. Include them in conversation and activities.

• Listen. People with dementia may have surprising and remarkable insights to share.


Welcoming People with Autism

Basics• Autism is a broad spectrum disorder. Some people with

autism are unable to verbalize. If a person does not respond to a verbal question, assume they understood you, but may not be able to speak.

• If possible, offer another means of communication, such as pen/paper, or an iPad.

• Many people with autism have auditory processing difficulties. Do not give multi-step commands or use run-on sentences. Straightforward, clear remarks are best.

• Some people with autism are sensitive to touch, and some may react with intensity when touched. Museum staff and security should be aware of this.


Welcoming People with Autism (cont.)

Stimming

• Many people with autism appear disconnected, may not make eye contact, and may have stereotypy (“stims”) such as handclapping or rocking (and some have verbal stims). Do not assume that they are not taking everything in; they are.

• People may stim for a variety of reasons, such as because they are in an unfamiliar place or are excited. Stimming may be how the person with autism regulates incoming sensory stimulation to avoid being overwhelmed by stimuli. Do not discourage them – unless, of course, it presents a danger.


Welcoming People with Autism (cont.)• People with autism may have visual processing

difficulties. In particular, sudden and unexpected movement can be disturbing to them. Security staff should avoid rushing up to someone who, for instance, is stimming.

• Crowds can be challenging for people with autism. Museum personnel should know where there is a quiet space to which they can direct families, if needed.

• Loud noises can be disturbing and, conversely, low-level noises, such as buzzing from fluorescent lights (which also might flicker) can be bothersome. Be aware that something most people might not react to could be an issue for a person with autism whose sensory system is very sensitive.



Social story

• If providing programs for groups of children or adults with autism, develop a social story about a visit to the museum that can be made available to the group or families with members with autism prior to the visit.

• Previewing an experience and having a sense of what to expect is important to people on the autism spectrum.


Annie Leist

I deleted the sentence "See example in the resource section." from the final point on this slide, because there IS no resource section! :)


When giving a group tour:

• At the beginning of a group visit, set clear

parameters and explain how long you will be doing

certain activities.

• Reminders are important as well. For many people

with autism, transitions can be difficult, so letting them

know that a transition is coming up is important.

• Alert people in advance if you are entering a space

with films or videos that include bright lights, loud

noises, abrupt actions.© ART BEYOND SIGHT 2014 www.absawarenessmonth.org


Preparing for eventuality• Have a system in place to assist a person with

autism who is lost in the museum. This is particularly important for someone who is non-verbal or has limited verbal skills.

• Consider providing special name tags or badges to families/groups that include a person or persons with autism. This would help reunite someone who is lost with his/her group.


Welcoming People who are Blindor Have Low Vision

• Don’t assume that help is needed. Always ask before providing assistance.

• Never push, pull or grab a blind person. This can be frightening, embarrassing, or even unsafe.

• Don’t shout. Most people who are blind have normal hearing. Speak clearly and strongly if you know that an older person who is blind or has low vision also has a hearing loss.

• Introduce yourself. Not everyone recognizes or remembers voices.


Welcoming People who are Blindor Have Low Vision (cont.)

• Identify yourself when entering a room and let the person who is blind know when you are leaving. Don’t leave a person who is blind talking to an empty room.

• Don’t leave a person who is blind standing alone in an open space.

• Don’t hesitate to use words like “see” and “look.”

• Give explicit directions to a blind person, such as “on your left,” “to the right of your plate,” “three blocks north.”

• Do not shake or nod your head or use hand signals without verbally stating what you are indicating.


Sighted Guide Technique

Basic technique:

The person who is blind or has low vision holds the guide’s arm lightly above the elbow and allows the guide to walk one-half step ahead. This allows him or her to feel and follow the guide’s direction.


Accommodations Used to CreateEqual Access for All

There are three basic types of accommodations or enhancements that make an environment more accessible for people with disabilities:

• Mobility enhancements• Cognitive enhancements• Sensory enhancementsSome of them we have already mentioned.


Mobility: Not Just Wheelchairs

Keep in mind:• Wheelchairs come in a variety of styles and sizes, with

many types of attachments available. Only some are assisted by someone who pushes the chair.

• Other assistive devices include Segways, service dogs, canes, walkers, and adaptive devices for gripping objects, writing or drawing, or for activities of daily living, such as drinking or eating.


Sensory Enhancements

• For those who have difficulty accessing visual information, accommodations include large print and Braille, verbal and audio description, tactile and sound experiences, and magnifying devices and other assistive technologies.

• For those who have difficulty accessing aural information or sounds, accommodations include sign language interpreters, assistive listening devices, text transcripts, captioning, and descriptive cues.


Cognitive or Learning EnhancementsInformation can be presented in a variety of ways.Examples of alternate representations of contentinclude:• Visual: Images or diagrams, maps, charts or

graphs• Tactile: Tactile diagrams, maps and graphics,

Braille, other tactile experiences• Auditory: Audio-guides, music, sound effects• Text: Large print, digital media, captioning


Cognitive or Learning Enhancements (cont.)

During group tours or other structured programming,cognitive accommodations might include:• Adjustments in pace, content, and choice of language • Allowing extra time for transitions in activity or location• Keeping group size small• Modifying light and sound levels• Avoiding perceptual and sensory overloads


Creating an Accessible Environment

Universal Design

Universal Design for Learning

Accessible Web


What is Universal Design?

Universal Design is part of a spectrum of making places, things, programs, policies, and information usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.


Principles of Universal Design*

• Equitable Use: The design does not disadvantage or stigmatize any group of users.

• Flexibility in Use: The design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities.

• Simple, Intuitive Use: Use of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the user's experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level.

• Perceptible Information: The design communicates necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user's sensory abilities.

• Tolerance for Error: The design minimizes hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions.

• Low Physical Effort: The design can be used efficiently and comfortably, and with a minimum of fatigue.

• Size and Space for Approach and Use: Appropriate size and space is provided for approach, reach, manipulation, and use, regardless of the user's body size, posture, or mobility.


Accessible Exhibit Design Elements

• Easy to understand regardless of user experience, knowledge, language skills, or concentration levels

• Clear organization of important information• Redundant, multimodal presentations: pictorial,

verbal, tactile, audio• Inclusive, not segregated experiences• Provide choice in how to use and allow user to

adapt pace• Minimize fatigue: physical and sensory• Allow size and space for approach and use: line of

sight and reach, whether seated or standing• Adequate space for assistive device or personal

assistance© ART BEYOND SIGHT 2014 www.absawarenessmonth.org

Universal Design for Learning Principles (CAST, www.cast.org)

Components of a universally designed learning environment:

• Multiple means of representation – learners have a variety of ways to acquire

information and knowledge• Multiple means of expression

– learners have alternative means for demonstrating what they know

• Multiple means of engagement– learners' interests are piqued; they are appropriately

challenged and motivated to learn© ART BEYOND SIGHT 2014 www.absawarenessmonth.org

Accessible Web

• Web accessibility means that people with disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with a website, and that they can contribute to the Web.

• Remember that your whole site, and not only its accessibility section, needs to be legible and accessible.

• Web accessibility benefits other users as well, including older people with changing abilities due to aging. Web accessibility encompasses all disabilities that affect access to the internet, including visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, and neurological disabilities.


The following people/organizations contributed to this presentation:

• Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing• David Barclay, LCSW-C, Ph.D., Gallaudet University • Peggy Becker, NY Metro Chapter of the National Autism Association• Valerie Fletcher, Institute for Human-Centered Design• Nancy Lee Hendley, Alzheimer’s Association, New York City Chapter• Lise Hamlin, Hearing Loss Association of America• Laurie Hanin, Ph.D., Center for Hearing and Communication• Kristen Johnson, Ph.D., Ohio State University• Sabeeha Rehman, NY Metro Chapter of the National Autism Assn. • Kim Mack Rosenberg, NY Metro Chapter of the National Autism Assn.• Robert I. Roth, University of Washington, Seattle• Lisa Rudley, NY Metro Chapter of the National Autism Assn.

© 2014 Art Beyond Sight/Art Education for the Blind


Disability Awareness Training Slideshow

Education

Transcript of Disability Awareness Training Slideshow