Research to Advocacy Disability Justice and Artist Blog

The idea of disability justice and accessibility can be combined and implemented in the museum field. In this blog post, I include tips for creating a more accessible, inclusive, and equitable museum experience for everyone at The Butler and beyond. These tips and suggestions are taken from The Ohio Museums Association DEAI toolkit, which I worked with staff members from other museums statewide to edit and encompass a greater focus on the museum community. These tips and examples not only provide a springboard for museum staff and visitors, but also board members and artists as well.

Introduction

Embracing DEAI in Ohio museums is essential for creating more inclusive, equitable, and accessible cultural institutions that serve and represent the diverse communities they are part of.

OMS’s Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion Statement:

The Ohio Museums Association embraces the unique attributes, characteristics, and perspectives of every individual.

The Ohio Museums Association embraces the unique attributes, characteristics, and perspectives of every individual. 

We believe Diversity is all the ways that people are unique, including but not limited to dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, and/or other ideologies.

We believe Equity means the fair and just treatment of all members of our community.

We believe Accessibility means providing access to everyone.

We believe Inclusion to be the intentional, ongoing effort to ensure that all individuals can fully participate within our organization.

It is our aim that members, partners, and key stakeholders reflect, embrace, and promote these core values.

Leadership and Governance

Building diverse boards and staff

Building diversity within your board and staff is crucial for promoting inclusivity and ensuring a wide range of perspectives. Here are some suggested strategies to achieve this:

1.     Establish Inclusive Recruitment Practices:

·      Actively seek out diverse candidates when recruiting. Ensure that recruitment announcements are accessible to a broad audience.

·      Utilize diverse networks and partnerships to tap into a wider pool of potential candidates. Collaborate with community organizations, professional associations, and educational institutions that focus on underrepresented groups.

2.     Cultivate a Welcoming Organizational Culture:

·      Create a culture that values and celebrates diversity. Ensure that your organization promotes an inclusive environment where individuals of all backgrounds feel welcomed, respected, and supported.

·      Implement training programs for existing board members and staff to raise awareness about unconscious biases and foster cultural competence.

3.     Engage in Outreach and Community Involvement:

·      Actively engage with the communities your organization serves. Attend events, participate in community forums, and build relationships with local organizations.

·      Establish advisory committees or community forums to gather input from diverse perspectives and involve community members in decision-making processes.

4.     Prioritize Diversity in Governance Policies:

·      Develop and implement policies that prioritize diversity and inclusion within the organization's governance structure. This may include setting diversity goals, regularly assessing progress, and making adjustments as needed.

·      Consider implementing term limits for board members to allow for more frequent opportunities to bring in new and diverse perspectives.

5.     Provide Mentorship and Leadership Development Opportunities:

·      Offer mentorship programs that pair experienced board members and staff with individuals from underrepresented groups. This can help bridge the gap and provide support for career development.

·      Invest in leadership development initiatives to help individuals from diverse backgrounds build the skills and confidence necessary for leadership roles within the organization.

Remember that diversity and inclusion efforts should be ongoing and integrated into the overall organizational strategy. Regularly assess progress, gather feedback, and be willing to adapt strategies as needed to create a more inclusive and diverse non-profit environment.

Developing Inclusive Museum Policies

Developing inclusive museum policies is crucial to create a welcoming and equitable environment that embraces diversity, fostering broader audience engagement and enriching cultural experiences. Below are some inclusive policy suggestions:

1.     Workplace Culture:

·      Implement diversity and inclusion training to foster cultural sensitivity through open conversations, promoting a more inclusive and understanding workplace.

·      Organize inclusive events and activities while implementing flexible work policies for a diverse and supportive workplace culture.

2.     Staff Hierarchy:

·      Ensure equal opportunities for advancement.

·      Strive for diverse leadership representation.

·      Foster transparent decision-making processes to cultivate an inclusive and equitable organizational culture.

3.     Incident Reporting:

·      Provide accessible reporting channels.

·      Commit to timely and thorough investigations while offering supportive resources for those involved.

4.     General Staff Experience After Hiring:

·   Create an inclusive onboarding process and establish Employee Resource Groups.

·   Provide continuous diversity education and implement regular feedback mechanisms for ongoing improvement.

Remember that inclusive museum policies are essential to ensure that all individuals, regardless of their backgrounds, feel welcome and represented within the cultural institution. It fosters a diverse and enriching environment that encourages the exchange of varied perspectives and experiences. Ultimately, inclusive policies contribute to a more equitable and accessible space, fostering engagement and connection with a broader audience.

Staff Training and Education

DEAI Training Programs

DEAI training programs help to build awareness, develop inclusive leadership capabilities, implement equitable recruitment practices, foster cultural competence, and cultivate allyship within organizations to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in their boards and staff. Below are some areas that can be implemented into DEAI training:

1.     Cultural Competency Training:

·   Develop understanding of different cultural backgrounds, values, and perspectives.

·  Foster appreciation for diversity and skills for effective cross-cultural communication         and collaboration.

2.     Inclusive Leadership Development:

·   Offer training on inclusive leadership skills, such as active listening, empathy, and creating a sense of belonging.

·   Provide opportunities for diverse individuals to develop leadership capabilities and explore advancement pathways.

3.     Diversity Recruitment Strategies:

·   Train on best practices for attracting and evaluating diverse candidates.

·   Explore strategies for expanding recruitment efforts to reach underrepresented communities and diverse talent pools.

4.     Ally and Advocacy Training:

·   Educate on how to be effective allies and advocates for underrepresented groups.

·   Provide guidance on recognizing and addressing microaggressions, discrimination, and other forms of exclusion.

These training programs aim to address key areas such as building cultural competence, developing inclusive leadership, diversifying recruitment, and fostering allyship and advocacy. They should be tailored to your organization’s specific needs and integrated into an ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Sensitivity Training

Sensitivity training is crucial for building diverse and inclusive organizations by fostering cultural competence, developing inclusive leadership skills, implementing equitable recruitment practices, and cultivating respect within organizations.

1.     Diversity and Inclusion Awareness:

·   Develop an understanding of how individual and systemic biases can impact marginalized groups.

·   Foster empathy and respect for diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.

2.     Cross-Cultural Communication:

·   Learn effective communication strategies for interacting with individuals from diverse cultures.

·    Understand the role of cultural norms, values, and beliefs in communication styles.

·   Practice active listening, respectful dialogue, and avoiding stereotypes or offensive language.

3.     Inclusive Workplace Practices:

·   Identify and address potential barriers to inclusion within organizational policies and practices.

·   Develop strategies for creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all employees.

·   Explore accommodations and reasonable adjustments to support individuals with diverse needs and abilities.

Sensitivity training programs aim to raise awareness, build cultural competence, and equip individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to foster an inclusive and respectful environment that values diversity and promotes equity within the workplace.

Accessible Facilities

Physical Accessibility for Visitors

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires museums to provide physical accessibility for visitors with disabilities in several key areas:

1.     Accessible Entrances and Routes:

·   Entrances must be accessible, free of barriers, and have ramps or level access if needed.

·   Routes throughout the museum must be wide enough for wheelchair users, with proper turning spaces and free of obstacles or protruding objects.

·   Signage should clearly indicate accessible entrances, exits, and routes.

2.     Mobility Aids and Seating:

·   Museums should provide wheelchairs, scooters, and other mobility aids for visitors who need them.

·   Seating areas must be available throughout for those who cannot stand for long periods.

3.     Accessible Restrooms:

·   Restrooms must accommodate wheelchair users with appropriate stall sizes, grab bars, sinks, and amenities like lowered mirrors and Braille signage.

4.     Elevator Access:

·   If the museum has multiple floors, elevators with Braille buttons, audible signals, and space for wheelchair turnaround must be installed.

·   Ramps or lifts should be provided where elevators cannot be installed.

5.     Removing Architectural Barriers:

·   Museums must remove barriers like steps, narrow aisles, and protruding objects that impede access for visitors with disabilities.

The ADA requires museums to maintain these accessible features and ensure they remain operable and unblocked at all times during museum operations. Providing physical accessibility allows visitors with disabilities to fully experience and navigate museum spaces.

Digital Accessibility for Online Resources

Digital accessibility for online resources is crucial because it ensures equal access to information and services for all, promoting inclusivity and enabling people to fully participate and engage with digital content and platforms. Below are some strategies your organization can implement:

1.     Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.2) Conformance:

·   Ensure online resources adhere to WCAG 2.2 standards for perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust content.

·   Provide text alternatives for non-text content captions, transcripts, and audio descriptions for audio/video, keyboard accessibility, and more.

2.     Compatibility with Assistive Technologies:

·   Design online resources to work seamlessly with screen readers, speech recognition software, and other assistive technologies.

·   Proper coding and structured content are essential.

3.     Accessible Document Formats:

·   Provide key documents and materials in accessible formats such as HTML, ePub, properly structured PDFs, etc.

·   Avoid inaccessible document formats.

4.     Adjustable Font Sizes and Color Contrast:

·   Allow users to resize text.

·   Ensure sufficient color contrast between text and backgrounds to accommodate those with low vision or color blindness.

5.     Straightforward Navigation and Design:

·   Implement clear, consistent, and intuitive navigation structures.

·   Other Assistive Technologies/services- these options include but are not limited to: Beacons, museum apps with digital content, online museum maps, and Aira (Access to information remote assistance). This Assistive Technology service connects blind and low vision museum visitors, docents, and employees, as well as other disabled and non-disabled persons to professional and remotely located Visual Interpreters. Aira is accessed via a smartphone or computer, and the Visual Interpreter can see exactly what the blind or low vision Aira Explorer (Aira user) sees in real time to accomplish almost any task imaginable within the museum setting and beyond.

·   Avoid complex interactions or time constraints that may create barriers for users with cognitive or physical disabilities.

6.     Ways to make images more accessible:

·    Use alt text description and longer image description for all images within websites, social media content, and any other museum documents (external files, newsletter, etc.).

·   Use SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) when possible. Typical image options including PNG and JPEG images don’t offer the flexibility when zooming into or out of an image. These images can become blurry and distorted when zooming in and out of them.

·    Ensure that images can also be downloadable.

7.     Ensure that all videos, presentations, and all other digital programming offer closed captioning, transcripts, American Sign Language, and Aira Audio Description for the greatest accessibility possible.

8.     Ensure that all museum facilities provide a Disability Justice framework for museum visitors, staff, as well as docents and other volunteers. The ten Disability Justice principles are as follows:

·      Intersectionality: Simply put, this principle says that we are many things, and they all impact us. We are not only disabled, we are also each coming from a specific experience of race, class, sexuality, age, religious background, geographical location, immigration status, and more. Depending on context, we all have areas where we experience privilege, as well as areas of oppression. The term “intersectionality” was first introduced by feminist theorist Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989 to describe the experiences of Black women, who experience both racism and sexism in specific ways. We gratefully embrace the nuance that this principle brings to our lived experiences, and the ways it shapes the perspectives we offer.

·      Leadership of those most impacted: When we talk about ableism, racism, sexism & transmisogyny, colonization, police violence, etc., we are not looking to academics and experts to tell us what’s what — we are lifting up, listening to, reading, following, and highlighting the perspectives of those who are most impacted by the systems we fight against. By centering the leadership of those most impacted, we keep ourselves grounded in real-world problems and find creative strategies for resistance.

·      Anti-Capitalist Politics: Capitalism depends on wealth accumulation for some (the white ruling class), at the expense of others, and encourages competition as a means of survival. The nature of our disabled bodyminds means that we resist conforming to “normative” levels of productivity in a capitalist culture, and our labor is often invisible to a system that defines labor by able-bodied, white supremacist, gender normative standards. Our worth is not dependent on what and how much we can produce.

·      Cross-Movement Solidarity: Disability justice can only grow into its potential as a movement by aligning itself with racial justice, reproductive justice, queer and trans liberation, prison abolition, environmental justice, anti-police terror, Deaf activism, fat liberation, and other movements working for justice and liberation. This means challenging white disability communities around racism and challenging other movements to confront ableism. Through cross-movement solidarity, we create a united front.

·      Recognizing Wholeness: Each person is full of history and life experience. Each person has an internal experience composed of our own thoughts, sensations, emotions, sexual fantasies, perceptions, and quirks. Disabled people are whole people.

·      Sustainability: We learn to pace ourselves, individually and collectively, to be sustained long-term. We value the teachings of our bodies and experiences, and use them as a critical guide and reference point to help us move away from urgency and into a deep, slow, transformative, unstoppable wave of justice and liberation.

·      Commitment to Cross-Disability Solidarity: We value and honor the insights and participation of all of our community members, even and especially those who are most often left out of political conversations. We are building a movement that breaks down isolation between people with physical impairments, people who are sick or chronically ill, psych survivors and people with mental health disabilities, neurodiverse people, people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, Deaf people, Blind people, people with environmental injuries and chemical sensitivities, and all others who experience ableism and isolation that undermines our collective liberation.

·      Interdependence: Before the massive colonial project of Western European expansion, we understood the nature of interdependence within our communities. We see the liberation of all living systems and the land as integral to the liberation of our own communities, as we all share one planet. We work to meet each other’s needs as we build toward liberation, without always reaching for state solutions which inevitably extend state control further into our lives.

·      Collective Access: As Black and brown and queer crips, we bring fexibility and creative nuance to our engagement with each other. We create and explore ways of doing things that go beyond able-bodied and neurotypical norms. Access needs aren’t shameful — we all function differently depending on context and environment. Access needs can be articulated and met privately, through a collective, or in community, depending upon an individual’s needs, desires, and the capacity of the group. We can share responsibility for our access needs, we can ask that our needs be met without compromising our integrity, we can balance autonomy while being in community, we can be unafraid of our vulnerabilities, knowing our strengths are respected.

·      Collective Liberation: We move together as people with mixed abilities, multiracial, multi-gendered, mixed class, across the sexual spectrum, with a vision that leaves no bodymind behind (Sins Invalid, 2015, pp. 1-2).

Prioritizing digital accessibility ensures online resources can be effectively perceived, operated, and understood by all users. This promotes equal access to information and an inclusive online experience.

Employee Accessibility

Employee accessibility is crucial for creating an inclusive work environment that enables all employees to thrive, contribute their skills and talents, and have equal opportunities for success, while also demonstrating an organization's commitment to diversity and compliance with relevant laws and regulations.

1.     Accessible Workstations and Equipment:

·   Provide adjustable desks, ergonomic chairs, and assistive technologies to accommodate employees with various needs.

·   Ensure that workstations are set up to minimize physical strain and promote comfort.

2.     Flexible Work Arrangements:

·   Offer flexible work schedules, remote work options, and job-sharing opportunities.

·   Accommodate employees who require modified work hours or locations due to disability-related needs.

3.     Accessible Communication and Information:

·   Ensure that all internal communications, documents, and resources are available in accessible formats.

·   Provide alternative formats such as large print, Braille, or electronic text upon request.

4.     Disability Awareness Training:

·   Conduct regular training sessions to educate employees on disability etiquette, assistive technologies, and creating an inclusive work environment.

·   Foster a culture of understanding and support for employees with disabilities.

5.     Reasonable Accommodations Process:

·   Establish a clear and transparent process for employees to request reasonable accommodations.

·   Ensure that requests are handled promptly and in a confidential manner, in compliance with relevant laws and regulations (Ohio Museums Association, 2024, pp.1-10)

By prioritizing employee accessibility, organizations can create a more inclusive and supportive work environment that enables employees with disabilities to thrive and contribute to the organization's success.

The DEAI toolkit supports the inclusion and equity concerning community members, artists, staff, visitors, and docents/volunteers. This initiative also focuses on the significance of representation in a positive lense and challenges the typical one size fits all interpretations and stories. In other words, each artist, artwork, and exhibition must be created through the assistance of museum staff and community members alike, so that the curatorial department is not the only contributor to each exhibition. Emilie Gossiaux is a deaf-blind artists who focuses on the positive philosophy of blindness and also a Disability Justice framework. Although she doesn't mention the term, the way in which she portrays objects, disability centered elements, and people aligns with the term "Disability Justice". Since a very young age, Gossiaux was fascinated by and came to comprehend her world view through the visual arts. By age five, she began losing her hearing. In 2010, she was hit by an 18 wheeler and due to this, suffered lacerations, a traumatic brain injury, and went completely blind. This time was challenging for her, since she wasn't sure how and if she could regain her confidence and independence as an artist. She had just completed her first year of college at Cooper Union but needed to attend an extremely intensive blindness training program to receive the necessary life skills of blindness for 11 months. While enrolled in the program, she came back into the arts through her woodshop class as she built and created sculptures and other projects from wood.

At the end of the program, she came back home and also received her first guide dog. This is when Gossiaux truly felt that she could become a well-known deaf-blind artist and completed her Bachelors degree at Cooper Union. Gossiaux's work focuses heavily on disability objects, such as her long, white cane and her guide dog London. One of her works entitled London centers on a lifesize sculpture of her guide dog partner. They have been together for 13 years and are continuously developing a greater interdependence and life-long bond of safety, confidence, and freedom. Her artwork was created from her imagination as she used papier mache to sculpt the guide dog. When she represents other blindness objects, such as her cane, she creates them in a life-sized style, which is approximately 15 feet tall. Her artwork and positive understanding of blindness have given her the opportunity to shatter barriers and misconceptions as she discusses her story with museums worldwide and also a range of news outlets (Sheets, 2023).

My artwork for this advocacy project at The Butler centers on various concepts including Disability Justice, equity, inclusion, belonging, and the mantra: "Access is a human right." which is Aira's new tagline. In the artwork, I chose to use the Aira blue background throughout the piece and the Aira logo at the top as well. I emphasized the typed text in Aira white font in phrases such as the "Access is a human right" mantra, which not only underscores the significance of accessibility and inclusion, but also the significance of challenging and overcoming obstacles that stand in our way.

This not only signifies the disability community as a whole, but all other minority communities and every other group in between. In the middle of the piece, I placed the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Cauldron with flames reaching to the "a" in the Aira logo at the top of the artwork to symbolize strength, tenacity, confidence, and wholeness with several phrases scattered around the left and right side of the canvas as well as the bottom. The cauldron is formed of wide strips of metal painted white on the outside, and raw silver on the inside, curved and layered over each other to create the effect of a flower opening. The cauldron is based on the concept “All gather under the Sun, all are equal, and all receive energy” by Mansai Nomura (Benda, n.d., para. 1). The sculpture begins its journey as a pure-white orb, sitting on top of a towering, white pyramid, which splits down the center and slowly begins to open as the orb starts to unfurl. I drew arrows connecting the concepts to the mantra of "Access is a human right" and placed the Disability Justice symbols at the bottom of my artwork. There are splotches of a different shade of blue to make the artwork even more defined. Finally, I placed an image of an NFB white cane on the left side of the canvas and a guide dog on the right. The dog faces away from the cauldron, looking to the right with a friendly expression; the white cane is angled toward the cauldron teetering on the edge of the flames. This artwork represents the power of advocacy when we combine the notion of inclusion and equity for all with a Disability Justice and anti-race perspective, not only for the Butler community, but for all museums and artistic venues across the United States and worldwide.

References

Ohio Museums Association (2024). OMA DEAI Toolkit [Word Document]. Columbus, OH: Author.

Sheets, H. (2023, December 5). “Her guide dog inspired her art. Now the lab stars in a museum show.” The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/05/arts/design/emilie-gossiaux-blind-queens-museum.html

Sins Invalid. (2015, September 17). 10 principles of Disability Justice. Sins Invalid. https://www.sinsinvalid.org/blog/10-principles-of-disability-justice

Nendo’s design: Tokyo 2020 Olympic Cauldron – Friedman Benda. (n.d.). https://www.friedmanbenda.com/news/nendos-design-tokyo-2020-olympic-cauldron/