ADA Planning
This page is designed to assist and educate cultural organizations as they prepare and develop their long range plan for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Plans are a requirement for all organizations receiving funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State. In addition, a majority of the state's County Cultural and Heritage Commissions require a plan from their grantees.
We encourage you to use the Online Resource Library for examples of policies, program descriptions, terminology, and best practices as it relates to ADA and access to cultural organizations.
The ADA Plan Outline is available as an online form. This outline is designed for those organizations that are required to submit an ADA plan to the State Arts Council by December 31, 2021. Disciplines that need to submit in this cycle are Dance, Music, and Theatre.
If your organization is required to submit an ADA plan for FY22-24, we encourage a staff member to attend one of our virtual workshops for an overview of the plan requirements and submission process. 90-minute virtual workshops will take place on Monday, September 20 at 10 AM and Tuesday, October 5 at 1 PM. To register and obtain the Zoom link, please contact Beth Prevor, Cultural Access Coordinator, at bprevor@njtheatrealliance.org.
The Cultural Access Network has instituted this self-assessment and ADA planning tool in direct response to comments from arts organizations as they endeavored to write a comprehensive and usable ADA plan. It is strongly enouraged that the assessment is conducted by members of the organzation and their ADA advisory committee.
Policies and procedures are the foundation for your organization's access commitment. Polices include a board-approved policy statement outlining your organization's commitment to providing accessible services and programs. A sample policy is included in the Online Resource Library.
A board approved grievance procedure is meant to provide an internal mechanism for your organization to use in the event of a patron complaint.
It is important for organizations to have non-discrimination employment policies, be able to provide accessible accommodations for interviews, and to include marginal and essential functions in various job descriptions for staff and volunteers.
When completing the programs and services section of your plan, give thought to your organization's plans to offer sign-interpretation for the Deaf, open captioning for those with hearing loss, audio description for those with vision loss. Large print materials, sensory experiences, program information on digital media are other program examples. In addtion, consider how you are going to make your virtual events accessible (captioning, sign interpertation, audio description).
When completing the marketing and communications section of your plan, give thought to the steps your organization will take to reach people with disabilities. Examples include posting events on the Cultral Access Calendar, the use of international access symbols, target marketing, making your website accessible, and providing materials in alternate formats.
Accessible restrooms, signage, entrances, dressing rooms, performance and exhibit spaces, and patron parking are some of the areas that need to be considered when completing the facility section of your ADA Plan.