Arts & Accessibility

Making Your Programs and Services Accessible

NEFA supports universal access to the arts, and strongly encourages all arts organizations to foster integration for individuals of all ages and abilities, whether audience members or artists, in all of their arts programs.

NEFA abides by state and federal laws that prohibit public support to organizations (people or entities) that discriminate against people with disabilities. Therefore, each grantee is required to assure that they are in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA).

ADA Grievance Policy

It is the policy of NEFA not to discriminate on the basis of disability, and NEFA is dedicated to providing equal access to individuals with disabilities in accordance with applicable law. If you believe that a program or service is inaccessible to persons with a disability or is otherwise illegally discriminatory and you want to file a grievance, we have a formal process for doing so.

Grievance Procedures

Please file your grievance in writing within thirty (30) days after the action has occurred. In extenuating circumstances, NEFA, upon written request, may extend the thirty (30) day requirement and allow more time. If you need assistance in filing a grievance, you may designate another person to file the grievance for you. To request an alternate format to file your grievance or for any additional assistance, please contact NEFA’s accessibility coordinator, Jane Preston, at jpreston@nefa.org or 617-865-1835. The individual filing a grievance can expect to receive a written response from NEFA no later than thirty (30) days after receipt of the properly filed grievance.

For programs or services provided by NEFA:

All grievances shall be limited to the physical facilities of NEFA, meetings conducted by NEFA, and programs and services operated by NEFA.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss the situation before filing a grievance, contact NEFA’s accessibility coordinator at accessibility@nefa.org or 617-865-1835.
To file a formal grievance, please complete NEFA's ADA Grievance Form.

For programs or services that are not provided by, but are funded by, NEFA:

Please communicate the grievance in writing directly to the sponsoring organization

If you think your grievance was not handled appropriately by the sponsoring organization, or if you have not received a response from the organization within thirty (30) days, contact NEFA’s accessibility coordinator at accessibility@nefa.org or 617-865-1835.
At any point in the process, you may choose to file a grievance with NEFA using NEFA’s ADA Grievance Form.

NEFA will first work with you to understand the situation and then provide assistance as appropriate. Issues and concerns raised with NEFA will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Submit an ADA Grievance

To request an alternate format, contact NEFA’s accessibility coordinator at accessibility@nefa.org or 617-865-1835.

NEFA Grant Recipients

By signing a NEFA application, grant recipients are in effect acknowledging that their programs, services, and facilities are accessible, or a plan to make them accessible is in place and being followed. Funds will not be granted unless applicants are able, if requested, to provide documentation of their compliance efforts.

All grant recipients are expected to complete the Section 504 Self-Evaluation Workbook and submit a copy to NEFA if requested.

Accessibility Resources

National Resources

Arts & Culture Accessibility Self-Assessment from Open Door Arts. This free, comprehensive, fully electronic tool was created specifically to help arts and cultural organizations understand and improve their accessibility.
ADA Compliance and Technical Assistance State Resource Directories
Compiled by the National Arts and Disability Center, directories include listings of organizations and agencies that provide technical assistance regarding ADA and the Arts in each state.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The full text of the ADA statute as well as links to ADA-related resources online.
National Endowment for the Arts' Office of Accessibility
The NEA's Office of Accessibility is the advocacy-technical assistance arm of the Arts Endowment to make the arts accessible for people with disabilities, older adults, veterans, and people living in institutions.
- In recognition of the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 2023, the NEA, in partnership with Art Beyond Sight, launched the Careers in the Arts Toolkit for People with Disabilities, an online resource promoting equity, access, and inclusion for people with disabilities seeking careers in the arts with tailored sections to support artists with disabilities in their career path and those who play a significant role in offering opportunities for training and employment.

Disability Access Symbols

The Graphic Artists Guild provides downloadable Disability Access Symbols to advertise your accessibility to employees, customers, audiences, and anyone else who needs access to your facilities or programs. Examples of places you’ll want to promote your accessibility include: advertisements, websites, newsletters, conference and program brochures, membership forms, building signage, floor plans and maps.

The Accessible Icon Project is an ongoing work of design activism and continues its work as a collaboration among people with disabilities and their allies toward a more accessible world. Download the graphic icon for use in the public domain.

Accessibility Committee

NEFA’s Accessibility Committee serves as a core resource for NEFA, advising on matters pertaining to providing access for people with disabilities and compliance with federal regulations and best practices regarding accessibility and inclusion

Jane Preston, NEFA - Chair
Todd Hanson, JSA Design, Portsmouth, NH
Michael Jordan, Adobe, Newton, MA
Toby MacNutt, Bristol, VT
Elizabeth Shapiro, Office of the Arts, Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, Hartford, CT
Ann Wicks, NEFA