Evaluation of the ADA Cultural Access Grants, 2008-2010

Submitted to VSA arts of Massachusetts

by Jennifer Sullivan Sulewski, John Kramer, and Kathryn Henry

Institute for Community Inclusion

January 12, 2010

Each year, with support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, VSA arts of Massachusetts offers small grants to arts and cultural organizations to “create opportunities… to engage artists, humanists and interpretive scientists with disabilities in the creative work of the organizations. Programs are intended to be accessible and to reflect Universal Design principles.” Grants are offered to “organizations proposing innovative ways to include artists with disabilities and to attract audiences including people with disabilities.”

This document is a report of findings from an evaluation of the ADA Cultural Access Grants program conducted by the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI). The goal of this evaluation was to document the outcomes of the ADA Cultural Access Grants over the 2008-09 and 2009-10 program years.

Method

ICI’s evaluation involved two major data collection activities: (1) a review of documentation provided by VSA arts (primarily the proposals submitted by the grantees) and (2) a series of telephone interviews with grantees to gather further information on their experiences with the grant program, outcomes of the grant not captured in any previous reporting, and suggestions for modifications to the program.

Application Review

VSA arts awarded ten grants in 2008-09 and seven in 2009-2010. VSA arts provided ICI with copies of the 17 winning application packages. Each application package was reviewed for key information, including what organizations were involved, what activities were undertaken, what populations were targeted, and the primary role undertaken by people with disabilities. A 1-2 page summary was created for each application package and from these summaries a collective summary of the grant program over the two years was developed.

Interviews of Grantees

Since some organizations received the grant in both years, the 17 grants awarded had gone to a total of 15 organizations. Using the contact information provided by VSA arts, ICI researchers attempted to contact the named representative of each of these organizations. In December 2009 all grantees were contacted by e-mail to introduce the project. Between December 2009 and January 2010, thirteen interviews, representing twelve organizations, were completed by telephone (at one organization, two people were interviewed). The other three organizations could not be reached despite repeated attempts to call them.

Each interview was conducted by telephone and lasted approximately 15 minutes. An interview protocol was used and covered the following topics: 1) overall reaction to the grant program, 2) what was most helpful, 3) what could be done better, 4) if and how many artists with disabilities the organization hired using the grant and/or since the grant, 5) if and how the grant was used to increase access to cultural events or art exhibits, 6) if the grant was used to leverage additional funding from other sources, and 7) if the grant led to any changes for the organization as a whole. The interviewers took detailed notes. The notes were then used to create topical summaries of the interview findings.

Findings

Application Review

The review of applications revealed that grantees proposed a wide variety of activities using the grant funds. A summary by grantee organization is provided in Table 1.

Seven of the 15 grantees proposed using the funds for performance arts activities, including theater and music events. Four conducted mixed media activities, two focused on film, two on television, and two on visual arts or photography.

Most programs (9/15) involved people with disabilities as learners in workshops, classes, or other settings. Seven involved people with disabilities as performers and/or artists and four included educators or lecturers with disabilities. Seven engaged in activities related to making arts or culture more accessible to people with disabilities as audience members.

Six grantees primarily emphasized Deaf or hard of hearing participants, three focused on people with developmental disabilities, and two focused on blind or visually impaired populations. Two programs were aimed at people with and without disabilities and one was for children with disabilities and their families.

Interviews of grantees

Generally speaking, the grantees had very positive feedback regarding how important the grant was in furthering access to the arts for artists and aspiring artists with disabilities. What follows is a point-by-point summary of the responses of the grantees who were interviewed.

1. Most (11/12) reporting grantees felt that the grant was very helpful to their organizations in supporting innovative projects they may not have otherwise undertaken.

Three grantees cited that the grant was small, but helpful. One of those grantees specifically noted that the size of the grant, while it could always be more, was “big enough that you can do something” innovative. Aside from the obvious financial support gained by receiving the grant, grantees generally cited the important role that the grant had in implementing new pilot programs and also noted the success of their VSA arts sponsored event. For instance, one grantee mentioned that it helped his/her organization to start a pilot program for artists that continued in part after the end of the grant while another one mentioned that the program that was supported by VSA arts served as an “impetus” to create an art series targeted towards people with disabilities. Another grantee cited that the grant was instrumental in supporting their organization to proceed with new, “innovative and provocative” programs for artists with disabilities. Another grantee mentioned that the event the organization put on with VSA arts funding brought the “largest number of people ever for an art exhibition for us.” For another organization, the VSA arts grant provided students with disabilities a “new way to see the arts.” Another grantee noted that the organization “could not have done it without the VSA [arts grant].”

Grantees also spoke about the broader impacts their VSA arts – sponsored events had on the community. For instance, one organization got more people from the community into their event than they had anticipated.  Another respondent said that the event the organization put on with the VSA arts grant helped community members to “see the diversity of the contributions of people with disabilities” to art. In other words, it contributed to changing the perceptions of people with disabilities in the community. She continued,

One of the other things that is essential to this grant- moving into the realm of actors with different abilities- [was to] help present a different framework that these artists have access to something that is very unique- not a disability- [but] a unique ability. It allows presenters who want to move that concept out into the community.

Another grantee said that the networking with community members also led to “exponential” connections through their VSA arts-sponsored event.

2. A majority of grantees (7/12) report having used the grant to support professional artists with disabilities.

While no grantees hired a person with a disability as a result of the VSA arts grants program, many grantees used their funding to support professional artists to do an in-service or as a kickoff to a wider arts event. This contract work was often used in conjunction with the grantee developing its own program targeted towards artists with disabilities. For instance, one grantee said the organization hired an artist for “the very first session and also a planning session” that kicked off the program. Another said the organization used its grant funding to support a whole cast and crew of people with disabilities for a one-time TV show. Another grantee hired a professional theater company comprised of only people with disabilities.

3. Most grantees used the funds to increase access to cultural events

A majority (8/12) of the grantees surveyed specifically said that part of their grant went to increasing access of people with disabilities to cultural exhibits and events. One grantee used the grant money specifically to “underwrite access costs.” Others took a broader definition of “access;” for example, one grantee described putting a television program up on YouTube and Twitter and getting a spot on the NBC Nightly News. For this group, increasing access was about “creating and sustaining an audience that is passionate about disability arts.”

4. A few grantees leveraged the grant to bring in more funding.

Three grantees specifically stated that they used part of their funding to leverage additional funding. Two had secured additional funding to supplement their events and the other had identified and was actively pursuing additional funding. One of the grantees specifically said that her organization used the VSA arts grant to hire a professional artist with a disability to do a training, but then used another funding stream to support that artist in doing a performance on the same day as the training. One grantee offered the following: “We always use money to get money from other sources - for instance, the NEA - [Being funded by VSA arts] was a good endorsement [and]made fundraising easier- gave [the project] more legitimacy”. Another echoed this idea, stating, “Yes, when I do this program, I don't rely on one source [to] fund the whole thing. I cobble the pieces together to do the whole thing.”

5. Grantees became more aware of accessibility in the arts as a result of the grant.

A few grantees cited that their experience with the grant and the programs funded by it led to lasting organizational changes. For instance, one organization had changed the word “handicapped” to “accessible” in its internal documents. Another organization had become more aware of how to support people with intellectual disabilities. Yet another interviewee cited that she had an “epiphany” that her organization should build accessibility into all its events and became more “creative” about providing access.

One of the more positive examples was that a grantee worked with an arts foundation to improve guidelines for participation of students with disabilities. According to the interviewee, the organization’s involvement with the VSA arts grant has helped “change the way [the organization facilitates] the competition.” They made the decision that they would involve kids with disabilities directly in the competition and hope to expand it in the next year.

Even organizations that already were well versed in access felt that they improved their access efforts through the VSA arts grant. For instance, one responded indicated that her organization was “all about access,” but that “dealing with VSA [arts] makes us raise our standards.”

6. The VSA arts staff was helpful.

Several grantees (5/12) specifically noted that the VSA arts staff was very helpful and responsive in fielding questions about the grant application itself. Grantees noted that the VSA arts staff were “easy to work with,” “fantastic” and that staff were “available and…will clarify [any questions].”

7. The grant application process itself was easy for most grantees, could be improved for some.

Most grantees (8/12) either felt that the forms and application for the grant were “fine” and were not burdensome to fill out or did not comment on the application process.

A few grantees (4/12) suggested that the grant application process could be made more clear and simple. For instance, one grantee indicated that he/she felt the level of detail needed on the grant application was not commensurate with the amount of funding available through the grants. This perspective was not, however, unanimous across grantees. Another grantee specifically said that he/she appreciated the timeline and administration of the grant. She said that she did not have to wait long to hear about the grant status and that paperwork was processed in a timely manner. Another grantee concurred that “the timeline is workable.”

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