Arts Access Australia
28 August 2012
This week Arts Access Australia (AAA), the national peak body for arts and disability, revealed their new website. Everyone updates their website from time to time, some new colours and a new layout are nice but we don't usually consider it news. This, however, is interesting for two reasons.
1) Accessibility
As a leader of accessibility in the arts sector, AAA have made extra efforts to ensure that their website is accessible. Mostly you won't notice anything different, they have included accessible versions of downloadable documents, options to change text size, and the navigation is appropriate for people using assistive technologies. You will notice something different - Auslan videos on some of the main pages.
2) Resources.
The website has an impressive resources section with information about the disability sector and related issues, the arts sector and related issues, and of course arts and disability.
URL: www.artsaccessaustralia.org
To guide you through some that may be useful for community music organisations, here are some highlights:
Language and Definitions
Advice on Disability Language - what to say, what not to say, and why. A good summary.
Read more: Advice on Disability Language
What is "Arts and Disability" and how is it different from "Disability Arts" or "Arts and Health"? Find out here:
Disability Action Planning & Inclusive Practise
AAA Disability Action Policy - if you're thinking about what might be included in a Disability Action Policy for your organisation, it's worth having a look through this.
Read more: AAA Disability Action Policy
Access All Areas Disability Action Planning - a report by Arts Victoria
Disability Standards for Premises - information about giving everyone access to buildings. Technical information, perhaps useful for community music organisations with premises
Read more: Disability Standards
There is also a AAA Reconciliation Action Policy, along similar lines to the Disability Action Policy:
Read more: AAA Reconciliation Policy
Advice for Event Staff - some basics about making your event more accessible by having informed people involved in the event. Substitute "staff" for "volunteers", if you like, same principles apply.
Read more: Advice for Event Staff
Creative Ageing
A few articles and reports in this section - Read more about Creative Ageing
Websites & Marketing
World Wide Web Access - information about web accessibility
Accessible Marketing - following on from the disability language advice (above), here is some advice for language, printing and design, websites. and marketing in general.
Read more: Accessible Marketing
Audience Development Advice - this is a wonderful resource probably aimed at artists with a disability, although it reads as good advice for anyone wanting to build an audience in the arts (and let's face it, who doesn't?)
Read more: Audience Development
Other Resources
Raw Law - this is a great resource for anyone needing legal information for the arts. Read more: Raw Law
You can go straight to the Advice Sheets section, or browse the Resources section.
We said it's interesting for two reasons. of course there are other things on the site to have a look at, including opportunities, an artist profiles section, and more. When AAA introduces its E-Learning, we'll remind you to go back and have another look.
