This week, we’re focusing on resources to help member orchestras and ensembles ensure that their programming and services are accessible to all! And it’s not just a nice idea: by January 1, 2012, all Ontario businesses and not for profit organizations with at least one employee will need to meet new provincial standards for making their services accessible to Ontarians with disabilities. And if you’re outside Ontario, it’s still worth thinking about and acting on.

1. Access Ontario has developed a host of materials to help organizations meet the new standard, including free on-line tools, webcasts and information breakfasts in communities across the province. You can find out more about these at ontario.ca.

2. The most recent issue of ArtsInsights (the monthly newsletter of the Arts Consulting Group) focuses on ways that arts organizations can evolve to better engage with individuals with disabilities. You can find the newsletter here: artsconsulting.com.

3. VSA Arts, an international organization that focuses on improving access to the arts, has a great guide entitled Arts Access Made Easy. You can find it here:
vsarts.org.

4. Creative New Zealand, the New Zealand federal funding agency, has published a very helpful guide entitled Arts For All, which incorporates examples of creative accommodation from arts organizations large and small. You can find it here: creativenz.govt.nz.