[NFB_of_Georgia] Fwd: FULTON COUNTY ARTS & CULTURE ANNOUNCES PERFORMING ARTS AND DISABILITY STUDY

Sun Sep 26 19:23:03 UTC 2021

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Vanessa Meadows <vmeadows at nfbga.org>
Date: Sun, Sep 26, 2021 at 2:36 PM
Subject: Fwd: FULTON COUNTY ARTS & CULTURE ANNOUNCES PERFORMING ARTS AND
DISABILITY STUDY
To:

More great information.

-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: FULTON COUNTY ARTS & CULTURE ANNOUNCES PERFORMING ARTS AND
DISABILITY STUDY
Date: Thu, 16 Sep 2021 14:12:00 -0400
From: SHOWAbility Inc <showability1 at gmail.com> <showability1 at gmail.com>

Hello!
I am excited to share with you the news release from Fulton County Arts and
Culture about the first-of-its-kind study on accessibility for individuals
with disabilities in utilizing performing arts facilities and assisting in
developing best practices for engaging artists with disabilities in
facilities across Fulton County.

This is a Big Deal Y'ALL.  No other municipality in the country is doing
this type of thing for the disability community.  David Manual (and his
predecessor Lionell Thomas) along with Alex Frankcombe and all of FCAC have
been on board with this from the first hearing of the possibility through
the NEA.  SHOWAbility's County Commissioner Natalie Hall has been
supporting us since Day 1 as she's had to get an earful from me about
accessible stages in Fulton County libraries and other public facilities.
It is my desire that this initiative will be a catalyst to a funding source
being identified that will help all theatres (large and small) in Fulton
County become fully accessible - "from street to seat and front of house to
back of house" to support the largest minority population in the country
and their loving family/friends to enjoy life through arts and
entertainment in the way every human being deserves.  We also hope that
this is a catalyst to talk about Disability being included in the
conversation of Inclusion/DE&I as well as get The Atlanta Press Club and
all media to help us change the stigma narrative of this
hidden-in-plain-view, vibrant and viable dynamic population that has a
disposable income of over $490 billion...but you guys already know that.
I'm just on a roll of excitement!  LOL

Please read below...

All the best,
*Myrna Clayton*
Founder/Executive Director
*SHOWAbility (formerly ABEL 2)*
www.SHOWAbility.org <http://www.showability.org/>
SHOWAbility1 at gmail.com

*FULTON COUNTY ARTS & CULTURE ANNOUNCES PERFORMING ARTS AND DISABILITY
STUDY*

*A County-wide Performing Arts Study for Artists and Audiences with
Disabilities *

The Fulton County Board of Commissioners approved a first-of-its-kind study
on accessibility for individuals with disabilities in utilizing performing
arts facilities and assisting in developing best practices for engaging
artists with disabilities in facilities across Fulton County.

FCAC becomes one of the nation’s first organizations to conduct a study to
assess opportunities for individuals with disabilities to fully utilize
arts facilities in Fulton County as members of the audience, employees, and
performers. Through a $40.000 Art Works Grant, awarded by the National
Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in 2019, the study will develop
recommendations that will impact programming, employment, outline facility
upgrades and renovation plans. Fulton County will match funding through
staff hours, stakeholder volunteer hours, and in-kind donations of venues
and services.

“We are excited at the opportunity to use NEA funding to create a study
which will better equip and strengthen cultural assets in Fulton County for
artists and patrons with disabilities,” said David Manuel, Director, FCAC.
“We look forward to working with the Sizemore Group, and we are very
appreciative of the support of community partner Myrna Clayton, with
SHOWAbility, for her efforts in helping this important initiative move
forward on behalf of Fulton County residents.”

The Fulton County has awarded Fulton County-based design firm, the Sizemore
Group, to lead the study, and FCAC will partner with the Fulton County
Department of Diversity and Civil Rights Compliance (DCRC) to provide
guidance on the development of the study.

“DCRC is thrilled to partner on this project with the Fulton County Arts
Department and advance access to arts public spaces for artist and art
enthusiast alike, said Niger Thomas, Director, DCRC. “We are a dedicated
ally of the disability community, and we know the need to ensure Arts for
all has never been more urgent.”

The grant was conceived by SHOWAbility (formerly known as ABEL 2) executive
director Myrna Clayton. In 2018, ABEL 2 brought its idea to FCAC and
assisted with developing the grant awarded to Fulton County. The group has
continued to work with the Department of Arts & Culture to move the study
towards reality.

Fulton County Arts and Culture (FCAC) is a cultural leader in Fulton County
and the most significant public funder of the arts in Georgia. The FCAC
assists the Fulton County Commission in developing public policy on public
support for the arts industry, makes recommendations to Fulton County
Commissioners on funding the arts, and oversees the development and
implementation of publicly assisted programs that address diverse diversity
cultural needs of Fulton County’s citizenry. Through the work of three
community art centers, the contracts for services , the public art, and
arts education programs,

FCAC strives to better the lives of Fulton County residents.

For more Fulton County news, sign up for the weekly e-newsletter #OneFulton
at https://goo.gl/Nb1L84
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You can also visit Fulton County’s website at http://www.fultoncountyga.gov
or connect with Fulton County government on Twitter at @FultonInfo or
Facebook at @fultoninfo.

www.fultonarts.org
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Fulton County Arts & Culture | 141 Pryor Street, Suite 2030, Atlanta, GA
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-- 
Dorothy Griffin - President
National Federation of the Blind of Georgia
dgriffin at nfbga.org
770-374-4832

The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want;
blindness is not what holds you back.