In this ½ day session, participants will have the opportunity to understand the need for and how to develop a comprehensive ADA/Accessibility plan.  Accessibility begins with policies and organizational buy-in from every department – from the Board of Directors to the house staff and ushers.  Without a comprehensive plan, true accessibility is disjointed and difficult to achieve. This session will ask participants to look at each department of their organization and how those departments impact the access efforts of the organization.  Sample plans will be provided, these will serve as framework and outline for developing a comprehensive plan.

Overview of the session:

• A brief introduction of disability from a multi-cultural perspective – including a discussion of the models of disability, disability etiquette and language.
• Provide participants with sample plans and assessment tools that provide guidance in the development of an accessibility plan.
• Review best practices for design of organizational policies i.e. staff and volunteer training, grievance procedures, ticket policies, non-discrimination, emergency evacuation and diversity policies.
• Review how various departments need to be an integral part in the overall ADA plan – including programming, marketing, facilities, and development.
• Budgeting – how to develop an accessibility budget –an essential component of your ADA plan.
• Implementation – how to go about implementing the various stages of the plan

The wrap up will allow participants to discuss issues, ask questions, and look at next step scenarios.  The overall goal is to have participants understand the need for a plan and leave with a framework to bring back to their organizations to design their own plans.  We want participants to understand that the development of an ADA Plan will serve as a roadmap for the organization as they advance their access goals and objectives.  Organizations will see that by having a plan in place, implementation of access goals are not overwhelming and many action items are readily achievable.