Accessible Programs & Services for Visitors who are Blind or Low Vision

This session aimed to help cultural organizations think about how to provide or enhance programming for people who are blind or have low vision.

Participants took a closer look at how various types of cultural organizations approach providing verbal and audio descriptions, staff training and additional support materials. Patrons who use these services provided personal stories and the update on the national certification standards being developed for audio description. Hunter Gullickson, Sally Award winner for Arts Access, moderated a discussion of varying approaches and experiences with verbal and audio descriptions alongside Debbi Hegstrom, Lolly Lijewski, Laurie Pape Hadley, and Samantha Smingler.

Couldn’t make it to the in person session in Minneapolis? No problem! 

We understand that it is not always possible to attend sessions in person and want to make it available to all. We encourage you to grab a few colleagues and make it a group viewing party to discuss and share the new ideas with your organization . Use #MNAAwatchparty on social media sharing your watch party!

Archived Recorded Session*

*Please skip to 6 minutes for the beginning of the session.

Session Audio Only

Session Chat Transcript

Image Description:

Event Image: Panoramic image of audience in outside seated in chairs wearing all wearing black outdoors at night with the lights of a city skyline in the background and facing a well illuminated venue with one person in the foreground out of the line of view of the audience who appears to be speaking into a microphone.