Education
Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability

LEAD Awards Information - Excellence in Accessibility Leadership

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• History and Purpose
• Past Recipients
• Nominations

History and Purpose

In 2004, with support from the Christopher Reeve Foundation, the Kennedy Center’s LEAD network created two annual awards to recognize outstanding individuals and institutions whose leadership and work furthers the field of accessibility.  LEAD’s specific goal in granting these awards is to increase awareness and focus on the importance of accessibility in artistic venues and cultural institutions.

The LEAD awards are unique in that they recognize a full body of work and concentrate on addressing the needs of the disability community as a whole.  Recipients are selected for having sustained accessibility efforts over a significant period of time, demonstrating either an individual or institutional commitment to the inclusion of all people with disabilities.  This pertains not only to incorporating accessibility into organizational programs, projects, and environments, but also to including employees, artists, and performers with disabilities.  Other factors considered in selecting award winners are the breadth of impact – local, regional, and national – of an individual or organization’s work and how the person or entity has served as a role-model or leader within the cultural community and beyond the arts in areas such as business, social service, and government.

Past Recipients of The Kennedy Center Awards for Excellence in Accessibility Leadership

2007

• Elly Rubin for pioneering a comprehensive approach to the inclusion of people with disabilities in the field of museum accessibility:
• Hannah Goodwin for steadfast expansion of access and inclusive practices in museums for people with disabilities and older adults; and
• The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts for exemplary leadership and abiding commitment to the inclusion of people with disabilities in the cultural arts

2006

• Theatre Development Fund’s Theatre Access Project for sustained efforts to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in theater audiences in both the for-profit and non-profit theater communities
• Special Recognition: Paula Terry on behalf of the National Endowment for the Arts for outstanding efforts to encourage the national arts community to be accessible to people with disabilities

2005

• Mickey McVey for her steadfast advocacy in the creation of accessible cultural programs and facilities for people with disabilities in the Arvada community
• Wheelock Family Theatre for exemplary leadership in the inclusion of people with disabilities in the performing arts.

2004

• John McEwen for dedication and pioneering efforts in the field of cultural accessibility for people with disabilities
• The Smithsonian Institution Accessibility Program for dedication and leadership in providing access for museum visitors and staff with disabilities, creating museum accessibility guidelines that are in use around the world, and establishing a model of institutional change through its policy, guidelines, and practices.

Nominations

Individuals who have attended a LEAD Conference for ADA/504 Coordinators in the Cultural Arts within the past four years are eligible to nominate arts organizations/institutions or individuals for the LEAD Awards.

To submit a nomination, please send your name and contact information, the nominee’s contact information, and a written statement (500 words or less) that describes how long and in what way the individual or organization/institution has been a leader in the field of accessible cultural arts, made important contributions to the field, and made an impact on a local, regional, or national level.

Nominations may be submitted electronically to access@kennedy-center.org or mailed to:

Nominations are accepted year-round and will be reviewed by committee.  Recipients are selected in March.

For more information on the LEAD awards, please contact the Kennedy Center’s Accessibility Program at (202) 416-8727 (voice), (202) 416-8728 (TTY), or access@kennedy-center.org.