Cultural Facilities – Open Doors Organization

Access to museums, theaters, the performing arts and other cultural facilities is important to people with disabilities of all ages as well as to older adults who also may need physical and sensory accommodations. As the program at the Museum of Modern Art has shown, even individuals with Alzheimer’s can benefit greatly from exposure to art.

Open Doors Organization (ODO) is an active proponent of access to the arts and is a founding member and sponsor of Bodies of Work, a Chicago disability arts organization. For many years, ODO has worked closely with the Chicago Children’s Museum, providing staff training as well as assistance with ADA compliance and development of inclusive programming.

A major portion of each ODO Easy Access guide is devoted to the accessible programs and facilities offered by the city or area’s cultural facilities. The information is gathered by onsite inspection, which means that ODO staff have audited more than 100 theaters, museums, performing arts spaces and art galleries in Chicago and another 40 in Springfield, IL. During each visit, recommendations are made to fine tune accessibility and further improve the experience for patrons with disabilities.

In 2009-2010, under a grant from the Chicago Community Trust, Open Doors Organization offered an Inclusive Arts and Culture Program (IACP) aimed at improving accessibility and outreach in its home city. More than forty cultural facilities participated in the program’s five workshops, held at such institutions as the Victory Biograph Theatre, the Notebaert Nature Museum and the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. Participants could also request an ODO accessibility audit and possible inclusion in Easy Access Chicago. Among the guest speakers were Jay Cardinali of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts and Betty Siegel, director of accessibility at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. To learn more, see the Inclusive Arts and Culture Program Invitation.

Open Doors Organization is a founding member of Chicago Cultural Accessiblity Consortium (CCAC), a volunteer-run group that provides monthly professional development workshops for cultural administrators.