TAKE ACTION: ENDORSE THE ACE ACT
Features speakers at the 2023 ACE Act press conference at Community Access to the Arts in Great Barrington. Speakers include lead House sponsor Rep. Dan Donahue at a podium on the center right and lead Senate sponsor Sen. Paul Mark on the far right. Triangles in the bottom right are decorative.
66% OF CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS IN MASSACHUSETTS DON’T HAVE THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO BE FULLY ACCESSIBLE TO MEMBERS OF THE DISABILITIES COMMUNITY.
1 in 4 adults and nearly 1 in 2 adults ages 65+ have a disability in the U.S. (CDC, 2018). As of 2019, 11.5% of Massachusetts residents identifies as having a disability (Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, 2021). In 2022 and 2024, Open Door Arts and the Mass Cultural Council commissioned two studies surveying people with disabilities, including artists and cultural workers, and cultural organizations to gain insights on the state of accessibility in the creative sector in Massachusetts. Their reports reveal that the disabilities community continues to experience significant attitudinal, physical, and programmatic barriers preventing them from fully participating in arts and culture experiences.
66% of cultural organizations cited a lack of funding as the #1 barrier preventing them from becoming more accessible and inclusive. 31% of individuals reported difficulties navigating physical spaces. 65% of organizations that applied for Cultural Facilities Funding between 2023-2024 reported they had accessibility-related projects scheduled for the next two to three years. The total amount of funding needed just for capital projects in 2024 across all projects was $1.33 billion.
People with disabilities have the right to fully participate in and experience the creative economy as patrons, employees, artists, and community members. The ACE Act is one tool for improving access and inclusion.
WHAT THE ACE ACT WOULD DO.
The ACE Act would create a grant program so that arts, culture, humanities, and interpretive science organizations will have access to additional resources to make their programs and facilities more accessible to people with disabilities. Examples of eligible funding programs would include:
Training or comprehensive support for creative for-profit, non-profit and public organizations;
Individualized consulting services related to improving accessibility that are created and led by members of the disabilities community;
Capital improvements specifically dedicated to improving access or removing barriers encountered by persons with disabilities. This may include the addition of ramps, elevators, power lifts and limited use/limited application elevators (LULAs), signage, Assistive Listening Systems, curb cuts or any other features that are designed to improve architectural access or programmatic access;
The ACE Act would be funded through a small percentage of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services budget and would establish a commission to determine grant criteria and administer the fund through the Massachusetts Office on Disability. The commission would be made up of a majority of individuals with disabilities and experienced disabilities advocates, including representatives from the Office on Disability, Open Door Arts, and the Disability Law Center.
ENDORSE THE ACE ACT AND JOIN THE COALITION
The MASSCreative Action Network is building a coalition of artists, cultural organizations, creative businesses, and cross-sector allies to advocate for this necessary bill. We know that united advocacy works and we invite you to join our coalition today.
By endorsing the ACE Act, you are sending a public message to your community and elected officials that you believe that everyone should have complete access to participate in the creative economy. The more endorsers we have, the stronger our signal is to legislators that this bill has broad, statewide support. You can sign on as an individual, cultural organization, or both!
Question: Can my 501(c)(3) nonprofit endorse legislation without jeopardizing our tax-exempt status?
Answer: Yes! Check out our guide for nonprofits to learn more.
As an endorser, we will ask you to support the ACE Act in the following ways:
Endorsers give the MASSCreative Action Network permission to include their name on our website, in public testimony, and with legislators.
We encourage endorsers to testify in support of the bill at public committee hearings and submit written testimony in support of the legislation.
Work to engage more state and local lawmakers to support the bill through email, phone calls, and other outreach.
Share news, calls to action, and other advocacy efforts via social media and communication platforms.
Share your feedback on ways to strengthen the legislation.
Complete the individual or organization endorsement forms below to join the coalition today.
ENDORSE AS AN INDIVIDUAL:
ENDORSE AS AN ORGANIZATION:
