Statewide Forums Promoting Access to Arts Careers for People with Diabilities Planned Throughout November

University of Hawaiʻi
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Posted: Nov 5, 2003

The University of Hawai'i Center on Disability Studies will host a series of public discussions promoting arts access and career opportunities for people with disabilities throughout November at different locations across the state.

Entitled "Artists Mean Business," the forums will assemble artists and others with and without disabilities at various locations with professionals in the arts and business industry to discuss the kinds of assistance available for the development of creative employment, arts education, business, and marketing plans.

Forums are scheduled as follows:
· November 7: Honolulu Hale, 530 S. King Street, 3 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
· November 14: Lanaʻi High School, Lanaʻi City, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
· November 22: Maui CC Campus Center, Kahului, 1:00 p.m.-3 p.m.

Forums were also held earlier this year in Waikiki, Hilo and Kauai. Forum participants will discuss the importance of education, transition, retention and community supports to sustain employment, and reflect on the day-to-day life in the workplace for employees with disabilities and how to educate employers on their roles. The overall purpose of the forums is to assess the education and career needs and barriers for artists and arts administrators with disabilities, and to further develop and implement strategies to overcome barriers and advance careers.

The forums are funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Arts and Disability Center, VSA arts in Washington, D.C., and the Social Security Administration. Locally, the forums are sponsored by the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, the Hawai'i Consortium for the Arts, Kamehameha Schools, the DOH Developmental Disabilities Division, University of Hawai'i National Technical Assistance Center for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders with Disabilities and VSA arts of Hawai'i-Pacific.