Tony Cealy’s Post

🚨 New Policy Brief Release: Enhancing Cultural Accessibility for People with Disabilities The MuseIT Project (Horizon Europe) has just released its first policy brief focusing on cultural accessibility for people with disabilities across the European Union. This analysis identifies key gaps in EU policies and highlights the need for multisensory technologies, sustainable practices, and stronger support for artists with disabilities. Key highlights include: ✅ Limited multisensory integration in cultural policies. ✅ Need for better data collection and monitoring of accessible services. ✅ Greater support for innovative technologies to enhance participation. This is a significant step towards a more inclusive cultural sector. Let’s work together to make culture accessible for everyone. 📖 Read the full policy brief here: https://lnkd.in/epCZD-q2 #AccessibilityMatters #InclusiveCulture #DisabilityRights #CulturalInnovation #EUPolicy #MuseIT IMC - International Music Council #FiveMusicRights

#CAElibrary Interested in cultural mobility for disabled artists and arts professionals? On the Move released its latest publication "Cultural Mobility Flows: The International Mobility of Disabled Artists and Culture Professionals", a report on the latest developments and knowledge on international mobility and disability, including useful policy recommendations. 📖Read more: https://ow.ly/PSi350SH5Ly

The conference "Communicating about culture to people with disabilities", hosted by Lasso vzw in collaboration with RABKO at the Ancienne Belgique in Brussels, was incredibly insightful. We discussed best practices and challenges in communicating cultural venues in a way that promotes a conscious #inclusion and #welcoming policy and demonstrates how everyBODY can participate and have a full and valuable cultural experience. I was also fascinated by a simple, symbolic object: the presence of a ramp to access the stage, set for Xander Berbe's speech.  This simple object sparked a reflection on the deeper need for accessible stages in all our theatres and cultural venues, beyond the contingent need. While I recognise that staffing constraints may limit the availability of an accessibility manager, the presence of a ramp to the stage is crucial. It symbolises a commitment to breaking down barriers for disabled artists and professionals, enabling their full participation.  The ramp is more than a mere access point: by mirroring the lived experiences of disabled audiences, it makes them feel welcome and that their voices and perspectives are represented authentically. The ramp to the stage, as a powerful symbol of inclusion, should not be overlooked.

New publication out! Together with Loukia Chaidemenaki we published a paper on perceptions of accessibility in museums from the perspective of professionals who work with people with intellectual disabilities in Greece. It is open access so do check it out if you are interested in the topic. #museums #accessibility #culturalpolicy #culture https://lnkd.in/erFdkD5c

🌍 Did you know that Italy ranks first globally for cultural influence and heritage according to the several indexes? (https://lnkd.in/dwgJt-gW). Honestly, I didn’t! While I’ve always known about Italy’s global cultural impact, seeing the data brought a sense of pride. Italy’s influence, especially in the arts, is remarkable for a country of its size. 🎶 Opera, Italy’s first cultural export, has transcended time and borders. Although nearly half of the global opera repertoire is still Italian - with Verdi's "La Traviata" leading the way (source: Operabase) - over the past two centuries, other big operatic traditions have emerged, from the German and French to the Russian and American schools. This evolution speaks to the art form’s global reach. Interestingly, while the Italian language and repertoire remain dominant, new operas are rarely written in Italian today. This highlights a shift in contemporary music, where other languages have become more prevalent. Contemporary opera faces its own set of challenges, but that's a discussion for another day. ✨ Last December, UNESCO recognized Italian opera as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Yet, cultural influence isn’t guaranteed. To sustain and evolve, opera - and culture in general - needs active promotion and support. As I reflect on this during my recent studies in Leadership and Humanistic Management, I feel more connected to the cultural legacy we share with the world. It’s time we embrace this heritage and continue to celebrate the immense role that opera plays on the world stage, while also understanding our responsibility to sustain and nurture it for the future. . . . #italianopera #culturalinfluence #culturalambassador #opera #statistics #madeinitaly

To mark International Day of Persons with Disabilities Our 90th Anniversary Oral History with Jo Verrent Director of Unlimited, an organisation that is commissioning extraordinary work from disabled artists that will change and challenge the world is online here: https://lnkd.in/eicpVkRE Also our Time to Act Report is also online here: https://lnkd.in/eXkjschN The Time To Act report provides the transnational evidence that lack of knowledge in the mainstream cultural sector is a key barrier preventing disabled artists and arts professionals participating equally in European culture. Based on a large-scale open survey covering 42 countries, a series of in-depth interviews, and an analysis of existing literature, reports and guidance, Time to Act identifies gaps in knowledge and confidence and asks who should be doing more to support equal access.

New: EU Council unacceptably weakens the rights of passengers with disabilities! EU Member States are planning to erase even the minor improvements that the European Commission propose regarding the rights of passengers with disabilities during negotiations to amend Regulations on air travel and multimodal transport. The original proposal had already failed to meet our demands. The proposed watering down by the EU Council is unacceptable! We call on the Council of the European Union and EU Member States to reverse course as soon as possible and adopt a "General Approach" in the Council that actually upholds the rights of their citizens with disabilities and fulfils their obligations towards the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eXRfKYTX

In today’s world, our special needs population continues to fight for opportunities, provision, equality, independence, contentment, and happiness. Although some progress has been made, their journey is often a long, hard struggle full of overwhelming fear, worry, doubt, and frustration. Those with disabilities and special needs are often forgotten. Made to feel unworthy or useless. A burden. And yet, if effective, stimulating, inclusive, and creative provisions were consistently made available to this demographic, it would improve their quality of life exponentially. That’s far from a burden. It’s an opportunity. A 2015 survey discovered that 44% of the approximate 2,000 adults questioned were unfamiliar with intellectual disabilities (ID). This is somewhat surprising as there are an estimated three-million people in the States with ID. The findings conclude only 56% of those polled say they know someone with ID. Furthermore, only 13% of respondents have a friend with ID and 5% work with someone who has one. These statistics suggest a societal divide for people with intellectual disabilities. Personal relationships seemed to reap greater understanding; participants who knew someone with ID were twice as likely to be inclusive. Millennials with intellectual disabilities, along with their families, friends and advocates, continue with the daily struggle of equality, recognition, effective personalised planning, and innovative opportunities that will grow and develop their unique capabilities. Although society has made some progress regarding innovative and inclusive opportunities for these special people, we still have such a long way to go. Many with ID must consistently negotiate a range of environmental, societal and attitudinal barriers in order to participate in music activities outside formal education (Kaikkonen and O’Neill, 2014; Nilsson, 2014). This suggests that music educators, facilitators, and researchers are well placed to promote openness to diversity by encouraging greater accessibility in various forms. Hairston (2014) claims that students with ID rarely get opportunities to create and produce their own musical performance, while Rickson (2014) recognizes prevailing tendencies within the public domain to view ID musicians as vulnerable and in need of protection from the patronizing attitudes and behaviours of others. With regard to equal opportunities, Akoyunoglou-Christou (et al. 2014) refer to the potential of inclusive music education to develop independent musicians who are able to create and perform music in the same variety of ways as their non-disabled peers. Rickson claims that that the Western view of music-making has led many people to believe that persons with ID do not have the talent, knowledge, skill, expertise, or even the ‘right’ to participate in music programmes. #disability #specialneeds

People with disabilities, including mobility disabilities, belong on the stage. The ADA requires access to goods, services, facilities, and privileges of a covered entity for PWD. An accessible route should be provided from a stage to ancillary areas or facilities used by performers and where a circulation path connects a stage to assembly seating. https://lnkd.in/gKGicDct #Accessibility #ADA

The published version of my paper "Where are the female composers? Human capital and gender inequality in music history" is now available and will appear in the January 2025 issue of the European Economic Review. Many thanks to my amazing co-authors, Karol J. Borowiecki and Martin Hørlyk Kristensen for this rewarding collaboration. Courtesy of an agreement between SDU and Elsevier, the article is open access! Accordingly, feel free to download a copy. 😊 #Culturaleconomics #UVMecon #SDUeconhistory