Mass Cultural Council Accessibility
Mass Cultural Council is committed to accessibility. Our ADA Coordinator for external requests for assistance is Charles G. Baldwin, Program Officer for the Universal Participation Initiative. You can contact program staff using the Mass Cultural Council staff list.
Request Accommodation for Mass Cultural Council Programs, Services, and Events
Mass Cultural Council is happy to offer translation, interpretation, alternative formats, and other services individuals may need to participate fully in Agency programs, services, and events. Contact Cheyenne Cohn-Postell to request accommodations.
To ensure your request is fulfilled, please submit requests for accommodations at least two weeks prior to any Mass Cultural Council event or grant deadline.
As a matter of practice, Mass Cultural Council provides live captioning when hosting virtual events with 50 or more registered attendees, and proactively requests the services of American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters when hosting virtual events with 100 or more registered attendees.
Requesting Translation Services
Mass Cultural Council’s website, including all program guidelines, has the option of auto-translation for every page. Mass Cultural Council is happy to translate grant applications into the following languages:
Upon request of language translation, we will notify a third-party service Mass Cultural Council has on contract. We would then email the translated application to the person requesting translation. That person would then answer the application questions in their native language, and email them back to Mass Cultural Council before the application deadline. Lastly, Mass Cultural Council would have the translation service put the submitted application into English so it could be data entered and reviewed by panelists.
Fulfilling a language translation takes 7-10 business days. In order to ensure we can successfully meet the request, please make your request two weeks or more before the deadline.
Send language translation requests to Cheyenne Cohn-Postell.
Accessibility Requirements for the Mass Cultural Council and its Grantees
Mass Cultural Council and its grantees are contractually committed to abide by state and federal regulations which bar discrimination on the basis of race, gender, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, age, gender identity, or sexual orientation, and which require accessibility for persons with disabilities. Mass Cultural Council and its grantees are expected to be in compliance with:
Mass Cultural Council’s grantees sign a contract certifying that they will comply with ADA and Section 504. Mass Cultural Council aims to help grantees understand their obligations and recognize the opportunities that increasing access can provide for both the public and the grantee.
Compliance Tools for Grantees
A helpful tool to ensure compliance with ADA and Section 504 requirements is the National Endowment for the Arts’ (NEA) Accessibility Planning and Resource Guide for Cultural Administrators. The guide is designed to help organizations not only comply with ADA and Section 504 but to assist in making access an integral part of planning, mission, programs, outreach, meetings, budget, and staffing.
The NEA also provides forms designed to assist organizations in performing on-site evaluations of their organization’s policies, programs, services, and facilities.
Provide Feedback
Mass Cultural Council’s goal is to respond to suggestions for improvement in a responsive, interactive, and informal manner in order to provide the highest level of service to all our constituents. We welcome and appreciate your feedback.
You may provide feedback by contacting Mass Cultural Council staff, or using Mass Cultural Council’s Access Feedback Form. The ADA Coordinator is Charles G. Baldwin.
Grievance Procedures
If a program or service is inaccessible to persons with a disability or is illegally discriminatory and you want to file a grievance we have a formal process for doing so.
If possible, please file your grievance within thirty days after the action has occurred. In extenuating circumstances, Mass Cultural Council may extend the 30-day requirement and allow more time. If you need assistance in filing a grievance, you may delegate another person to file the complaint for you, or ask for assistance from Mass Cultural Council staff. The individual filing a grievance can expect a response from Mass Cultural Council no later than thirty days after receipt of the grievance.
For programs or services provided by the Mass Cultural Council
Complaints should be limited to the facilities of the Mass Cultural Council, public meetings conducted by the Mass Cultural Council, and programs and services operated by the Mass Cultural Council.
For programs or services that are not provided by, but are funded by the Mass Cultural Council
Mass Cultural Council will first work with you to understand the situation and then provide assistance as appropriate. Issues and concerns raised with Mass Cultural Council will be handled on a case-by-case basis. At any point in the process, you may choose to file a grievance with Mass Cultural Council using our Grievance Form
Funding. Mass Cultural Council offers several funding opportunities to provide support for organizations that are seeking to improve facility or programmatic accessibility:
Cultural Facilities Fund
The Fund provides Capital Grants to promote the acquisition, design, repair, rehabilitation renovation, expansion, or construction of nonprofit cultural facilities in Massachusetts. Funds are available for the repair, rehabilitation, or renovation of existing facilities including efforts to improve physical accessibility. Funds are also available to support pre-implementation planning efforts such as accessibility assessments.
Cultural Investment Portfolio
Those organizations already receiving Portfolio or Gateway funding may choose to put the unrestricted funds towards universal design or accessibility initiatives. Organizations that are not already receiving Portfolio or Gateway funding may be eligible to apply for Projects grants which provides project-based grants. An organization could choose to apply for a Projects grant for an accessibility-focused project such as producing an autism-friendly performance, or other projects meant to welcome and engage audiences in a new way.
Other Resources. The following resources are meant to provide general information, help grantees comply with accessibility laws, raise awareness, and improve overall customer service.
NATIONAL
National Endowment for the Arts, Accessibility Office
Institute for Human Centered Design (IHCD)
Americans with Disabilities Act Website
NEW ENGLAND
MASSACHUSETTS
The Massachusetts Office for Disability
The Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing
The Massachusetts Commission for the Blind
The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination
