UP Award Daily Challenges
Can the 2020 UP Award be a catalyst for connection and collaboration in new and distinct ways?
For each day of the 2020 UP Award series we want to challenge our listeners and viewers to move beyond the virtual event and think about Universal Design principles that anticipate human functional limitations.
Please share your responses to any of the following daily challenges below via email . Your responses can be written, performed, sung, danced; inspire our curiosity and embrace the power of practice to transform a song into a dance, a speech into a poem, or a picture into words. We will share select responses as part of our June 5 livestream session.
Day 1 - Wellness Check Close Open June 1: Wellness Check
Determining access in cultural settings often starts with a candid self-assessment. What’s working, what isn’t? And after that assessment, it is important to set a plan to improve.
Breathe in deep to a count of three, and exhale slowly to a count of three. What is your plan for the day? Show us (with a drawing, photo, or song) or tell us (through text, poetry, word cloud) how you maintain health and wellness.
Email your response to charles.baldwin@art.state.ma.us . We will share select responses as part of our June 5 livestream session.
Day 2 - Description Close Open June 2: Description
[caption id="attachment_388237" align="alignleft" width="600"]
Look closely at the image from Open Door Arts. What would you define as essential elements within the image? Are there 3 or 4 words that would illustrate the mood or feeling the image evokes? Can you plainly describe what the image shows us without your feelings about the image?
Including descriptions of photos that are used on your website or within social media is a great way to support people who are using screen readers or magnifiers. Alt-text is descriptive code that responds to screen reading technology. These are simple methods for achieving access in digital environments.
Send us your description of this image. Are there other ways to describe the image through gesture or sound?
Email your response to charles.baldwin@art.state.ma.us . We will share select responses as part of our June 5 livestream session.
Day 3 - Physical/Visual Interpretation Close Open June 3: Physical/Visual Interpretation
Music continually inspires and activates our brains in distinct ways and can often be a bridge to people with neural differences or developmental conditions. Orchestras, choruses, rock bands, and other musical ensembles create access to shared experiences that can be healing, revelatory, and community building.
How do you interpret music? Do you draw while listening to your favorite songs? Does music inspire you to sing along, run a mile, cook a meal, or dance with friends? Draw, sticker, or color how music makes you feel. Interpret the music with a gesture, physical expression, or dance.
Please share how you interpret music. Email your response to charles.baldwin@art.state.ma.us . We will share select responses as part of our June 5 livestream session.
Day 4 - Emotive Response Close Open June 4: Emotive Response
Many organizations expect people with disabilities to divulge personal information with special requests for accommodations or services. However, human variety is quite regular and we should anticipate these variables and provide accommodation services regularly and explicitly. Providing consumer choices will not eliminate specific requests but should be part of an overall access vision that is both responsive and intentional.
How do you communicate needs, wants, emotions? As with the actors, facial expressions can effectively communicate tone and emotion. Sometimes facial expressions can be controlled to hide emotions, protecting your sense of self. And your true face can always be disguised behind a mask. Is there a mask you wear to communicate clearly or to disguise how you are feeling? Can you share the mask that illustrates your magical powers?
Send your words and photos to charles.baldwin@art.state.ma.us . We will share select responses as part of our June 5 livestream session.
For more information on Universal or Inclusive Design, consider some of these Massachusetts resources:
