Cultural Access Collaborative
Who We Are:
Mission
Our mission is to empower Illinois’ cultural spaces to become more accessible to visitors with disabilities.
What We Do
Cultural Access Collaborative, formerly Chicago Cultural Accessibility Consortium, facilitates a dynamic community of cultural administrators and people with disabilities to remove barriers in Illinois’ cultural organizations. We are volunteer run.
We represent theaters, museums, orchestras, park centers, zoos, and other cultural organizations across the state of Illinois. Cultural Access Collab shares resources, information and support to ensure more accessible and inclusive experiences for guests, collaborators, and employees with disabilities.
How We Do It
We provide free opportunities to cultural organizations and visitors with disabilities:
Professional development workshops and resources.
An Access Calendar to promote your accessible programs.
Equipment loans to Chicago-area cultural spaces.
Community building across Illinois and beyond.
LEAD Share Out 2025
Where are you going? Where have you been?: Accessibility Self-Assessment in Your Organization
Sensory Friendly Program Roadmap
Director of Artistic Sign Language: How to DASL Your Audience
LEAD Share Out 2024
Creating Accessible Cultural Spaces
Service Dogs Welcome: Hosting Guests with Working Animals
Loud and Proud: Maximizing Your Accessibility Info for Guests
LEAD Conference Share Out 2023
"Nothing About Us Without Us": Meaningful Collaboration with the Disability Community
Open Book Conversation: Alice Wong's "Year of the Tiger: An Activist's Life"
Lunch and Learn: Ask About Alt Text
LEAD Conference Share Out 2022
Accessible Services Providers Series: BIPOC Providers, part 1: ASL Interpreters
Accessible Services Providers Series: BIPOC Providers, part 2: Audio Describers
Cultural Communities Advancing Disability Rights
Lunch and Learn: Aesthetics and Accessibility
How-to: Equipment Loan Program
Open Book Conversation: Emily Ladau's "Demystifying Disability"
Access 101: Part 1, Intro to Disability and Accessibility
Access 101: Part 2, Individual Perspectives
CCAC's Impact
Audio Description for Virtual Events, ICAN Accessibility Shorts
Captions for Zoom and YouTube Live, ICAN Accessibility Shorts
Accessibility Compliance for Grantees
Accessibility for Virtual Programs: A Technical Step by Step
ASL Interpreters and Zoom, ICAN Accessibility Shorts
Support Roles for Virtual Events, ICAN Accessibility Shorts
DAY TWO: Future. Adapting and Advancing: Cultural Accessibility During the Pandemic and Beyond
DAY ONE: Present. Adapting and Advancing: Cultural Accessibility During the Pandemic and Beyond.