Accessibility Resources
In accordance with the requirements of title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ("ADA"), the South Dakota Arts Council will not discriminate against individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in its services, programs, or activities. As a of recipient of Federal funding, we execute our work, and require any contractors, successors, transferees, and assignees to comply with applicable provisions of national laws and policies prohibiting discrimination, including but not limited to: Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, The Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
The Council requires all grantees to also integrate access into all facets and activities of an organization, from day to day operations to long range goals and objectives. Access accommodations and services should be given a high priority and funds should be available for these services. All organizations are legally required to provide reasonable and necessary accommodations for staff and visitors with disabilities.
To accommodate the needs of all people, SDAC printed materials will, upon request, be made available in alternative non-print forms. Please allow up to six weeks for requests to be filled.
Text Telephone Services using a TTY
Dial 7-1-1 or 800-877-1113
Kate Vandel is the SDAC accessibility coordinator. She can assist you with questions regarding the arts and accessibility, or she will refer you to others who can help. Contact her at Kathryn.Vandel@state.sd.us or 605-773-5925 or through the South Dakota Relay Services 711 or 1-800-877-1113. [More information on TTY linked here].
Notice is further given to individuals with disabilities that [public hearing/public meeting/board meeting] is being held in a physically accessible place. Any individuals with disabilities who will require a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the [public hearing/public meeting/board meeting] should submit a request to Kate Vandel at 605-773-5925 or 1-800-877-1113 (Telecommunication Relay Services for the Deaf). Please request the accommodations no later than 2 weeks prior to the meeting in order to ensure accommodations are available.
RESOURCES - State
The South Dakota Department of Human Services (DHS) offers many supports and services for people with disabilities and their families. [DHS services linked here]
The South Dakota Department of Human Services (DHS) offers services to help businesses hire and retain people with disabilities. If you are interested in hiring people with disabilities or learning how to support a person with a disability in your workplace, visit the DHS website [linked here].
The Center for Disabilities at the University of South Dakota has informational guides developed to assist and inform people regarding services and resources in South Dakota [information and resources website linked here]. USD's team of experts offers training, technical assistance, research and educational resources to help people with disabilities, families, health care professionals and educators [Programs and Services website linked here].
Accessibility in the Arts Webinar Series: In 2023, the South Dakota Arts Council partnered with Arts South Dakota to host a series of webinars on accessibility. Visit Arts South Dakota's website for this series and other webinars [linked here]. Thank you to Arts Midwest for sponsoring this series.
RESOURCES - Regional
Arts Midwest's Accessibility Center holds resources designed to help arts and cultural organizations in making programming, services, and communications more accessible. [Website linked here]
The Rocky Mountain ADA Center (RMADAC) provides information, guidance, and training on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) tailored to meet the needs of individuals and organizations in our region. Through these efforts, RMADAC helps individuals, institutions, and businesses understand their rights and responsibilities under the ADA, and supports full implementation of the ADA.Contact the RMADAC with any assistance you may need concerning the Americans with Disabilities Act and let our staff help you get the information, guidance, or training you need.
[Website linked here].
RESOURCES - National
An integral part of the Kennedy Center’s Access/VSA International Network, the Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability (LEAD) program advances the full inclusion of people with disabilities in arts and culture. LEAD provides an opportunity for professionals in the field to develop best practices and resources; engage in conversations with colleagues and experts from around the world; and learn practical methods for designing inclusive arts experiences and environments. [Website linked here]
The National Endowment for the Arts is committed to ensuring that everyone has access to the arts, including people with disabilities, and works to assist individuals and organizations in making their programs and facilities accessible and inclusive for people with disabilities and assist individuals with disabilities in connecting them with resources for access to the arts.
The Arts Endowment’s Office of Accessibility is the advocacy-technical assistance arm of the Arts Endowment to make the arts accessible for people with disabilities, older adults, veterans, and people living in institutions. Office of Accessibility website [linked here]. The Arts Endowment’s Office of Accessibility provides accessibility publications, checklists, & resources [linked here].
Design for Accessibility: A Cultural Administrator’s Handbook is a publication created to help cultural facilities and programs understand accessibility and how to work toward being inclusive. An electronic version is available for download online [website linked here] [PDF download linked here].
RESOURCES - Web accessibility
World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) develops strategies, guidelines, and resources to help make the Web accessible to people with disabilities.
WebAIM Website Accessibility
WebAIM (Web Accessibility In Mind) has provided comprehensive web accessibility solutions since 1999. These years of experience have made WebAIM one of the leading providers of web accessibility expertise internationally.
Webaim WAVE Accessibility Tool
Assess your website with the WAVE Accessibility Tool