Five Reasons Disability Inclusion in The Arts Is Essential

By Dr. Rhoda Bernard, EdD

THE ARTS PROVIDE US WITH SO MANY WAYS TO LOOK AT THE WORLD, TO EXPERIENCE SOMETHING TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY, TO ESCAPE THE DAY-TO-DAY ACTIVITIES OF OUR LIVES, AND TO GROW AS INDIVIDUALS AND AS A SOCIETY. UNFORTUNATELY, IT IS OFTEN THE CASE THAT DISABLED PEOPLE ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE ARTS AND DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO SUCH EXPERIENCES.

There are many reasons for this situation. It might be because an arts venue is not accessible or because accessibility supports, like audio description, sign language interpretation, and CART captioning, are not provided. Or it might be that people with disabilities are not represented in the arts. They might not be considered in casting decisions, or their work might not be eligible for exhibitions.

At the Berklee Institute for Accessible Arts Education (BIAAE), we believe the arts better the lives of everyone. We are a catalyst for the inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of visual and performing arts and arts education. In this article, I would like to share five reasons why inclusion in the arts matters.

1. Engaging in the arts is a basic human right

Human beings are the only living creatures that create and share art. The arts are one of the activities that make us uniquely human. The opportunity to engage in the arts, be it through art making, as a viewer of art, or as an audience member, is a basic human right for every person on our planet. It is critical all human beings can exercise this right by taking part in the arts and related experiences.

2. The arts provide unique avenues for self-expression

Through the arts, people can express themselves in unique ways. They can use pictures, gestures, symbols, sounds, movement, and more to communicate what they would like to say. The arts give people a unique voice—one that can often say more than words alone. Many people feel more comfortable expressing themselves through the arts than through words. It is essential all people have the opportunity to engage in self-expression through the arts.

3. The arts provide unique opportunities to experience emotions

Humans are emotional beings, and emotions are a significant part of our lives. The arts often provide new contexts for experiencing emotions. Emotional experiences through the arts often take place without words and sometimes occur without conversations or direct interactions. Sometimes it can be safer for people to experience emotions through the arts than in other contexts. Denying people artistic experiences limits the ways they can experience emotions.

4. The arts are powerful ways of knowing

There are certain ways of knowing that the arts provide that cannot be found elsewhere. The process of creating a painting or collage opens aspects of knowing through visual creation.

Knowing through shared musical creation takes place when people make music together. Through these and other artistic ways of knowing, people learn about themselves, each other, their world, and their culture. The ways of knowing people experience through the arts are important sources of unique knowledge that must be a part of all people’s lives.

5. The arts are unique venues to learn, grow, and succeed

The arts provide people with opportunities to succeed. For many individuals, the arts are the context where they are able to be their best and learn the most. Many experience their greatest joy in making and engaging with art of various kinds.

Some people who find other areas of their lives challenging truly shine in the arts. It is essential all people have every opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed, and the arts are a key way of doing so.

At BIAAE, we provide Arts Education Programs to individuals with disabilities, ages three to 93. We have programs that meet in person in Boston as well as programs that meet online. If you want to learn more about the Arts Education Programs at the Berklee Institute for Accessible Arts Education, please visit college.berklee.edu and then go to Arts Education Programs.

Dr. Rhoda Bernard, EdD, is the Founding Managing Director of the Berklee Institute for Accessible Arts Education and the Assistant Chair of Music Education at Berklee College of Music. She holds a Bachelor of Arts cum laude in Government from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Music with academic honors in Jazz Voice from New England Conservatory. She earned both her Master of Education and Doctor of Education degrees from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Dr. Bernard regularly presents keynote presentations and research at conferences throughout the United States and abroad, and she provides professional development workshops for educators in local, national, and international forums. Her work has been published in several book chapters and in numerous peer-reviewed journals, and she serves on several editorial boards. Dr. Bernard received the Berklee Urban Service Award (2017), the Boston Conservatory Community Service Award (2011), the Boston Conservatory Faculty/Staff Spirit Award (2007), and the Outstanding Dissertation Award, Honorable Mention (Second Place) from the Arts and Learning Special Interest Group of the American Educational Research Association. An active arts education advocate, she is the immediate past chair of the Arts Education Advisory Council of Americans for the Arts, and she serves on their speakers’ bureau.