Following the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, the Museum, Arts, and Culture Access Consortium (MAC) was formed by a small group of museum and disability professionals that started meeting informally to discuss topics related to accessibility at their New York-based institutions.

Today, MAC has grown into an active group of accessibility advocates from across the New York City cultural world who work to share resources, offer learning opportunities, and increase equity for disabled people at cultural institutions.

The goal of the project is to create a report for the benefit of the cultural field which provides guidance on accessible and engaging virtual and in-person programming for disabled audiences. The report will:

• Offer insights into best practices for accessible cultural programming
• Center and uplift disabled voices
• Be a resource for cultural organizations as they navigate this next phase of the pandemic

The Project Leader will oversee the activities of the project which include:

• Documenting the experiences and preferences of disabled people in regard to virtual access at cultural organizations during the COVID – 19 pandemic.
• Offering guidance for cultural organizations on how to navigate the next phase of the pandemic that is grounded in the thoughts, experiences, and hopes of disabled people.
• Lifting up the voices of disabled people who are cultural users and workers
• Centering the thoughts and opinions of adults with autism and intellectual and neurodevelopmental disabilities who have more complex needs.

Primary Responsibilities and Expectations

• Oversee the execution and completion of the Mapping Virtual Access in Cultural Institutions project.
• Meet regularly with a subcommittee of volunteer MAC Steering Committee members, who will advise and support project activities.
• Identify cultural organizations as partners to help identify disabled users of virtual and in-person programs to serve as interview and focus group participants.
• Utilize a survey for a first-round of feedback.
• Conduct interviews and focus groups for more in-depth information beyond the survey. Participants will be offered honoraria for their time and contributions to the research.
• Observe programs at cultural organizations.
• Create report and disseminate via the MAC website and email list.

You can submit an application via this Google Form or by emailing museumaccess@gmail.com. In the application, we ask for the following information:

• Contact Information – You will be asked to share your name and email address.
• Past Experience – You will be asked to share your past experience via a resume/CV, a link to a website, or in a text box.
• Short Answer Questions – You will be asked to answer the following short answer questions either by uploading a document or typing your answers directly into the form or your email.
  • Why are you interested in the MVACI project?
  • This project addresses accessibility barriers to participation in cultural institutions. What are some barriers that you have observed that you think are the most significant or the most important to address?
  • Please share how your prior experiences and expertise would prepare you for this job. In particular, please share about a time that you have managed a project.