Testimonials
This testimonials page exists to center lived experiences alongside professional perspectives on access and inclusion. It features reflections from disabled individuals, as well as educators, artists, and practitioners who actively work to create more accessible and inclusive spaces. These testimonies share what helps people feel safe, supported, and valued in creative and learning environments. By bringing these voices together, this section highlights that accessibility is both personal and collective, shaped through listening, practice, and care.
“In my time working as a teacher, education coordinator, and training to be a clinician, I've learned the most about access and inclusion from my conversations with people in the Disabled community. I believe the most powerful factor in making a space truly accessible and inclusive for everyone is to open the door to a wide and diverse range of lived experiences, to uplift neurodivergent and Disabled perspectives at every opportunity, and understand that there are conversations where my voice should not be the loudest in the room. Ask about barriers, hesitations, and what helps, and be prepared to have tough conversations. Understand that these communities have been historically marginalized and excluded from conversations about their own needs, and building trust in public spaces takes time, commitment, active listening, and consistency.
Access is not one size fits all. When I'm teaching a class or coordinating a show or event, I'll often think about multiple entry points for participation across spectrums. Are there built in ways to increase and decrease sensory input? Are there built in participation options for people who use a mobility aid? What assumptions am I taking for granted? Am I relying too heavily on one sense (like visual or auditory cues)? How can I build in more points of entry? These questions are helpful not just for specific groups, but for all people and learners. We all have access needs. Understanding this has been a process that's helped me build connection with other people in my community.
In my work, I'm also becoming increasingly aware of the burdens placed on the individual when systems aren't made available to everyone. In a world built with barriers, access is an ongoing process. It's the responsibility of institutions to expand accommodations and accessibility so that dignity and freedom of choice is a right for all of us, not an afterthought or a luxury for some of us.”
— Preston Hilliard Access & Inclusion Coordinator at Imagination Stage
“What helps make a space truly inclusive for all are the intangible markers that go beyond accessibility logistics. Too often we assume the bare minimum; if a space has an accessible bathroom, for example, then all must surely feel included. That couldn't be further from the truth. In addition to the physical and spatial necessities of accessible placemaking, true inclusivity ensures that everyone feels safe, heard, and embraced. This happens when people across the spectrum of the disability community are brought in on the ground floor of that placemaking, and are part of discussions at every level of decision making. Inclusivity is a process that spans physical, mental, and emotional landscapes. Its results can only be built in collaboration with and guided by members of the communities it seeks to serve, while keeping in mind that making space accessible and inclusive for the disability community positively affects ALL communities.”
— Hayley Cutler Associate Artistic Director of ArtStream
“Working at CEL has completely shifted how I think about accessibility. Being at CEL has shown me the real value of universal design. When spaces, programs, and environments are designed with intention from the start, they become more comfortable and enriching for everyone. To me, accessibility is not just about physical access. Something I feel strongly about is that individuals with intellecutual and developmental disabilties (IDD) must be part of these conversations. Not just represented, but actively listened to. Their lived experiences bring insight that no policy or checklist ever could. At CEL, I see every day how powerful it is when individuals are given a voice in shaping the programs and spaces they are part of.”
— Cassidy Paradise
Community Engagement Coordinator
CEL (Center for Enriched Living)
“As somebody who struggles to pick up on the subtleties and nuances of conversation, it takes A LOT of thinking to accurately portray those subtleties onstage! Because of my Autism, it sometimes takes me longer to process and answer questions asked of me in a rehearsal room. I’ve always felt the most supported by directors who gave me the time I needed to process and answer. I am just as talented as anyone else, I just benefit from a few extra seconds!”
— Max Bruchell Theatre Artist
“At my time at Barrier Free, a program that strides to provide inclusive art, self-advocacy, and social programming for adults with disabilities in the community, some of the things that that help me feel included is that there are people like me, they accept me because they care, they understand my Autism, and they let me speak my mind on whatever I am passionate about. They always encourage me to participate and when I don’t want to they try and engage me in different ways. I have made friends there and people I talk to all the time now.”
— Quinn Jackson Aspiring Film Maker