2017 Sydney Access and Inclusion Campaign launched

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Wednesday, 8 March 2017 10:05am

Accessible Arts in partnership with the City of Sydney launched the new Accessing Sydney Collectively (ASYD.CO) knowledge exchange partnership program on 8 March 2017, as part of the Sydney Access and Inclusion Campaign.

Image of Accessing Sydney Collectively logo

Accessing Sydney Collectively logo

 

Disability Discrimination Commissioner, Mr Alastair McEwin, officially launched this world-first initiative at the Sydney Theatre Company on International Women’s Day. Media Access Australia CEO, Dr Manisha Amin, along with MAA's Accessibility Services Manager, Ally Woodford, attended the launch and the event was Auslan interpreted.

Accessing Sydney Collectively (ASYD.CO) aims to provide direct and accurate pathways to digital information of a venue or event’s accessibility options, all through a newly developed logo. Twelve partner art organisations, including Sydney Theatre Company, Carriageworks and the Museum of Contemporary Art, have updated their websites to include the new ASYD.CO logo, leading site visitors to all the accessibility information they need to visit and partake in Sydney's varied cultural experiences.

Commissioner McEwin, who is deaf, shared his own experience of visiting art exhibitions and not having access to the content in audio guides. It wasn’t until he was provided an Auslan multimedia guide that he realised what he’d been missing out on. “For the first time in my life I was able to look at the sign language and it struck me about the incredible depth of information available to hearing people through audio guides… I left the exhibition feeling incredibly well-informed and also appreciating art to an even higher level than I had ever done before.”

The campaign was created to collectively remove barriers online for people with disability through just one click. Media Access Australia provided input into the accessibility of the campaign via consultation with the Communication Manager of the program’s co-convenor, Accessible Arts. The initiative supports improved online access awareness, connectivity and navigation for people with disability, with the campaign’s aim being to enable greater access to the arts and cultural life for the City of Sydney.

Participating organisations include the Sydney Theatre Company, City Recital Hall, Maritime Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art, Belvoir, Sydney Festival, Sydney Writers' Festival, Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney Film Festival, Carriageworks, Australian Museum and State Library of NSW.

More information on the project can be obtained if you email Accessible Arts regarding Accessing Sydney Collectively.


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