People have always had an urge to make art. Our ancestors drew on the walls of caves, told stories and danced to the beat of a drum. Today we might go out to hear a rock band or to watch a film. We might also make a video and share it with people via YouTube.

But people with a disability can face many barriers to participating in the arts. Australian statistics show that in 2006, Australian adults with a disability were much less likely than other Australians to attend an arts event or venue.

Improve participation

The Victorian Government wants to improve participation in arts by people with a disability. Since 2008, the Office for Disability has worked with Arts Victoria and the Disability Services Division of the Department of Human Services on the Victorian Arts and Disability Research Project. The partnership has resulted in two new reports called Picture This. The first document is a review of writing from around the world about disability and the arts. The second document is a community consultation report and analysis.

Information for the reports was gathered in forums with teachers, artists with a disability and arts workers. Picture This found four focus areas:

• Community awareness and attitudinal change
• Policy, legislation and compliance
• Employment and education
• Capacity building and sustainability.

Contribution to the community

What do the arts mean to ordinary people? International research quoted in the reports show that the arts improves social inclusion. The arts also makes a huge contribution to community health and well-being.

Similar research has led to new programs in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom has since seen dramatic increases in arts participation rates by people with a disability.

But the research found there are numerous barriers to participation in the arts for people with a disability in Victoria. Barriers include:

• The cost of participation can often be too high
• Transport is often difficult
• Venues are often not accessible
• Arts venue staff often have poor disability awareness
• There is a lack of training and employment opportunities for artists and arts workers with a disability
• There is prejudice about the quality of art by people with a disability
• There is huge unmet demand for arts activities.

Increasing participation

People consulted for Picture This suggested a number of ways to increase participation in the arts for people with a disability. They include:

• Arts funding bodies could encourage companies they support to improve disability access
• Access guidelines could be created for the arts industry
• Money could be provided to improve access to arts venues, such as theatres, galleries and studios
• Arts and performances by artists with a disability could be shown in important festivals
• Artists with a disability could work together with well-known, mainstream companies and artists.

Despite the barriers, the reports tell us that the disability arts scene in Victoria is alive and growing. The reports should also encourage further steps towards equality. As the reports say, the opportunity to work, create and experience the arts is a fundamental human right.

The reports can be downloaded from the Office of Disability website (opens new window).

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