The new-york historical society will build staff cultural competency in accessibility and improve k-12 programming for students with disabilities

The New-York Historical Society received a $400,634 Project Grant award from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Museums for America (CFDA 45.301) program to build staff cultural competency in accessibility and improve K-12 programming for students with disabilities. The project will create sustainable systems and structures to ensure all programs account for the needs of students with disabilities, establish consistent accessibility training for museum education staff, and facilitate peer learning and networking. Key activities include building an advisory council, conducting quarterly staff trainings, consulting with peer organizations, and hiring an expert to assess K-12 student programs. The project will also develop and pilot two new access-focused K-12 programming initiatives. The award will result in a five-year strategic plan to continue implementing the accessibility initiative and sustaining the benefits for students.

The project will create sustainable systems and structures for ensuring that all programs take the needs of students with disabilities into account; establish a pattern of consistent accessibility training for all museum education staff; and create space for staff to learn from and network with peer organizations. Project activities will include building an advisory council of teachers and parents, conducting quarterly trainings for museum educators, consulting among peers to build a network of access, and hiring an expert consultant to assess k-12 student programs. The project will also develop pilots for two types of access-specific k-12 programming that will be implemented, assessed, and revised. The project will result in a strategy document that will continue implementation of the initiative for a period of five-years to ensure the sustainability of the program and benefits to the students.