SHOWAbility says accessibility campaign expanded opportunities for artists with disabilities

Atlanta nonprofit SHOWAbility says its yearlong accessibility campaign has helped artists with disabilities reach major stages, build new partnerships and push disability inclusion in the performing arts. The group also framed accessibility as a business and cultural opportunity, citing a white paper on a $1.3 trillion market.

Why it matters: - SHOWAbility says accessibility is not just a compliance issue. It is a path to more jobs, more audiences and more cultural participation for artists with disabilities. - The campaign aims to change how performing arts organizations, businesses and public institutions think about disability inclusion. - The effort has already put performers with disabilities in front of large audiences and into decision-making rooms that shape culture.

What happened: - Atlanta-based nonprofit SHOWAbility marked one year of an accessibility awareness campaign launched during Disability Pride Month and the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. - The organization said it used performing arts, advocacy, education and strategic partnerships to expand disability accessibility and inclusion. - Founder Myrna Clayton, an internationally acclaimed jazz artist and U.S. Cultural Ambassador, said the campaign was designed to demonstrate accessibility rather than just discuss it. - SHOWAbility’s Inclusive Chorus performed before more than 10,000 people at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta before the FIFA World Cup arrived in the city. - The organization’s STAR Collective has drawn interest from artists with disabilities in California, Montana, New York, Canada and Uganda.

The details: - SHOWAbility says its approach focuses on visibility, relatability and access for performers with disabilities. - Clayton said the group’s white paper, released late last year, is titled "Beyond Compliance: The $1.3 Trillion Opportunity: Why Accessibility Is America's Untapped Market." - The paper argues that businesses, government leaders and cultural institutions should treat accessibility as an opportunity for innovation, economic growth and human potential. - SHOWAbility served as a disability consultant during the development and pre-production of the film Color Book. - The film later received recognition from the Sundance Film Festival, the Atlanta Film Festival, Disability Belongs and other organizations. - SHOWAbility also issued a public response to the BAFTA Awards accessibility controversy and used that moment to push for authentic representation. - The organization expanded partnerships with Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre and continued discussions with MARTA Mobility Paratransit services about transportation barriers for people with disabilities in Metro Atlanta. - Support has come from the LuluMa Foundation, Georgia Council for the Arts, Fulton County Arts & Culture, Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, Amazon and the Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs.

Between the lines: - The campaign is part advocacy and part market-building. SHOWAbility is trying to shift disability from a charitable lens to an economic and cultural one. - The Mercedes-Benz Stadium performance gave the organization a high-visibility proof point. It showed large venues can include disabled artists without treating inclusion as an afterthought. - The consulting work on Color Book suggests the organization is also trying to influence how disability is represented before production decisions are locked in. - Clayton’s framing of accessibility as a trillion-dollar opportunity reflects a broader effort to win over both cultural institutions and business leaders.

What's next: - SHOWAbility plans to keep expanding its movement through performances, partnerships, consultations and public conversations. - The STAR Collective is likely to continue attracting performers with disabilities looking for more visible opportunities. - The organization expects to keep pushing institutions to build accessibility into programs, venues and transportation systems from the start.

The bottom line: - SHOWAbility is positioning accessibility as both a rights issue and a growth strategy, while trying to prove that inclusion can change audiences, institutions and careers at the same time.