The Arts Council uses the term arts and disability to cover how people with disabilities participate in the arts and how the mainstream arts sector gives consideration to people with disabilities in all aspects of its work. The term encompasses a range of arts practices and activities involving people with disabilities as artists, participants, arts workers, and audience members. It embraces a wide range of contexts including disability arts, Deaf arts, disability-led practice, collaborative practice, access services, and advocacy.

The Arts Council's current Arts and Disability Policy was developed in consultation with a wide range of stakeholders and is built on a number of key values including:

• Equality - a commitment to ensuring that people with disabilities can engage fully in the artistic and cultural life of Ireland at all levels in line with Article 30 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
• The Social Model of Disability - a recognition that access must be considered at the earliest planning stages so that barriers to participation are not created or further perpetuated.
• Complexity and diversity of people and practices - an understanding that the sector is made up of artists, participants and audiences of all ages with physical, sensory, intellectual and mental health impairments as well as a wide range of people working professionally and voluntarily in the arts and disability sectors. The Arts Council is committed to the provision of support for an evolving range of artistically ambitious practices.
• Holistic approach - a commitment to the mainstreaming of access and participation in parallel with the provision of strategic targeted supports and a process of capacity building.
• Inclusion - a commitment to Arts and Disability as part of the larger commitment to social inclusion.

Financial support

On our Available Funding page you will find information on each award and links to the most recent award guideline. This includes, among others, the Bursary Award, Project Award, the Artist in the Community Scheme, and the Arts & Disability Connect Scheme. 

Resources 

Arts & Disability Ireland (ADI) is the national development and resource organisation for arts and disability and is funded by the Arts Council. As well as managing the Arts & Disability Connect scheme on behalf of the Arts Council, they provide support to arts and culture organisations in adopting an inclusive approach to audience development. They also provide a range of access services including audio description for performance and visual art, captioning for performance, equipment hire, website user testing and arts focused Disability Equality Training. To find out more go to https://adiarts.ie/