Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability (LEAD) Conference
AWB staff members Maria Ceferatti and Erika Dandridge, along with AWB actor Simon Bonenfant, attended the Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability Conference in Cleveland in August, 2025. The conference, hosted by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, brought together leaders from across the country to learn, listen, and engage in meaningful conversations about advancing accessibility and inclusion within cultural institutions. The conference centered on expanding opportunities for people with disabilities in the arts and culture sector. Sessions focused on broadening the scope of accessible programming, developing best practices, and learning from experts in the field. We are excited to share that this year’s conference will be held in Philadelphia, and we look forward to attending once again. To get us excited- check out some of the thoughts Maria, Simon and Erika had on the conference:
Erika: “I learned SO much. I took workshops focusing on social media, website design and accessibility, inclusive and effective marketing, equal/inclusive employment and job description support, open education resources and much more! I learned from many wonderful folks in the cultural sector from across the country which was really special.”
Maria: “Most organizations want to be more accessible, but they don’t know where to start. It was great to see so many connections between attendees to try to make their experiences as accessible as possible. I attended an accessible dance session which was a lot of fun, as well as a session where a theater group used games and exercises to work with incarcerated youth to develop interpersonal skills.”
Simon: “My biggest takeaway from the LEAD conference was the informal networking opportunities. I loved being in a space where everyone was doing lots of similar work. As much as I learned, I was also able to contribute a wealth of information and help others from my own experiences, which was very gratifying. Another highlight is that the conference organizers provided guides and audio describers for the blind for each day of the conference. I was so glad to have this service, as many conferences don’t think of providing for those needs in the blind community. While I was attending with other people, it was so nice that we could all go to our different sessions without them having to assist me in between. It was very freeing.“
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