About Us
The People and Partners that Make The Hub Possible
Changing the Culture of Culture
We know organizations want to be more accessible, but too often, the tools to make that vision a reality are hard to find, inconsistent, expensive or inaccessible themselves. That’s why The Hub exists: to bring together vetted, disability-centered information, resources, and expert support all in one place.
With the Arts & Culture Accessibility Hub, you have free access to the knowledge, tools, and community needed to understand where you are, where to go next, and how to create meaningful, lasting change within your organization and across the sector.
The Organization Behind The Hub
We’re Open Door Arts, a Boston-based arts and culture organization and affiliate of Seven Hills Foundation.
We’re a team of artists, educators, advocates, and access professionals that work at the intersection of disability, arts, and education to ensure that people with disabilities are fully and authentically represented in the arts and culture sector.
We first imagined The Hub back in 2019 because we knew our field needed it and the disability community deserved it. Drawing on 45 years of experience and our landmark research on the state of accessibility in the arts, we set out to create a resource that could truly create sector-wide transformation.
The Hub is a natural extension of our mission, co-created with brilliant contributors and grounded in the lived experiences of our community. Creating it has been a labor of love and an honor and now we’re thrilled to share it with you.
The Accessibility Dream Team
The Hub was co-created by 30+ of the most trusted experts in arts and culture, accessibility, disability, and the ADA. Each contributor brought both deep professional expertise and rich lived experience, with 80% self-identifying as disabled and representing a wide range of disabilities. Together, they shaped every aspect of The Hub’s content and design, ensuring that disabled perspectives were centered in every step of the process. Their collective insights and contributions have helped create a truly one-of-a-kind resource for our sector.
Looking to connect and get expert help?
Visit our Expert Directory to connect with someone today
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Nicole Agois - Charles Baldwin
- Megan Bent
- Sydney Bromfield
- Portia Brown
- Kim Charlson
- Tina Childress
- Cheryl Cumings
- Ken Darsney
- Ross Edelstein
- Jenna Gabriel
- Hannah Goodwin
- Bryan Gould
- Liza Grant
- Bill Green
- Michael Greer
- Stephanie Hakulin
- Valerie Haven
- Melinda Huff
- Sam Hwang
- Roger Ideishi
- Saki Iwamoto
- Keith Jones
- Alexander Jones
- Georgina Kleege
- Rachel Kolb
- karen Krolak
- Anya L'Esperance
- Leah Mattern
- John McEwen
- Morrison
- Ross Newton
- Jonathan O'dell
- Kait Pascall
- Ellice Patterson
- Amber Pearcy
- Kristin Peszka
- Chris Robinson
- Dani Rose
- Katie Samson
- Elise Schaffer
- Danielle Schulz
- Betty Siegel
- nae vallejo
- Heather Watkins
- Wally Zielinski
The Funders Who Make This Possible
The Hub was made possible through the generosity of our funders. Their support demonstrates their commitment to prioritizing accessibility in the cultural sector, and helped turn a collective dream into a tangible, transformational resource that’s free and available to all.
Founding Partner
Funders
Boston Cultural Council
The Beker Foundation
Liberty Mutual Foundation
Linde Family Foundation
Site Accessibility
The Hub was intentionally designed by disabled creators and in close collaboration with the Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM) and tested by User/Experts to prioritize accessibility from the very beginning and throughout the entire design process. From screen reader compatibility and labeled links, to alt text, captioned and ASL-interpreted videos, and downloadable content in multiple formats, we’ve worked to ensure that our full community can navigate and enjoy the site.
That said, we know that accessibility isn’t a final destination, it’s an ongoing commitment. If you encounter a barrier, prefer content in a different format, or want to share feedback or an access request, please reach out at TheHub@OpenDoorArtsMA.org or 617-329-9748. We’re here to help and always working to improve.
The Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM)
Established in 1991, NCAM at GBH is a national leader in research, development and consulting to make digital media accessible for people with disabilities.
About The Artwork
Every page of The Hub features artwork by a disabled artist—each piece a testament to the power, nuance, and brilliance of disabled creativity.