Elise Schaffer

Elise Schaffer she/they Elise Schaffer is a Lehigh Valley (Pennsylvania)-based creative and passionate advocate for arts and disability justice. She currently serves as the Coordinator of Museum Experience and Accessibility at Lehigh University Art Galleries (LUAG), leading the organization’s Access Culture program. Additionally, Elise holds the position of Gallery Coordinator at the Galleries at Steel Pixel Studios, and co-hosts and co-founded the Lehigh Valley Arts Podcast and the Lehigh Valley Artist Meetup Group. Previously, she has worked as the Access Coordinator for Touchstone Theatre’s Festival Unbound and the Program Coordinator for the Lehigh Valley Arts Council’s Arts & Access Always Program. Her work in these roles ranges from access coordination for events, leading professional development workshops around accessibility considerations in arts and cultural spaces, to museum education, audio description, and tactile tours. In 2024, Elise was awarded the LEAD Award for Emerging Leadership by The Kennedy Center for work in cultural arts and accessibility. At the intersection of Schaffer’s work is advocating for accessibility in arts and cultural spaces, accessible museum education and experiences, and integrating emerging technologies and assistive technology into arts and cultural spaces in her community.