Special education students with moderate to severe and multiple disabilities in our state do not receive an arts education as a regular part of their curriculum. We believe this is a serious equity issue since all general education students receive, at a minimum, ongoing art and music instruction in elementary school, and can choose from classes in art, music drama and even dance in middle school and high school.
Michigan Arts Access is the only organization in the state dedicated to providing access to the arts for people with disabilities, and the only organization trying to address this equity gap in education.
We also believe that the arts are especially important for students with disabilities because they provide multiple means to process information and multiple means of expression for students who often struggle to communicate and learn through traditional educational methods. MiAA partners with local and intermediate school districts to provide instruction after extensive planning with the district that includes identifying the type of arts instruction that would be most beneficial for the various classrooms and
securing grant funding and sponsorships to fund the program. We would like to acknowledge the financial support of Michigan Arts and Culture Council, the National Endowment for the Arts and individual donors to Michigan Arts Access for making the program possible.
MiAA teaching artists work with over 1,000 students annually, many with severe and multiple disabilities in the state’s center-based programs. Michigan Arts Access collaborates with school districts across the state to provide teaching artists who integrate dance, theater, visual arts, music, media, poetry and creative writing into the core curricula for students with disabilities.
If you would like to host an artist-in-residence at your school contact MiAA to discuss partnership opportunities.