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The activities below represent some strategies your organization can use to support the participation of people with disabilities in culture and the arts in the communities you serve.

Use your mouse or keyboard to expand each of the activity headings below. To add an activity to your action plan, select the Add button beside it.

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Promote the use of culture and art for social change

Disability advocacy and awareness campaigns are often more effective when based on locally relevant cultural and artistic media. Because of this, CBR should use these media to achieve social change for disability. Organizations can:

  • Work with artists and organize drama, arts and music events to challenge stigma and discrimination that may be present in the community
  • Explore the use of comedy, cartoons and popular art as a light and non-threatening way to address taboo subjects
  • Support the positive portrayal of people with disabilities and disability issues through cultural and artistic media

Learn about how two successful musicians use their talents to highlight disability issues.

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Amadou and Mariam are two internationally recognized and influential mainstream musicians from Mali. They have used their talents to highlight disability issues and challenge stereotypes. They invest in cultural training programmes for youth with disabilities to ensure they have the opportunities to develop their skills and talents and follow their dreams and aspirations. 

Support families to participate

It is important to remember that many families of people with disabilities may have lost the confidence to attend cultural events due to fear of stigma and discrimination. They may feel embarrassed, ashamed or unwelcome at weddings, religious services, restaurants and cinemas. To provide support for families, CBR can:

  • Listen to family members and encourage them to express, recognize and challenge their fears
  • Put families in touch with others who share similar experiences and concerns
  • Facilitate links to local disabled people’s organizations to examine any misconceptions families may have and increase their confidence, expectations and aspirations
Encourage people with disabilities to participate

CBR can encourage people with disabilities to participate by:

  • Connecting them with groups and disabled people’s organizations where they may find people who share similar interests in culture and the arts, and where they may develop the confidence to participate in a variety of activities
  • Identifying artists with disabilities who have achieved recognition for their art and involving them in developing and implementing programme activities, if possible
  • Working with stakeholders to develop specific disability arts projects
  • Supporting and promoting examples of people with disabilities who have excelled and developed new art forms that have been successfully adapted to reach wider audiences
  • Promoting and supporting dance, drama and music as complementary types of therapy for people with disabilities
Work with mainstream organizations and groups

Mainstream organizations that offer cultural and artistic programmes and activities may feel that they don’t know how to include people with disabilities. CBR can help these organizations to be more inclusive and accessible to people with disabilities. CBR can,

  • Work with stakeholders to make reasonable accommodations to cultural and artistic venues to be more accessible and inclusive of people with disabilities
  • Develop alliances with women’s groups to increase the inclusion of women with disabilities in mainstream cultural programmes
  • Encourage inclusive art education in early childhood and school settings so that children with disabilities have opportunities to appreciate and participate in cultural and artistic activities from a young age
  • Support people with disabilities and disabled people’s organizations to develop and run diversity training with staff from a range of cultural and arts programmes to raise awareness about disability and inclusion
  • Encourage apprenticeship and employment opportunities within cultural and arts programmes to ensure that people with disabilities actively participate in the management and administration of these programmes

The following are two examples of how in Palestine people with disabilities were included in their community’s mainstream programmes.

Read about how a summer camp in Palestine included children with disabilities.

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A small initiative was started by CBR programmes in Palestine in 2000 to include children with disabilities in summer camps. This initiative has become very successful and it is now standard. Youth leaders of these camps have started to include children with disabilities in other mainstream programmes throughout the year. For example, a production of Cinderella cast a girl with a disability to play the lead role. This not only challenged stereotypes and increased awareness of disability in the community it also provided a positive role model for young people with disabilities.

Watch a video about how the support of CBR in Palestine helped a boy develop his musical talents and become more accepted in society.

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Select the video Play () button (above) to watch Mohammed’s story.

After you have viewed these two case studies, what are some things from the stories that you did not expect? Enter your thoughts in the box below, and select Save when you are finished.

    Work with spiritual and religious leaders and groups
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    Spiritual and religious leaders can be powerful advocates for social change. It is important for CBR to work with religious leaders and members of all faiths within the community to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in their activities. CBR can:

    • Sensitize leaders about disability and the importance of including people with disabilities in religious and spiritual activities
    • Encourage leaders to challenge discriminatory or harmful practices towards people with disabilities and their families in the community
    • Ensure that people with disabilities have access to personal assistance to enable them to attend religious or spiritual services and programmes
    • Provide advice and assistance to leaders about making information accessible
    • Work with leaders to ensure that places of worship are physically accessible and that religious practices are modified to accommodate people with disabilities

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