OUR MISSION The California Arts and Disability Network creates opportunities for artists with disabilities to network, gain knowledge, and advocate for any and all changes that allow artists with disabilities to forge their own artistic contributions and identities.   OUR CORE BELIEFS "We recognize the right of each person to experience the full extent of their capabilities and limitations, at the inner core of their humanity." "We believe that the story of the independent living movement and the stories of artists with disabilities need to be told." "We go through the world with identities that others attach to us, while the arts allow us to define ourselves." GOALS To empower artists with disabilities with the resources they need to advance their careers.  To bring artists with disabilities together to explore and nurture a creative community.  To educate and inform the arts community, policy makers, and arts funders about issues pertaining to access and inclusion of artists with disabilities. ABOUT the ADN LIST SERV The list serv has member driven exchanges. Commonly postings contain educational, employment, funding, and career opportunities, as well as legislative and policy issues related to the arts and people with disabilities. You may join The California Arts and Disability Network list serv or contact Maddy Kudritzki to be added. YOUNG ARTISTS WITH DISABILITIES For artists between the ages of 14-25, join our newest group, Rising Artists with Disabilities (RAD) by searching for us on Facebook. This group allows you to network with other artists and other artists with disabilities, inform you on news, updates, events, and activities, and most important to increase communication within this community. FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES The California Arts Council in collaboration with the National Arts and Disability Center at UCLA offers the “Arts and Accessibility Technical Assistance Program " The purpose of the Arts and Accessibility Technical Assistance Program is to enhance opportunities for participation in the arts by people with disabilities. Grants are available up to $500 for artists with disabilities and arts organizations. *Please note this grant is only available to artists and art organizations in California. ADN PROJECTS The ADN supports two exhibits annually: Core: Defining Ourselves is a juried art exhibit produced in partnership with Arts and Services for Disabled, Inc.  in Long Beach, California. Arts Slam arts show is part of the Access Advisors Open House Digital Exhibition, produced as part of the annual Access Advisors’ Open House at the de Young Museum in San Francisco. See images from the Art Slam 2006   HISTORY OF THE NETWORK The California Arts and Disability Network [ADN] was established in 2004 by artists with disabilities who attended the 2003 Hire Value: Careers in the Arts for People with Disabilities regional forums sponsored by the California Arts Council and VSA arts of California. These forums identified substantive challenges faced by California artists with disabilities, due in part to the inaccessibility of the arts community, negative attitudes and discrimination, and a sense of isolation from each other as well as from the broader arts community. Since its inception, ADN has been working under the auspices of the National Arts and Disability Center at UCLA. ADN received funding and was designated an infrastructure organization by the California Arts Council. An Executive Committee of artists with disabilities was established to create a strategic plan for 2005-2006. During the past 4 years, ADN has achieved a number of important partnerships with artists and organizations that have resulted: Support for the Arts and Disabilities Network is currently provided by the National Arts and Disability Center, the University of California, Los Angeles, and the California Arts Council.