2018 American Circus Educators Conference

This workshop will explore issues around circus and accessibility, particularly physical access to circus. We will discuss both our legal obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as instructors working in “places of public accommodation,” and how they dovetail with our desire - as well as our ethical and moral responsibility - to make the joy and practice of circus arts as accessible as possible while still maintaining participant and staff safety. We will work together to continue to move this important conversation forward within our community in terms of exploring how we can ensure that our programs are as accessible as possible, and that our educators are as equipped as possible to work with a wide range of learners. This involves thinking about our programs and the skills we teach, and exploring creative adaptations we can make so that what we do will be more accessible. The first half of this workshop will briefly cover the concepts of “disability,” and examine not only the barriers to access that people with disabilities encounter, but our own barriers that may be contributing, and how to address these effectively. The second half of this workshop will involve small-group discussions using sample scenarios, and brainstorming solutions and ideas together. This workshop is ideal for all circus educators and program directors, both with and without disabilities. Kate Magram has a clinical doctorate in physical therapy, specializing in pediatrics, and has been teaching circus to youth and adults for about 20 years; she is passionate about accessibility in circus and other fields.