MANSFIELD — The Mansfield Art Center (MAC) is moving forward with its accessibility initiative thanks to a grant from various funds at The Richland County Foundation.
This support will allow the MAC to make much needed Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) updates to its historic building.
The MAC staff and Board would like to express our deepest gratitude to The Richland County Foundation for not only making the grant funds possible, but for working with us to make these changes possible for our community.
As our number of annual visitors increased to 60,000, and we continue to partner with local schools and organizations, it has become abundantly clear that there is a need to focus on accessibility improvements.
While the MAC team makes every effort to welcome and provide support to every visitor, our building limitations bring daily challenges. The barriers of our original building and gallery space are a contrast to the newly built Education Wing that was designed with accessibility at the forefront.
We are excited to bring about changes in not only our building, but also our equity statement, our website, and our objectives for what’s ahead. With continued growth and development at The MAC, we hope to deliver even more to our mission of making art accessible to all, and providing engaging experiences to everyone that comes through our doors.
Jennifer Beavis, marketing and development director for the Mansfield Art Center, said the MAC has applied for $90,000 from the state of Ohio for the remaining funds.
The Education Wing, which broke ground in 2019, raised $3 million.
ADA work will begin in the spring of 2024 including: automating the doors at the front and side entrances, a new ADA compliant drinking fountain, restroom updates, portable gallery seating, and changes to the elevator hallways and controls.
In addition to these much needed changes, a designated staff member will complete Accessibility Coordinator Certification through the ADA. The MAC will collaborate with our local ADA Network, The National Foundation for the Blind, and other organizations for continued input, and to form an Access Committee for our organization.
We will work to ensure that the website and all areas of communication are accessible to all, and provide additional support tools to meet the needs of our visitors. An Accessibility Guide and Accessibility Statement will be created that clearly communicates our available accommodations. Our commitment as an organization is to deliver to these goals, and continue to evolve as needed.
We look forward to starting the initial phases of this work, and have applied for the remaining funds necessary to complete the full scope of the initiative.
If you would like to make a donation to support the ADA Accessibility updates, please call or stop by The Mansfield Art Center, or visit our website (mansfieldartcenter.org, donate, MAC Accessibility Initiative).
