NAEAnews "SPECIAL NEEDS," October, 2002, Vol. 44 (5), p. 15

It was a surprise to learn that two NAEA Exceptional Education convention presenters did not know about the P. Buckley Moss Foundation's annual conference on art and special education held in their own state of Virginia. It may be true that we miss what is in our own backyard. Nevertheless, these presenters planted the seeds for this column.

It's always nice to meet someone who shares your interests, especially if they speak the professional languages of both art education and special education. Don't underestimate the value of common interests and vocabulary. Try, for example, exp1aining your special needs teaching concerns to someone who thinks that art is not as important as sports and wonders why teachers need any special education training. Sound familiar?

With little or no special education training or help, art teachers often begin at square one. Luckily, others have already been there and have formed organizations around the country to bring the arts to people with disabilities. This column will share information about two, Accessible Arts Inc. (Kansas City, Kansas) and the P. Buckley Moss Foundation (Waynesboro, Virginia). Both are advocates for the arts with children with disabilities and offer programs and training. (More about other organizations in future columns.)

Accessible Arts, an award winning, not-for-profit organization, began in 1980 as the Kansas State Board of Education Arts with the Handicapped Program. Accessible Arts serves children with a wide range of disabilities and those who work with them. Their name aptly describes their primary goal, making the visual and performing arts accessible to children with disabilities. Broader goals promote arts programming that focuses on the children, but also educates and collaborates with professionals, families, and community members.

.Over the years Accessible Arts, Inc. has worked with many different schools and agencies and has developed a comprehensive range of services. They offer: (1) training workshops for teachers, parents, and therapists; (2) art demonstrations with students that emphasize instructional methods; (3) special programs on Arts and Disabilities and inclusive arts programming; (4) educational materials that include videos and monographs; (5) a resource center with materials on the arts and special education; and (6) direct services, consultation, and evaluation. Accessible Arts also exhibits the work of artists who have disabilities or incorporate disability themes. Their programs have touched the lives of thousands of children in the Kansas City metropolitan area and throughout Kansas.

Accessible Arts staff and volunteers have extensive experience in the visual and performing arts. For more information, contact Martin English, Executive Director or Kit

Bardwell, Program Director at 1100 State Avenue, Kansas City, KS 66102; Voice (913) 281-1133; Fax (913) 281-1515; or web site <www.accessiblearts.org>.

Pat Moss surmounted her learning difficulties to become a successful artist. When Pat was a child, few teachers knew about learning disabilities or understood about reading difficulties due to dyslexia. Pat's art talent carried her through to college and now, over 10,000 people have Pat's art in their homes. Pat and her husband, Malcolm Henderson, recognized the power of art to transform the lives of those with special needs. They created the P. Buckley Moss Foundation for Children's Education to support the use of the arts in the schools. The Foundation offers awards, presents an annual conference on the arts for special populations, and publishes a newsletter of conference proceedings.

The P. Buckley Moss Foundation actively encourages collaboration between special educators and art educators. Moss brings speakers from both the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and NAEA organizations to their conferences. Sara Tambucci and Eldon Katter, NAEA past presidents, have been keynote speakers at the conferences. The Moss Foundation Board of Directors has members from both NAEA and CEC. Jan Fedorenko, President-elect of the NAEA Special Needs Issues Group, is a Board member and helped bring a Head Start program to the Moss Museum in Waynesboro.

This year the Moss Foundation will hold its fifth annual conference in Virginia. Those who have attended previous conferences have been enthusiastic about the information they have received and the opportunity to share ideas. The Moss Foundation gives annual awards to encourage the use of the arts with students with special needs. The first place award is five thousand dollars and there are three second place awards of five hundred dollars each for the teachers with matching grants for their schools.

Award application forms and conference information can be obtained from the P. Buckley Moss Foundation, 601 Shenandoah Village Drive, Suite 1B, Waynesboro, Virginia 22980; Voice (540) 932-1728; Fax (540) 941-8865; or web <http://mossfoundation.org>.

SED/Arts Organization   |   SED/Arts References   |   NAEA Special Needs Issues Group   |  CEC Special Interest Group for Teachers of the Arts