The westmuse is please to help promote the upcoming 10th annual Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability conference from August 25-29, 2010 in San Diego, California.  Conference sessions on August 25-27 and the Capacity Building Workshop on August 28-29 will take place at the Courtyard Marriott San Diego Airport/Liberty Station. Conference sessions on August 28 will take place at cultural arts organizations in Balboa Park.

Per the event organizers:

2010 is a momentous year. Aside from being the 10th gathering of the Kennedy Center’s Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability network, it is also the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a key civil rights law, and the fourth anniversary of the ground-breaking international recognition of the rights of people with disabilities by the United Nations General Assembly – a vital step towards addressing human rights internationally.

LEAD 2010 presents us with an opportunity to look back upon the past 10 or 20 years to see how our work to eliminate barriers and create welcoming, accessible and inclusive cultural experiences has ensured that people with disabilities and older adults can exercise their civil and human rights. It is also a chance to look forward and to discover new ways to address ongoing challenges and new questions. Legislation and regulations are updated, new technologies come and go, our audiences and their needs and wants evolve but the challenge to guide our communities and institutions in making choices that acknowledge the right of all to participate in the cultural arts – and to do so with independence, dignity and respect – remains.

We meet that challenge by coming together once a year to hear from knowledgeable individuals in the field; engage in a dialogue with patrons and visitors with disabilities; carry on discussions with our peers; and learn about and share resources, best practices, and solutions.

And this year the LEAD network is gathering in San Diego, California in partnership with the San Diego Zoo and Kids Included Together. And I think we know who runs the zoo...AAM's recently appointed Chair of the Board Douglas G. Myers.  (Congrats to WMA Board member William T. Harris for his appointment to the AAM BOARD!)