Accessibility at ASPI

Accessibility Statement: Appalachia-Science in the Public Interest (ASPI) welcomes all people, including people with disabilities and people with individual needs. ASPI will provide reasonable accommodations to individuals who request them with advance notice (typically 2-4 weeks depending on need). Access requests may include: ASL Interpretation, Large-type/Digital Materials, Physical Access, and Social Narratives (i.e., descriptions/previews of physical, sensory, social spaces).

ASPI is also committed to serving the public interest by providing affordable programming and educational opportunities and addressing financial barriers to access and right livelihood. ASPI offers free public workshops when possible, sliding-scale access to fee-based programming and physical resources, and fair compensation of workshop facilitators and project leaders/workers.

To request/discuss an access need, please contact the main office at (606) 256-0077 or aspi@a-spi.org.
KAC KPAN Consultancy

In 2022, ASPI received funding from the Kentucky Arts Council (KAC) for a Kentucky Peer Advisory Network (KPAN) consultancy to conduct a professional evaluation of our Small-Town Demonstration Center site to make it more accessible.

Artist and consultant Talleri McRae visited the main office in Mount Vernon and helped ASPI audit indoor and outdoor spaces and conduct an “inventory” of our current access practices and possible changes. After the walk-through, we established an 18-month timeline for short-term and long-term goals and worksheets with specific action steps for different components of the plan.

Kentucky Arts Council logo with purple shape of the state of Kentucky
KPAN Funding for Accessibility Consultancy from the Kentucky Arts Council
 PictureASPI Parking Lot/Public Mushroom Workshop in Mt. Vernon, May 24, 2022
Accessibility Plans
The three main measurable objectives for the ASPI accessibility plan are to:

  1. Adjust ASPI protocols to intentionally include access before, during and after programming on site;
  2. Clearly mark the places indoors and outdoors where people might stumble - signage, paint, tape, etc.; and
  3. ✔ Create a dedicated page on the website that itemizes challenges and possibilities of accommodations at the facility – include access statement and feedback form.

We will post additional updates on this webpage moving forward, including an overview of the physical sites in Mount Vernon and Livingston.