Stigma in the Arts: How Perceptual Barriers Influence Individuals' with Disabilities Participation in Arts Organizations

This article explores how individuals with disabilities are influenced by stigma when deciding whether or not to patronize arts organizations. Survey research methodology was used to conduct the study in New Jersey. Twenty-eight arts organizations in New Jersey responded to the first survey, and fifty individuals with disabilities responded to the second survey. Results from the survey to arts organizations in New Jersey revealed that arts administrators did not believe attitudinal barriers (stigma) limited participation among individuals with disabilities in their own organizations. The study suggests strategies that arts administrators can use to facilitate full accessibility, both structurally and attitudinally.