GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- ArtPrize Seven is upon us with the kickoff at noon Wednesday. Thousands of people will be filing in and out of the 162 different venues to get a glimpse of as many works of art as they can.
There's a group of people who won't be able to get in all the venues. Those with young infants in strollers and people in wheelchairs or who have other disabilities may have a difficult time getting in and out because not all venues are handicapped accessible. About 40 are not conducive to people in wheelchairs, so FOX 17's Cassandra Arsenault asked ArtPrize organizers how they're accommodating those with physical disabilities.
After doing some research, we filtered the venues on the ArtPrize app. ArtPrize Managing Director Amela Pegman said it's not a requirement to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
"We are an independently organized event, so just by nature of that, all of the venues and artists connect with each other outside of ArtPrize and so that’s just the way it worked," she said.
ArtPrize partners with the Disability Advocates of Kent County for their services. They help provide shuttle services and an access art lounge to help people with disabilities.
ArtPrize organizers said part of the beauty of the event is to offer as many venues as possible the opportunity to showcase art, rather than denying them the opportunity in hopes the venue will change their infrastructure.
If you do have some physical disabilities, you can visit the ArtPrize Web site or mobile app to map out a journey that works best for you.
