Carol Finkle
CREATIVE ACCESS
Where you born and raised? Describe your childhood. How many members are in your family? Are any of them deaf or hard of hearing?
I was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA. I basically had a normal childhood with 4 family members, none of which were deaf or hard of hearing.
Describe your education background.
B.A. English and M.A. Deaf Education from Temple University, and M.A. Deafness Rehabilitation, New York University.
Did you have a Jewish upbringing? What is your fondest memory as a child growing up in a Jewish home?
I did have a Jewish upbringing. Went to Hebrew school and was Bat Mitzvahed at 13 and then confirmed at 16. I even remember my presentation at my Bat Mitzvah… “The difference between Christmas and Chanukah”, smile. Thirteen girls were Bat Mitzvahed and I got an award. The party afterwards was marvelous, in the basement of the Synagogue… so I remember it well. It was my first ‘party’. Thanks for bringing back that memory.
How and why did you get started working within the Deaf and hard of hearing community?
I have two Deaf children who spent most of their lives excluded from most of what all our other friends & fami lies did as a matter of course, E.G. Going to the movies, theater, museum tours and more. If you believe that the world of arts and culture ‘nourishes the soul’, then you know why I started Creative Access (smiling!).
Tell us about Creative Access. How did it get started?
Organization History/Mission – In the fall of 1991, community members gathered to address the historic exclusion of individuals who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing in the social and cultural fabric of our region, historically the domain of the hearing world. Creative Access improves the quality of life for members of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community, friends, families and the hearing society at large through communication accessibility to the arts in the Greater Philadelphia area, and does so without discriminating on the basis of race, age, religion, gender, disability or sexual orientation.
CA is the 501-C-3 advocacy, arts-service and presenting organization in Southeastern Pennsylvania assuring visibility, full accessibility, new opportunity and full inclusion of Deaf or Hard of Hearing individuals of all ages in the cultural life of our region, and, as such, provides, sup ports and advocates greater awareness, understanding and appreciation of the Deaf Culture and American Sign Language through its myriad programs and service.
How many people do you service?
350,000 Deaf and Hard of hearing individuals of all ages, plus the region’s existing arts institutions.
Describe some of the programs your organization provides.
Movie Access Project (MAP)- monthly screenings of current-title American films, with OPEN CAPTIONS.
Museum Access Project (MUAP)-Partnering with museums to plan and carry out accessible events and programs (e.g. Signed-interpreted tours).
Calendar of Accessible Cultural Events- Distributed regularly via email and snail mail. The Community depends on it (both the arts community and Deaf consumers) for information about programs and event interpreted and/or captioned.
Sign Language Interpreting Services- Providing interpret ers, sign language classes and Deaf culture workshops to arts institutions, funding organizations and others throughout the region.
‘Accent on Dance’- Partnering with the Pennsylvania Ballet to bring a new audience of students to the ballet with hands-on interactive pre-ballet program for the Deaf, hard of hearing students.
Deaf and Hearing Performing Artists Initiative (DPAI) Showcasing performers and performances of and about Deaf Culture, expanding presentations into mainstream venues and presented through the medium of American Sign Language. Voice interpretation always provided for hearing audiences.
Has your organization been the recipient of any awards?
We have received the Access Achievement Award from the Mayor’s Office on People with Disabilities. In fact, since our beginning in 1992, Creative Access has been acknowledged with four noteworthy awards. This is all due to our continued support from the Deaf and Hearing community, all ages and stages of life.
What ways did you fund the business?
Foundation grants, individual contributions, fundraising events… still very difficult because I built such a big and successful organization of programming that I never took enough time to raise the money I/we need. I also spend so much time organizing the community around the Movie Access situation… (protests and demonstrations in front of the movie theaters etc.) that I have even less time to do the things an Executive Director really must focus on. THAT is why we must find the funding to hire staff!!
What are your future goals for the organization you created?
To raise enough money to hire staff to help it grow and grow and grow…
