Access Consultation
“Access is a right, not a privilege” - Disabled Proverb
Disabled people are the largest and fastest growing minority in the United States. Each individual has the responsibility and opportunity to make our world more accessible to people with disabilities of all kinds. Accomplishing accessibility- meeting individual needs different from one’s own- can feel overwhelming when unfamiliar. Sonya can guide you in increasing accessibility or understanding of disability within your space or project.
As a congenitally disabled person in predominantly non-disabled settings, Sonya has had to advocate for her own access from a young age. She became fascinated by access as practice as she met other people with disabilities and has studied and applied accessibility and disability theory deeply. This study has included the work of performance collective Sins Invalid, Spoke N Motion Dance, and Phamaly Theatre Company, among others. Additionally, texts such as Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice, Beauty Is A Verb, Disability Visibility: First Person Stories From the Twenty First Century, and her research for The Souls of our Feet and This Body’s Heart. Most importantly, she has had the opportunity to apply and expand access practices to populations of people with various disabilities of various ages in her work in various capacities with Phamaly Theatre Company, as a Case Manager serving people with intellectual/ developmental disabilities at Colorado Fund For People with Disabilities, and as the Youth Accessibility Lead at COLAGE programming. Sonya has facilitated numerous lectures and workshops on the topics of active inclusion, disability etiquette, and her own lived experience at conferences, high schools, universities, conferences, and non-profit organizations for both children and adults. Some of these institutions include: Northeastern University, Emerson College, University at Albany, SUNY, COLAGE (board trainings, adult, and youth workshops), Colorado Fund for People with Disabilities, and the True Colors Conference (2014 Keynote panelist). With the understanding that the art of accessibility is continuously changing and growing, she continues to educate herself by way of texts, connecting with disability centered organizations, and surrounding herself with disabled community socially, all of which enables her to glean insight in real time about various needs and successes of the many facets of the disabled community.
As a congenitally disabled person in predominantly non-disabled settings, Sonya has had to advocate for her own access from a young age. She became fascinated by access as practice as she met other people with disabilities and has studied and applied accessibility and disability theory deeply. This study has included the work of performance collective Sins Invalid, Spoke N Motion Dance, and Phamaly Theatre Company, among others. Additionally, texts such as Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice, Beauty Is A Verb, Disability Visibility: First Person Stories From the Twenty First Century, and her research for The Souls of our Feet and This Body’s Heart. Most importantly, she has had the opportunity to apply and expand access practices to populations of people with various disabilities of various ages in her work in various capacities with Phamaly Theatre Company, as a Case Manager serving people with intellectual/ developmental disabilities at Colorado Fund For People with Disabilities, and as the Youth Accessibility Lead at COLAGE programming. Sonya has facilitated numerous lectures and workshops on the topics of active inclusion, disability etiquette, and her own lived experience at conferences, high schools, universities, conferences, and non-profit organizations for both children and adults. Some of these institutions include: Northeastern University, Emerson College, University at Albany, SUNY, COLAGE (board trainings, adult, and youth workshops), Colorado Fund for People with Disabilities, and the True Colors Conference (2014 Keynote panelist). With the understanding that the art of accessibility is continuously changing and growing, she continues to educate herself by way of texts, connecting with disability centered organizations, and surrounding herself with disabled community socially, all of which enables her to glean insight in real time about various needs and successes of the many facets of the disabled community.
Sonya is available to consult on access and disability issues for organizations and independent projects; she has consulted theatre companies, non-profit organizations, painters, photographers, writers, and those in the fashion industry.
See what people are saying:
See what people are saying:
“In writing a book on mental illness, I decided that I wanted to include an essay about my relationship with the concept of disability, specifically considering myself disabled. I initially sent Sonya a two-page piece for quick edits and an easy look over. Little did I know that Sonya was about to completely shatter my distanced lens of disability. She provided me with prompts and invited me to share what I needed to with her. We talked through each of my revelations and discussed other identities of mine that intersect with and inform my concept of disability. My short piece turned into six different pieces and is still growing as I continue to work. She has been a rock star, a completely essential asset to my book’s and my development both. From internalized ableism to external stigma, Sonya held me close and guided me towards a better understanding of my personal and externalized concept of what disability is. I am better for it, my book is better for it, and anything you are trying to accomplish will be better with Sonya by your side.”
-Amelia Wright, Author
“Working with Sonya was a pleasure! She has so much knowledge and wisdom to share. She answered all of my questions about access and walked me through access needs I could never have predicted. Sonya was especially helpful with creating language that was specific and accessible. I had some questions that I was afraid to ask, afraid they were offensive. Sonya assured me we were working for a "brave space" and encouraged me to share the questions with her. Ultimately, it was critical that I did raise these questions and we had a fruitful conversation that helped craft the language of my project. Sonya was also able to connect me with other artists with disabilities. Not only did she provide insight and answers, she gave me access to her extensive network within the disability community.”
-Amalya Sherman, Painter and Graphic Designer
“I cannot recommend Sonya’s consulting services enough! She has the unique ability to be extremely direct while also radically kind - the perfect combination of qualities for this work. So many new accessibility needs emerged when our industry dove into online programming. Artists and administrators alike have a responsibility to ensure their work is accessible during this time and to embed accessibility into their creative process. I know from first hand experience that Sonya is the perfect person to bring into these moments. She always reminds me to center those I am working to serve so my team can make our art authentically accessible. Sonya is well informed and takes the initiative to keep herself educated on the latest data and resources. She is well connected in communities of disabled artists, and has a breadth of resources and contacts she is able to pull from in the few moments when she needs to seek out more information for her clients. Trained as an arts administrator and performer, Sonya’s skills lie at a unique intersection that enables her to meet your needs, whether you are a managing director, performer, or an entrepreneur beginning your first creative enterprise!
An anecdote - Several years ago I watched Sonya give a presentation on accessibility in theater. I had recently directed her in a show where we needed her to get up onto a small platform. My team had designed the set so that all the actors, including Sonya, had to step up two wooden stairs to reach the platform. At the time, it did not seem like a big deal because she was able to make it up the steps. I, as a non-disabled person assumed it was OK as long as she could make it up. At the time, I did not think of the extra and unnecessary work it took for her to make it up the two steps.
In this talk she cited the steps as an example of how to think about accessibility in theater. She shared that the problem was not that the steps were a challenge or that she needed more help to get up the stairs. The problem is that there were stairs in the first place! We could have used a ramp and it would have made no significant aesthetic or dramaturgical difference, but would have brought ease to an actor’s experience.
I think about this moment regularly. Now when I am thinking about how to make something accessible I ask myself, “am I building stairs or a ramp?””
An anecdote - Several years ago I watched Sonya give a presentation on accessibility in theater. I had recently directed her in a show where we needed her to get up onto a small platform. My team had designed the set so that all the actors, including Sonya, had to step up two wooden stairs to reach the platform. At the time, it did not seem like a big deal because she was able to make it up the steps. I, as a non-disabled person assumed it was OK as long as she could make it up. At the time, I did not think of the extra and unnecessary work it took for her to make it up the two steps.
In this talk she cited the steps as an example of how to think about accessibility in theater. She shared that the problem was not that the steps were a challenge or that she needed more help to get up the stairs. The problem is that there were stairs in the first place! We could have used a ramp and it would have made no significant aesthetic or dramaturgical difference, but would have brought ease to an actor’s experience.
I think about this moment regularly. Now when I am thinking about how to make something accessible I ask myself, “am I building stairs or a ramp?””
- Chloe Knight, Development Professional and Yale School of Drama MFA candidate
“Anyone who meets Sonya should consider themselves lucky to be in the presence of an individual who is equal parts intelligent, strong, creative, and compassionate. I first met Sonya at the National Student Leadership Conference. As her Team Advisor, I was tasked with leading her group in academic conversations and activities surrounding the arts and leadership. While I loved teaching, I gained much more from her participation and perspective. Sonya was a student who made an impression on staff and students alike. We overlapped at my alma mater, where she continued to show she is a force to be reckoned with – in addition to her coursework, she released a documentary, honed her craft as a writer and choreographer, and continued her activism. She inspires me, as an able-bodied CIS white woman, to listen more and to constantly expand my own activism. Recently, I consulted Sonya to assist with my own research. As I am investigating ways the fashion industry can and should be more inclusive, Sonya’s point of view was invaluable. She thoughtfully approached the discussion with examples of her own experiences and shed light on the needs that are continuously not met for the disabled community. I am sure I will always have more to learn from Sonya, and the world would be wise to give this woman the attention she deserves. I am confident her wisdom and heart will continue to drive her to challenge societal norms to not only acknowledge but celebrate the needs and humanity of all individuals.”
- Codie Higer, Fashion Stylist
