UMS ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT
UMS believes that experiencing live music as a community increases inclusion, joy, and belonging. Yet for many music lovers and musicians with disabilities, the full experience is often out of reach.
That's why we're committed to making the UMS experience – both in person and online – accessible.
We know that it will take time and ongoing engagement to meet the ever-changing needs of a dynamic, diverse community of music lovers. So, over the next several years, UMS will hire artists with disabilities to lead this vision, and we’ll make the small and large improvements they recommend in pursuit of broader accessibility.
OUR PLAN
In January 2023, UMS launched a comprehensive accessibility plan with the goal of increasing access to UMS in-person and virtual experiences. Developed and led by artists with disabilities, the plan will address how artists and fest-goers experience every aspect of the UMS, from the website and app to stages, venues, vendors, community partners and participating businesses.
We know that it will take time to achieve full accessibility at UMS. Over the next three years, musicians, fest-goers, partners, sponsors, and vendors will see our commitment in action in the following ways:
2023
Honest look/audit/mapping & increased visibility
• Hire artists with disabilities to lead accessibility process
• Adopt a UMS Accessibility Commitment Statement
• Make accessibility improvements to website, festival app, and artist application
• Conduct accessibility audit of stages, venues, vendors, and community partners
• Implement some shovel-ready/small changes based on audit findings
• Provide accessibility workshops at Impact Days
• Provide fest-goers with an accessibility map so they know what is/isn’t accessible
• Introduce the theme of Accessibility throughout the festival through signage, window stickers, and commemorative poster.
2024
Incorporate Accessibility throughout the festival and implement recommendations from the audit.
2025
Integrating accessibility into UMS guiding principles and festival operations
Meet the Accessibility Team
Jessica Wallach
UMS Accessibility Coordinator
Jessica Wallach, of Greater Depth Media, is a life-long disability and accessibility activist, photographer, arts educator, and producer. She went to graduate school before there were disability programs, so she hand-crafted her own at Cornell University’s City and Regional Planning School by always asking for whom are we making cities accessible? Her organizing principle is to make space a love letter to the body through art.
Kalyn Rose Heffernan
UMS Accessibility Team Lead
Kalyn Rose Heffernan is the wheelchair using, rap heavy, freedom fighting producer, educator, foul mouthed rebel rouser and UMS artist. Raised by the DIY (Do It Yourself) spirit of experimental independence, Kalyn fronts the internationally acclaimed band Wheelchair Sports Camp. In 2019, Kalyn led Denver's first disabled, queer, artist campaign for the mayor seat. The “tiny happy mayor” has been advocating for herself and other marginalized communities through music, direct action, education and art since ever. She is currently the Lead Faculty of Youth on Record’s Fellowship program, where she mentors the next generation of Colorado’s creatives.