Assistant to Access Programs and Initiatives; Part-Time, Temporary

The Whitney Museum, the defining museum of twentieth-century and contemporary American art, seeks an Assistant to Access Programs and Initiatives.

The Assistant to Access Programs and Initiatives reports to the Director of Learning and Social Impact.

The Whitney’s Access division builds pathways for visitors with a wide range of disabilities to engage with the richness and complexity of American art. Through regular programs like Whitney Signs, Verbal Description and Touch Tours, and Quieter Hours for Neurodivergent Visitors, we work to build community and create space for multi-modal conversations about art. The Access team is dedicated to ensuring that access isn’t just a checklist but instead a method of creating a welcoming space for diverse groups of disabled people.

Working collaboratively with departments like Interpretation and Educational Content, Curatorial, Exhibitions, and Visitor Services, the Access team develops and distributes a wide range of access materials that disabled and non-disabled visitors can utilize to facilitate and/or deepen their engagement to Whitney exhibitions and programs.

The Access Programs division is a part of the Social Impact area;
Social Impact lives within the Whitney’s Education department.

This position is part-time (21 hours per week) and fully in-person. The schedule will be Tuesday-Friday, and one Saturday per month to assist with the Whitney Descriptions and Whitney Signs programs. Occasional availability on Sundays is also required.

• Assisting with the production of select Access content for the Whitney’s mobile guide. Working with departments such as Interpretation and Educational Content, Digital Content and Curatorial to ensure access components for appropriate artworks on view
• Assisting with the production and maintenance of access materials including but not limited to:
  Large Print Guides, Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs), induction loops, social narratives, image descriptions, etc.
• Assisting with all aspects of the Whitney’s in-person and virtual Access Programs including Whitney Signs, Whitney Descriptions, Quieter Hours for Neurodivergent Visitors, and other programs designed for people with disabilities
• Creating work orders and assisting with all aspects of Access events
• Maintaining consistent and clear communication with Access educators to coordinate monthly programs
• Consistently responding to messages received through the Access Feedback email and phone line
• Conducting outreach to diverse disability communities through various modes including email marketing, in-person off site visits to community organizations, and the production of accessible fliers and posters
• Performing a wide variety of administrative functions to help day-to-day management of the Access division, including but not limited to processing invoices for freelance educators, service providers, and freelancer writers, assisting with budget tracking, tracking program statistics, creating reports, submitting work orders and calendar requests
• Learning cultural competency with diverse disabled groups/disability etiquette
• Working closely with various departments including Visitor Services, Facilities, Security, Special Events, Marketing, AV and other Museum departments to ensure that Access programs run smoothly
• Purchasing and organizing art materials, and ordering snacks for some programs/events
• Documenting program sessions and public events while organizing files in respective systems
• Conducting research as needed for the Access team

• B.A./B.F.A. with a background in education, museum studies, disability studies, studio art, art history, or a related field
• Demonstrated experience in research and writing
• Strong administrative and communication…