Creative Access Press Release

June 5, 2002
For Immediate Release
Photos provided upon request Contact Carol Finkle
(215) 569-8311 T/V
(215) 569-8104 fax
Tiny Non-Profit Receives "Key to the City" & Proclamation
from Mayor John F. Street - and
Presents 7 first-ever “Accessibility Beyond the Ramp” Awards

• June 1, 2002 Named Creative Access Day in the City of Philadelphia
• The Honorable Edward G. Rendell and Sharon Pinkenson welcome mixed Deaf/Hearing patrons
• CK Williams - Pulitzer Prize Winner for Poetry 2000, Reads with American Sign Language Accompaniment
Philadelphia - The tiny non-profit organization, Creative Access, founded ten years ago by Carol Finkle, hearing mother of two deaf children, to assure inclusion and accessibility for people with hearing loss in the rich arts life of the Greater Philadelphia area, stepped into the spotlight on Saturday night, June 1, 2002, at Creative Access’s 10th Gala celebration at the Painted Bride Art Center in Olde City.

Being a communication accessible event, the program opened at 7 p.m. with Celine Dion's God Bless America, interpreted in American Sign Language by Mike Canfield, a Deaf actor recently returned to his native city from 15 years of acting and directing in Australia. Mr. Canfield's signing included a slight twist of Ms. Dion's lyrics when, at the end, he signed, "New York…destroyed" and "God bless New York" in addition to God Bless America'. Those who understand sign language were visibly moved by the rendition of the lyrics in sign, and others were able to read the captions provided throughout the evening.

Sharon Pinkenson, Executive Director of The Greater Philadelphia Film Office, then picked up the mic and heralded Creative Access and the Film Office's long time mutual support along with a glowing introduction of former Mayor of Philadelphia, the Honorable Edward G. Rendell. At first glimpse of Mr. Rendell, the entire audience rose to its feet in spontaneous applause, which included the ‘Deaf applause’ of arms waving above the head, clapping, cheering and stomping. Then Ms. Pinkenson inatroduced Creative Access's first promotional video…”after all, that is what [she does]”!

The video was a 12-minute capsule of ten years of Creative Access advocacy, programs and accomplishments. Entertaining and informative, the short video demonstrates the historic state of exclusion of Deaf and hard of hearing people and Deaf/hearing families from the mainstream arts life of the Greater Philadelphia area prior to 1992, the birth year of Creative Access. Concomitantly, it highlights the ways and means and degree to which that picture has been dramatically altered in the ensuing decade.

At the film's end, nationally acclaimed CJ Jones, labeled by some, "the Billy Crystal of the Deaf World", came on stage as the evening’s Emcee. As always, CJ had the crowd laughing at regular intervals. The fact is that Mr. Jones could stand in for any one of the actual Academy Award Emcees, any time.

Dignitaries from City and State, from the Deaf world and the world of those who can hear, came out en masse to bestow accolades, acknowledgement and awards on Creative Access, often said "to be everywhere…but nobody knows who [we] are". Now the entire city knows, having the Honorable Ed Rendell, and the Honorable John Street’s presence to praise Creative Access’s Founder as well as the organization's impact on the people of Philadelphia…"All of the people" of Philadelphia”!

Others offering praises at the Gala were:
• Bonnie Grant, City Representative for Ceremonials, presented Creative Access with the 'key to the City' [including a sterling silver Liberty Plate and gilded replica of the Liberty Bell , both of which Ms. Grant explained signify the impact of Creative Access’s work on the quality of life for the people and institutions residing in and around our great City (Deaf and hearing.)

• Accompanying Ms. Grant were Laurel Mauerer, and Roger Marguiles, Assistant Deputy City Representative for Arts and Culture and Director of the Mayor's Office on People with Disabilities respectively. Ms. Mauerer (attending in place of Carol Clark Lawrence), and Mr. Margulies presented Creative Access with the Mayor's Proclamation, making June 1, 2002, "Creative Access Day" in the city of Philadelphia”.

All were present to acknowledge two important landmarks: 1) the accomplishments of Creative Access during its first decade of operations; 2) to toast the first recipients of the 'Accessibility Beyond the Ramp' Awards, presented by Ms. Finkle to seven Philadelphia arts institutions for ‘walking-the-walk’ with her and the organizations she founded.

• The keynote speaker for the evening was Phillip Horn, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, followed by several other noted individuals including child advocate, David Hornbeck, former Superintendent of The Philadelphia School District, the Reverend Roger Pickering, first Deaf President of PA School for the Deaf and Steven Florio, President of PA Society for the Advancement of the Deaf. Ms. Finkle then presented Awards to Pennsylvania Ballet, Arden Theatre Company, Freedom Theater, Mum Puppettheatre, Mid Atlantic Playbill Publishers, Forrest Theatre and Painted Bride Art Center

• The entertainment portion of the evening was long awaited and began after the intermission at 8:30pm. CK Williams Pulitzer Prize winner for poetry greeted the audience by saying [he] had not known all that Carol had accomplished and [was] proud to know her”. Mr. Williams then read four of his marvelous poems, accompanied by Abby Finkle Longo, Mike Canfield and Nancy Sullivan. Ms. Finkle made it clear when planning the evening’s program that each of Mr. Williams poems would be appropriately ‘interpreted’ by particular individuals, matching each one with her chosen person; three out of the four poems were translated by Deaf individuals, an unusual circumstance in any forum.

Last note: Before Creative Access was established 10 years ago, Deaf and hard-of- hearing individuals and families were for the most part unseen, unheard and unheralded in the mainstream arts life of Southeast Pennsylvania. Thanks to Creative Access, its arts partners, collaborators and funders, that scenario no longer exists. Deaf children and adults are present, as audience and performer, in area theaters, museums and other presenting spaces throughout a given year -- and we all are the richer for it.