Cultural Access Collaborative

What Cultural Access Collaborative does

Cultural Access Collaborative (CAC) is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2013 (incorporated 2017) that operates as the coordinating body for cultural accessibility across Illinois. Originally launched as the Chicago Cultural Accessibility Consortium (CCAC) and rebranded in 2023 to reflect its statewide scope, the organization serves two principal constituencies: Illinois cultural organizations (theaters, museums, zoos, gardens, orchestras, historic sites) that need to remove physical and programmatic barriers for disabled visitors, and people with disabilities seeking accessible cultural experiences. Its service stack consists of four productized lines: a free Equipment Loan Program (captioning equipment, assistive listening systems, FM systems, audio description kits) distributed through a logistics hub at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum; an Access Calendar that aggregates accessible in-person events across Illinois and virtual events nationally; recurring Professional Development workshops, webinars, and convenings (with optional suggested donations); and an Accessibility Resources library of guides, checklists, and ADA materials.

The platform itself is built on WordPress with an event-submission CMS, integrated with Zoom, YouTube Live, Facebook Live, Microsoft, and Webex for virtual and hybrid event hosting, and exports to Google Calendar. CAC does not monetize user-facing services; pricing is uniformly free or donation-optional. Revenue is instead assembled from individual donations, foundation grants (Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, PERT Foundation, The MacArthur Funds for Culture, Equity, and the Arts at Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, Michael and Mona Heath Fund, Field Foundation, Arts Work Fund), and government grants (CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events using NEA American Rescue Plan funds, Illinois Arts Council Agency pass-through NEA funds), supplemented by annual fundraiser events such as the "Collab with Us!" comedy showcase.

CAC operates with approximately eight people (historically entirely volunteer-led, transitioning in 2025-2026 to a part-time Executive Director) and an annual budget of approximately $130,000. Governance is exercised through a volunteer Steering Committee (currently co-chaired by Bill Green, Zhen Heinemann, and Lauren Pincus) and a Board of Directors (President Christena Gunther, Treasurer Jenny Casteller, Secretary Anna Cosner, VP Risa Jaz Rifkind). Partner ecosystem includes Lincoln Park Zoo, Open Door Arts, ADA 25 Chicago / The Chicago Community Trust, Arts & Culture Access Hub, Access Living, and a network of named cultural institutions. Recognition includes the 2015 Kennedy Center LEAD Emerging Leader Award and the 2016 Lifeline Theatre Raymond R. Snyder Commitment to the Arts Award.

Name

Cultural Access Collaborative

Legal name

Cultural Access Collaborative

Website

https://culturalaccesscollaborative.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cultural Access Collaborative is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that coordinates cultural accessibility across Illinois by running a free Equipment Loan Program, an Access Calendar of accessible events, and Professional Development workshops for cultural organizations serving visitors with disabilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts & Cultural Accessibility Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Accessible Media Production (Alt Formats, Captioning, Audio Description) (EDALAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Special Education & Accessibility-Optimized Media (UDL, AAC, Captioning) (EDAGALAH), Assistive Listening & Accessibility AV Infrastructure (Hearing loops, captioning hardware) (EDAEAHAN), Cultural Centers & Community Cultural Organizations (BPAGAHAD)

Keywords

• Cultural accessibility services
• Disability inclusion training
• Accessibility equipment lending
• Accessible event calendar
• Arts professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute to support free professional development workshops, equipment loans, and the Access Calendar for cultural organizations.
2. Foundation Grants: Funding from foundations including Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, PERT Foundation, The MacArthur Funds for Culture, Equity, and the Arts at Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, Michael and Mona Heath Fund, Field Foundation, and Arts Work Fund.
3. Government Grants: Funding from CityArts Grant from City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events (NEA American Rescue Plan), Illinois Arts Council Agency (NEA funds), and City of Chicago DCASE.
4. Event Fundraising: Annual fundraiser events such as 'Collab with Us!' featuring comedians to raise funds for organizational operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Cultural Access Collaborative provides cultural accessibility services to Illinois arts and cultural organizations, including a free Equipment Loan Program of captioning/assistive listening/audio description devices, an Access Calendar of accessible events across Illinois (in-person) and the U.S. (virtual), and Professional Development workshops and training on disability inclusion. The organization also operates the Event Submission Platform allowing cultural venues to promote accessible programming and a newsletter/resource library for cultural administrators.

Product overview

Cultural Access Collaborative operates as a centralized accessibility platform serving Illinois' cultural organizations. The core offerings include an Access Calendar for discovering and promoting accessible events, an Equipment Loan Program providing free equipment loans for accessibility services, Professional Development workshops and training, and an Accessibility Resources library. The organization also maintains an Event Submission Platform allowing cultural organizations to list accessible events. The platform supports integrations with video streaming services including Zoom, YouTube Live, Facebook Live, Microsoft, and Webex for virtual and hybrid event accessibility. The organization was formerly known as Chicago Cultural Accessibility Consortium (CCAC) and expanded to statewide reach in 2023.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Access Calendar Chicago's only Access Calendar of accessible in-person events in Illinois and virtual events across the U.S. A free searchable calendar platform allowing visitors to identify and filter accessible events by keywords, categories, date, time, cost, and accessibility services offered (captioning, ASL interpretation, audio description, sensory-friendly, etc.). Open to cultural organizations and the public.
• Equipment Loan Program Free short-term equipment loans to Chicago-area cultural organizations including captioning equipment, assistive listening devices, FM systems, and audio description kits (Stationary Audio Description Kit, Stationary Assistive Listening System, Portable FM System, DIY Captioning Equipment) used to facilitate accessible events at no cost. Pickup/dropoff at Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum.
• Professional Development Workshops and Training Ongoing in-person and virtual professional development workshops, webinars, lunch-and-learn sessions, and training opportunities for cultural administrators across Illinois covering accessibility topics including sensory-friendly programming, ASL interpretation, audio description, captioning, and disability inclusion. Optional suggested donation to cover speaker and access services costs.
• Accessibility Resources Library Compiled resources, guides, checklists, and downloadable materials to help cultural organizations begin or continue their accessibility journey, including ADA guidelines, self-evaluation tools, best practices documentation, video recordings of past workshops, and accessibility planning tools.
• Event Submission Platform Online platform allowing cultural organizations to submit accessible events for inclusion on the Access Calendar. Supports virtual, hybrid, and in-person events with multiple venues, accessibility service tags, and integrations with Zoom, YouTube Live, Facebook Live, Microsoft, Webex, and Google Calendar for streaming events.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free equipment loans provided to Chicagoland cultural organizations
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum (Chicago Academy of Sciences)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEquipment Loan Partner hosting pickup and dropoff location for all equipment loans at 2430 N. Cannon Drive, Chicago. Provides in-kind support for the equipment loan program logistics.
• Bivins Brothers CreativeminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIn-kind web design donor providing website development and maintenance services for the organization.
• Croke, Fairchild, Morgan & BeresminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIn-kind legal counsel donor providing legal services for organizational compliance and governance.
• Juras Creative PracticeminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIn-kind logo design donor that created the organization's visual identity.
• Open Door ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization providing accessibility self-assessment tools, planning resources, and professional development content. Collaborated on programs including The Hub workshop series and accessibility training.
• ADA 25 Chicago / The Chicago Community TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegacy partnership from ADA 25 Chicago initiative (2015) that launched the Access Calendar with funding from The Chicago Community Trust. Continues as foundational supporter.
• Access LivingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for Equipment Loan Social events at 115 W Chicago Ave, providing gallery space for community gatherings and equipment demonstrations.
• Arts & Culture Access HubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partner network providing accessibility planning tools and resources used in CAC programs. Part of broader cultural accessibility network.
• Lincoln Park ZoocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for Co-Creation with the Disability Community event; hosts Steering Committee Co-Chair Bill Green as Hart Prins Fund Accessibility & Inclusion Manager; model organization for accessibility and inclusion practices.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Access Living: Chicago-based disability rights and advocacy organization that hosts CAC's Equipment Loan Social events. Overlapping Chicago geography and shared mission to advance disability inclusion, though Access Living focuses on broader civil rights rather than cultural-sector access specifically.
• Disability Lead: Chicago-area nonprofit developing leaders with disabilities and advancing disability inclusion across sectors. Shares board leadership with CAC (board VP Risa Jaz Rifkind is Disability Lead's Director of Civic Engagement) and operates in adjacent disability-empowerment space.

Broad incumbents

• Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC): International nonprofit supporting science centers and museums with professional development, including accessibility resources. Comparable trade-association model serving cultural institutions with capacity-building programming.
• American Alliance of Museums (AAM): National membership organization representing museums with DEAI (Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, Inclusion) programming and resources. Operates as the kind of larger, broader incumbent that CAC's member institutions (Art Institute, Shedd, Lincoln Park Zoo) also belong to.
• VSA / Kennedy Center (LEAD Network): National program of the Kennedy Center advancing accessibility and inclusion in the arts, including the LEAD (Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability) network that recognized CAC's founders in 2015. Operates the same intersection of disability and cultural access at national scale.
• National Arts and Disability Center (UCLA): National center providing resources, training, and advocacy for accessibility in the arts, including the ADA National Network's arts-specific programming. Comparable in mission (advancing accessibility in cultural settings) and resource-library orientation to CAC.
• ADA National Network: Federally funded national network providing ADA information, guidance, and training. Comparable as a free resource provider helping organizations understand and implement accessibility requirements, though broader in scope than cultural-specific.
• League of American Orchestras (Accessibility Program): National service organization for orchestras that runs accessibility initiatives including sensory-friendly programming guidance. Comparable industry-intermediary role helping cultural organizations adopt accessibility practices.

Direct peers

• Inclusion in the Arts: Nonprofit advocating for disability, race, and gender inclusion in theater, film, and television. Direct peer with comparable mission around advancing inclusion in cultural/arts organizations and supporting accessibility consulting for institutional clients.
• Open Door Arts: National nonprofit providing accessibility self-assessment tools, planning resources, and professional development content for cultural organizations. CAC's existing strategic partner with overlapping mission around cultural accessibility training and resources.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CulturalAccess
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CulturalAccess
• Facebookfacebook.com/CulturalAccess
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cultural-access
• Instagraminstagram.com/culturalaccesscollab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cultural Access Collaborative