Museum, Arts and Culture Access Consortium

What Museum, Arts and Culture Access Consortium does

The Museum, Arts and Culture Access Consortium (MAC) is a New York City-based nonprofit consortium founded in 1990 in the wake of the Americans with Disabilities Act to advance disability access across the NYC cultural sector. Originally convened as the Museum Access Consortium by a small group of museum and disability professionals, the organization was rebranded in 2019 to reflect a broader remit spanning performing arts, botanical gardens, libraries, and other cultural institutions. MAC is a fiscally-sponsored organization of the Fund for the City of New York, governed by an Advisory Board drawn from leading NYC cultural employers and operated by four part-time paid staff supported by volunteer committees.

Name

Museum, Arts and Culture Access Consortium

Legal name

Museum, Arts and Culture Access Consortium

Website

https://macaccess.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MAC is a NYC-based nonprofit consortium founded in 1990 that connects cultural institutions with the disability community through accessible programming, professional development, and advocacy. It operates grant-funded programs including a citywide cultural calendar, internship pathways, and organizational accessibility training.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Equity & Cultural Accessibility Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM), Disability Employment & Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Programs (EDAAAOAI)

Keywords

• Disability accessibility advocacy
• Cultural institution accessibility
• Arts inclusion services
• Nonprofit consortium services
• Disability equity consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

New York City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grants and Funding: MAC is a fiscally-sponsored organization of the Fund for the City of New York. The organization receives funding from foundations including The FAR Fund and New York Community Trust for specific grant projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MAC is a disability-affirming nonprofit consortium that connects NYC-area cultural institutions, disability service providers, disabled individuals, parents, and advocates to advance disability equity in arts and culture. It delivers accessible event listings, professional development training, an accessibility resources hub, internships and career development programs for adults with developmental disabilities, and grant-funded organizational capacity building for member cultural institutions.

Product overview

The Museum, Arts and Culture Access Consortium (MAC) operates as a membership-based nonprofit organization rather than a commercial product company. Its offerings consist of event calendars (Cultural Calendar and Professional Development Calendar) that list accessible programs for disabled visitors and professional development opportunities for cultural workers. The organization also administers several grant-funded programs including Supporting Transitions (internship and career development for adults with disabilities), Foundations of Inclusion and Accessibility (training and organizational capacity building), and Mapping Virtual Access in Cultural Institutions (research and documentation of pandemic-era virtual accessibility practices). MAC functions as a central resource and thought leader for disability equity in New York City's arts and culture sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cultural Calendar Online calendar of cultural events, programs, and activities accessible to visitors with disabilities in the New York metro area; institutions submit events for review and approval to be listed.
• Professional Development Calendar
• Resources Hub
• Mapping Virtual Access in Cultural Institutions (MVACI)
• Supporting Transitions Project dedicated to increasing cultural opportunities for adults with autism, developmental, and intellectual disabilities through internships, career development, and network building at cultural institutions.
• Foundations of Inclusion and Accessibility

Quantifiable outcome

• 24th Annual Training Institute for Arts in Health and Creative Aging
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Fund for the City of New YorkcoreOthersMAC is a fiscally-sponsored organization of the Fund for the City of New York, which provides institutional sponsorship and administrative support.
• Kennedy Center for the Performing ArtsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Supporting Transitions internship program was created through a contract with the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts through the VSA Rosemary Kennedy Initiative.
• Lincoln Center for the Performing ArtsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLincoln Center is a key partner hosting accessible programming featured on MAC's cultural calendar, including relaxed performances and accessible cultural events.
• Disability Justice MovementcoreOthersMAC aspires to align with the values and intentions of disability justice movements and intersectional justice, working toward equity across identities.
• Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooper Hewitt hosts Supporting Transitions internship program for adults with developmental disabilities, supervised by the Accessibility Manager.
• CaringKindminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCaringKind's connect2culture program partnered with Ailey Arts in Education to pilot dance workshops for families impacted by dementia and Alzheimer's.
• Ailey Arts in EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAiley Arts in Education partnered with CaringKind to provide dance workshops for families impacted by dementia in the Bronx.
• Mark Morris Dance GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three organizations receiving training and capacity building support through the Foundations of Inclusion and Accessibility grant.
• Wave HillcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three organizations receiving training and capacity building support through the Foundations of Inclusion and Accessibility grant.
• Leslie-Lohman MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three organizations receiving training and capacity building support through the Foundations of Inclusion and Accessibility grant.
• CO/LAB Theater GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCO/LAB offers theater arts programming for individuals with developmental disabilities. MAC's Supporting Transitions program drew on CO/LAB as a case study for employing individuals with developmental disabilities.
• New York Public Library for the Performing ArtsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNYPL for the Performing Arts collaborates on multiple programs listed on MAC's cultural calendar, including storytime and dance programs.
• NewYork-PresbyterianminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial Hospital of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, collaborating on health and arts programming featured on MAC's calendar.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Adaptive Design Association: NYC-based nonprofit creating adaptive equipment and inclusive design solutions for people with disabilities, with a MAC advisory board member serving as Community Partnerships Coordinator. Operates in the same NYC disability ecosystem.
• CaringKind: NYC-based Alzheimer's and dementia care organization that has partnered with MAC member institutions (Ailey Arts in Education) to deliver accessible cultural programming. Adjacent mission area (dementia + cultural access) with overlapping NYC partner base.

Direct peers

• National Arts and Disability Center: UCLA-based national center dedicated to promoting the inclusion of artists and audiences with disabilities in the arts, providing training, research, and resources. Directly comparable mission and programming approach to MAC.
• National Disability Theatre: National nonprofit producing professional theatre work that integrates disabled artists, with programs for training and career development. Comparable to MAC's Supporting Transitions in advancing disability employment in the cultural sector.
• Creative Growth Art Center: Oakland-based nonprofit serving artists with developmental disabilities through studio programs, exhibitions, and career development. Comparable focus on disability, arts participation, and vocational/employment outcomes for disabled adults.
• VSA / Kennedy Center: The Kennedy Center's VSA program is a national leader in accessibility and disability inclusion in the arts, including the VSA Rosemary Kennedy Initiative that originally funded MAC's Supporting Transitions. Highly comparable mission of advancing disability equity in cultural institutions.
• Theater Breaking Through Barriers: NYC-based Off-Broadway theater company featuring artists with and without disabilities, with a parallel professional development and career pathway mission similar to MAC's Supporting Transitions program.
• Lead Cultural Access NYC: NYC-based initiative working to increase cultural participation by people with disabilities across the city's cultural institutions. Operates in the same geographic market with overlapping institutional partner set and accessibility mission.

Regional players

• Unlimited (UK): UK-based organization commissioning and promoting work by disabled artists with a national portfolio. Operates in a different geography but with a directly comparable mission of integrating disability into mainstream cultural programming and employment.
• Hospital Audiences Inc. NYC-based nonprofit providing accessible cultural and arts programming to people with disabilities, older adults, and other underserved groups. Operates in the same NYC market with similar mission of removing barriers to cultural participation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MAConsortium
• Facebookfacebook.com/MuseumAccess
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/macaccess
• Instagraminstagram.com/maconsortium

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Museum, Arts and Culture Access Consortium