Access Granted with R. David New

Today, please welcome Dr. Beth Bienvenu, a respected leader in arts accessibility and disability inclusion. With more than 20 years of experience, she has worked at the intersection of the arts, accessibility, and public policy. As the former accessibility director of the Endowment of the Arts, Dr. Bienvenu led efforts to expand access to the arts for people with disabilities and providing guidanc...

Today's guest is Alfred Meyer, a 27-year-old actor, singer, and multidisciplinary artist based in Miami. Totally blind and passionate about storytelling, Alfred has spent more than 14 years studying acting and has performed in over 20 productions, including The Addams Family, Aladdin, and Elf. He has also appeared in campaigns for Amazon, Apple, and Spectrum. In addition to acting, Alfred is a voc...

Today's guest is someone who has been at the forefront of accessible music technology for decades. Bill McCann is the founder of Dancing Dots, a pioneering company dedicated to making music accessible to people who are blind and visually impaired. Through innovations in music notation, assistive software, and education, Bill has opened doors that were once firmly closed, empowering musicians to re...

Today, we're honored to welcome Georgina Klieg, a writer, scholar, and leading voice in disability studies and the arts. Georgina is a professor emerita at UC Berkeley and the author of several influential books, including Sight Unseen and More Than Meets the Eye, where she challenges traditional ideas about blindness and visual culture. Her work has helped reshape how museums, artists, and audien...

Sina Bahram is the president and founder of Prime Access Consulting, or PAC. PAC is an inclusive design firm that helps welcome the widest possible audience to all digital and physical spaces. Sina has served as an expert witness, spoken at the United Nations, and contributed to landmark disability cases at all levels, including the Supreme Court of the United States. He also serves on and chairs...

Today's guest is Joy Mistovich, Assistant Education Director and Digital Accessibility Specialist at the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio. Joy is a passionate advocate for accessible and inclusive museum experiences, combining her background In art education, technology, and accessibility to make art available to all. A blind visual artist, author, and accessibility pioneer, Jo...

Step inside an exclusive Art Basel special edition of Access Granted, where creativity takes center stage. This episode unlocks behind-the-scenes conversations, bold ideas, and the cultural moments shaping today's art world—bringing you closer to the artists, stories, and inspirations that make Art Basel unforgettable.

Today, I'm thrilled to welcome a true pioneer in accessibility, arts education, and inclusive cultural programming Trish Maunder .* Trish is the Creative Director and Co-Founder   of Philly Touch Tours, where she designs groundbreaking tactile and sensory experiences in museums and cultural institutions for blind and visually impaired audiences. * Her work has transformed how people connect with a...