PUTNEY — Once again, the board and so many volunteers and donors have given the community the amazing Brattleboro Literary Festival. Wow!
However, to hold a festival event in an inaccessible venue such as the Hooker-Dunham Theater is not right.
It is my understanding that any organization that receives funding from a federal source, such as the National Endowment for the Arts, or from a state source, such as the Vermont Arts Council, is by law required to hold events in accessible venues.
I remember speaking with Isabel Wilkerson when she visited the Festival and spoke about her book The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration. We spoke about barriers, and I mentioned that the festival held an event in an inaccessible venue.
She said, “Well, that would exclude my mother; she's in a wheelchair.”
We all know that if the venue were to exclude Isabel Wilkerson's mother based on race, there would be an uproar, but to exclude her - or anyone else - based on accessibility is somehow acceptable.
I'm looking forward to next year's Literary Festival and sending a deep bow and much appreciation all the good works of the organization.