What are Ragdale’s Accessible and DEAI (Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, Inclusion) offerings?

Ragdale cultivates a safe, welcoming, and supportive environment for all artists. Please contact Ragdale Staff (deanna@ragdale.org / 847-234-1063 x23) to discuss and questions, comments, and suggestions you may have.

What does Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (DEAI) mean to Ragdale’s Residency Program?

Ragdale is committed to diverse, equitable, accessible, and inclusive programs for all who attend including those who identify as BIPOC, living with disabilities, LGBTQIA+, and other marginalized individuals. We actively solicit feedback from artists in residence so that we can make informed decisions about improving our facilities, programs, and policies.

Residency Conduct / Community Guidelines

Residents can support their colleagues. For instance, you are hosting an open studio or gathering in your workspace, double check that the path is clear and well-lit, furniture is out of the pathways but available, and bathroom is accessible. Print out any readings in advance for your fellow residents who experience low hearing or deafness.

Locating Ragdale:

• Ragdale is located in Lake Forest just thirty miles north of Chicago, IL

• Many residents and guests miss our driveway the first time they approach it. Look for a blue “Ragdale” lantern or a brick u-shaped brick driveway. 1260 N. Green Bay Road. Office + Barnhouse 1230 N. Green Bay Road. Ragdale House and Parking Lot

Parking and Pathways:

• Ragdale has one main parking lot located at 1230 N Green Bay rd. Residents are expected to park in this parking lot unless accessible parking is required. Each building will have at least one accessible parking space and one dedicated van-accessible parking space. Accessible parking spaces will be assigned to an individual for the duration of the residency.

• Pathways between buildings include paved, wood chip, and brick. In 2022-2023 wood chip paths will be replaced by crushed limestone. Ramps are installed at building points of entry and exit.

Communal Spaces:

• Ragdale’s 1st floor studios and communal spaces are accessible. This includes kitchens, dining facilities, living rooms, bathrooms, and conference room. Wherever possible, doorknobs have been replaced by lever handles.

Outdoor Spaces + Prairie:

• Ragdale has several outdoor areas to enjoy. The lawn is mowed regularly. The garden has grass and paver paths. The Ragdale Ring project changes locations each year, and is often positioned on the lawn. The lawn and wood chip paths can be challenging to navigate in wet and cold weather. Please consider this when planning group activities.

• Ragdale is located adjacent to 50 acres of open prairie that is maintained by Lake Forest Open Lands, a member-based conservation organization. We ask that residents stay on the paths and not to take anything from the prairie. Be aware that members may walk their dogs leashed or unleashed. The pathways are unpaved, and can be muddy in spring and icy in winter.

• Residents have permission to use the golf cart to navigate the campus and prairie.

Buildings:

• Ragdale currently offers four accessible live/work studio spaces appropriate for visual art, dance, music, writing, and other disciplines. Two additional accessible live/work spaces are anticipated in 2022-2023.

• Ragdale House, 1230 N Green Bay Rd, is a house for residents’ live/work spaces and communal gatherings. 5 live/work writers’ rooms are on the second floor and 1 is located on the first floor. A kitchen, living room, dining room, and plant room are located on the first floor. Laundry facilities and a bike-room a located in the basement. The basement is accessible from the outside of the building. The names of the resident rooms in this building are: Top of the Stairs, Blue, Albert’s, Sarah’s, and Alice’s.

• Barnhouse, 1260 N Green Bay Rd. is a house for administrative offices, chef’s kitchen, residents’ live/work spaces and communal gatherings.

• Ragdale House, 1280 N Green Bay Rd. is a house for residents’ live/work spaces and communal gatherings.

• Shearer Studio for Dance and Music is two residents live/work spaces. The resident assigned to these spaces may invite others into their space.

• Meadow Studio is one residents’ work-only space. The resident assigned to this space may invite others into their space. 

Additional Offerings for Artists with Disabilities:

• See our fellowships page for available opportunities including the Prairie Fellowship and Craig H. Neilsen Fellowship.

• Live-work spaces are equipped with adjustable height beds and desks and remote/app controlled blinds, ac/heat, speakers, and more. Residents have access to studio-grade headphones, microphones, speakers, monitors, projectors, DSLR camera and more.

•Personal Care Assistant (PCA)/Studio Assistant: residents may request to bring a PCA or Studio Assistant of their choosing. Ragdale can offer a private room and all meals. The resident will be responsible for employment of their PCA or Studio Assistant.

•Fitness and Physical Therapy: Ragdale can recommend local massage therapists, yoga studios or Pilates facility while in residence so that artists can secure the support they need to be productive, healthy, and well during residency.

ACRE is committed to being open and accessible to all artists. We are eager to work with you directly to ensure we will be able to meet your needs. 

The residency is located on a 1000-acre farm in Wisconsin’s Driftless Region. Living, dining, and studio spaces are communal.

The residency is comprised of several main buildings and several outbuildings located around the residency property. Residents regularly travel between buildings for meals, to use facilities, or participate in workshops, performances, or other activities during the session.

While the main buildings are wheelchair accessible, the property's terrain and some of the farm structures and outbuildings may not be accessible to everyone. Specifically, a communal studio area and the looms for our fibers department are located on the second floor of a building with no elevator.

Each facility is managed by a volunteer artist tech who is able, to the best of their ability, to help with studio activities and projects that may require physical assistance. There is a volunteer staff person “on-call” at all times to provide assistance to residents including shuttles around campus, assistance with basic navigation, and emergency assistance if necessary. 

All of our sleeping accommodations and the majority of our facilities are ground-floor accessible. The majority of the common areas including our dining hall/kitchen, main lodge, and library are wheelchair accessible.

We are prepared to produce or facilitate accommodations such as large print materials, wheelchair ramps, travel assistance, adjusted or private sleeping accommodations, and any other actions that our volunteer staff are reasonably able to fulfill.

Service animals can be accommodated on a case by case basis. All service animals must have up to date paperwork and a current vet check and flea treatment. 

Environmental Irritants and Allergies Notice:

ACRE’s location is a rural farm, which means that there is increased exposure to the ample flora and fauna on our campus, including in our many open air buildings. In addition, a farm dog and a number of farm cats live on the property. Along with potential animal dander, those with moderate to severe allergies should be prepared to encounter insects, plants and grasses. 

The buildings at ACRE are constructed with a majority of recycled materials, primarily constructed with salvaged wood. When in combination with humid summer conditions some building spaces can become musty and may be uncomfortable for guests with strong sensitivities to dust and odors. Every room is cleaned before each session and has access to fresh air via screened windows. Additional cleaning supplies are available to use at any time. 

The Penland campus is located on uneven, hilly terrain that poses accessibility challenges. The following studios are wheelchair accessible: books, clay, drawing and painting, glass, iron, letterpress and printmaking, lower metals, photography, papermaking, and wood. The upper metals studio and both textiles studios have stairs that limit access; both are made partially accessible by stair lifts that will lift a person but not a wheelchair or other mobility aids.

Housing that meets ADA standards is available in Arbor House and in some units in The Roost, Dorm 54, Radcliffe, and the Sleeping Cabins. Accessible parking is found at the dining hall and at all studios. Several golf carts are available for use on campus.

While we do our best to accommodate all students, we know that our campus is not accessible for everyone. We are happy to talk with you about what our campus can or cannot do in this regard. Please contact our registrar to discuss in more depth how we can help you come to Penland: 828-765-2359, ext. 1306 or registrar@penland.org. And please know that improved access is part of our long-range campus planning.

We are working on adding more detailed accessibility information to this page. Please check back.

The first floor of our residency building and the studio are accessible. 

The Main House, one of the early examples of universal design, is fully ADA compliant; however, we are renovating to update to current day standards.

Main House contains two suites, one has an additional private bedroom for caregiver/companion, accessible bathroom and studio.

There is also an accessible B&W darkroom.

Shared living/kitchen/dining spaces all accessible.

The first floor of the historic Barn is accessible.

We operate out of historic agricultural buildings, so many of our spaces are not accessible at this time. The ground floor of Maxon Mills has ramp access through a side entrance, and an ADA-compliant bathroom accessible from outside. The Auction Ring, where we host our artist lecture series in the summer, has some seating that is accessible by ramp. Our other spaces are all up at least one set of steps. Visitors who need to move around, twitch, pace, or not make eye contact are welcome. If you have access needs not addressed here, email us and we’ll work with you to support them.

Sitka’s studios, the office and library are ADA accessible. We have one cabin that is ADA accessible The cabins and studios are situated on a steep slope that also impacts accessibility at our facility. There is a gravel pathway from the parking lot to the office. We have a courtyard behind and above the office that can be reached via car. This courtyard has ramps off of it with access to two studios and our ADA cabin. Please contact us directly with specific questions or provide information about your needs in your application. Sitka is unable to accommodate residents’ pets. If you require a certified service animal, please disclose this information in your application so that we may accommodate you appropriately.

Sitka’s studios, the office and library are ADA accessible. We have one cabin that is ADA accessible The cabins and studios are situated on a steep slope that also impacts accessibility at our facility. There is a gravel pathway from the parking lot to the office. We have a courtyard behind and above the office that can be reached via car. This courtyard has ramps off of it with access to two studios and our ADA cabin. Please contact us directly with specific questions or provide information about your needs in your application. Sitka is unable to accommodate residents’ pets. If you require a certified service animal, please disclose this information in your application so that we may accommodate you appropriately.