Itzhak Perlman and Marca Bristo engage in conversation on the Harris stage

A Conversation on Accessibility and the Arts

Itzhak Perlman and Marca Bristo
Itzhak Perlman and Marca Bristo engage in conversation on the Harris stage

In 2016, the Harris Theater hosted a conversation with Grammy and Emmy award-winner Itzhak Perlman and the late disability rights activist Marca Bristo about access, the arts, and shifting attitudes toward disability throughout Perlman’s extraordinary life and career. This event was free and open to the public as part of ADA25, the citywide celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and presented in partnership with ADA25 and Access Living.

ADA 25 Chicago celebrated and leveraged the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), to bring together public, private, and non-profit sector leaders and organizations from throughout the Chicago region to work together to fulfill the promise of the ADA, particularly in the areas of education, employment, community inclusion and technology. More than 200 organizations from all walks of life committed to launch new programs and initiatives that would increase opportunity, equality and accessibility for people with disabilities. While ADA 25 Chicago ended after 2015, legacy projects continued this work forward including ADA 25 Advancing Leadership, which has a bold strategy and groundbreaking programs—the first of their kind in the nation—for bringing greater disability inclusion to tables of power and influence in the Chicago region.

Since 1980, Access Living has provided peer services and advocacy to over 40,000 people with disabilities, and has won systemic improvements in housing, public schools, public transportation, public access, and long-term care.

The recording of this conversation was made possible by Rush Medical Center, whose mission is to provide the very best care, education, research, and community partnerships to meet the needs of the individuals and the diverse communities they serve.

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