UK Fine Arts promotes accessibility with White Cane Day film event

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 8, 2025) — The University of Kentucky College of Fine Arts, in partnership with the Lexington Central Library, will present a free community screening of the award-winning film “Telephone” at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15, in the Farish Theater, located at 140 E. Main Street. The event is part of White Cane Safety Day, a national observation honoring the autonomy and equality of community members who are blind and visually impaired. The event will feature a prerecorded introduction from directors Krishna Washburn and Heather Shaw, followed by a community talkback facilitated by UK faculty.

“Telephone" is the first screendance documentary created specifically with audiences who are blind and visually impaired in mind. It also offers an immersive sensory experience that engages viewers of all sight levels. The film features disabled and nondisabled artists from across the globe and demonstrates how audio description can be celebrated not just as an access service, but also as a generative artistic practice. Learn more at www.telephonefilm.com.

This event will also facilitate dialogue on emerging perspectives in screendance and media arts, with particular attention to accessibility as an aesthetic practice. It builds on the UK Department of Theatre and Dance’s new Audio Description for Dance Initiative, led by Laura Neese, a lecturer in dance. This initiative provides live audio description for all dance concert performances transmitted through individual listening devices and customized pre-show discussions for audience members with visual impairments and families.

“We look forward to offering live narrated audio description for our third consecutive year at ‘Visions in Motion’ in February, in partnership with Bluegrass Council of the Blind,” Neese said. “Audio description not only provides access for patrons, but also supports anyone who may be unfamiliar with or intimidated by modern dance, to enjoy performances with enhanced contextual support.”

Following the screening Neese and Winter Phong, Ph.D., an assistant professor of arts administration, will lead an interactive discussion with audience members, inviting reflection on accessibility and artistry, the lived experiences of disabled artists and community members, and the potential for future applications of audio description across the arts.

The program reflects the College of Fine Arts’ ongoing support for faculty engaged in advancing access in the arts, a focus highlighted as the nation marks the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disability Act. This includes an ongoing partnership with the Bluegrass Council of the Blind, connecting UK faculty with local disability access advocates and ensuring community perspectives inform arts programming and expand access in performance.

In Kentucky alone, more than 160,000 people report vision difficulty, and 13.2% of people under 65 report a disability, according to American Community Survey and Kentucky State Health Assessment reports. Along with efforts to enhance curriculum and programming, the UK College of Fine Arts supported faculty presentation at the Kennedy Center’s national Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability Conference, sharing expertise as fewer than 7% of U.S. adults who attend performing arts events identify as having a disability, according to data from Americans for the Arts.

“By working closely with local partners, students learn to listen and build arts careers that connect deeply with the communities they serve,” Phong said.

In addition, patrons using Wheels transportation to attend the event may request reimbursement passes upon arrival. Those passes are provided by the Bluegrass Council of the Blind.

This White Cane Day screening is presented by the UK College of Fine Arts and the Lexington Central Library, with support from the Bluegrass Council of the Blind, the UK Gaines Center for the Humanities, the UK Department of Theatre and Dance and the UK Department of Arts Administration.