A Philadelphia program that allows EBT card holders to visit arts institutions at a discounted rate expands to Delaware.
ACCESS Philly is the brainchild of Art Reach, a 35-year-old Philly nonprofit focused on making arts accessible to more people.
It’s director of programming Charlie Miller says that includes helping people with disabilities and those living in low-income communities visit museums, theaters, public gardens and other cultural institutions.
Miller says ACCESS Delaware was prompted by a discussion he had with the Nemours Estate.
“In January, I was having a conversation with Jean Hershner, who is the executive director over at the Nemours Estate - just about accessibility in general. And she brought up financial barriers to cultural institutions." said Miller. "And I said - you know Jean back in 2018, I actually was interested in starting an ACCESS program like ACCESS Philly in Delaware.”
ACCESS Delaware allows anyone with a Delaware EBT card to pay just $2 when they visit over 10 museums and gardens in the Wilmington area -- and three people can join them at that rate. Funding from the Delaware Division of the Artsand the Delaware Humanities Council is making the program possible.
Miller says participating institutions in the Wilmington area currently include Nemours, Winterthur, Hagley and Longwood Gardens.
He says there are no blackout dates or times and people can go as many times as they want. Some institutions still require advance reservations due to COVID-19.
Miller says it starts July 1, 2021 and could expand to Kent and Sussex County later.
Delaware Public Media' s arts coverage is made possible, in part, by support from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.
