The MET Gala Is Accessible!!! (And a request)
(pt: The MET Gala Is Accessible!!! (And a request))
The MET Gala was huge regarding access and representation this year.
First of all, Aariana Rose Philip was the FIRST EVER (pt: first ever) wheelchair user in attendance.
Second of all, Sinéad Burke (Irish writer, academic, and disability activist)'s consulting organization, Tilting the Lens (a consulting organization that works to raise the baseline standards in accessibility, towards design for an equitable and accessible world), that she is founder and CEO of, worked with the Metropolitan Museum to make this year's MET Gala the first ever accessible MET Gala.
There was finally a step-free entrance (separate from the main stair entrance but still).
The MET Gala celebrates costumed bodies (this year's theme was Costume Art). Sinéad said it best that clothing being on different bodies is what makes it art (video link here). This focus led to 9 mannequins featuring a different body type (which were all modeled after real life people using 3D printing technology) (9 people modeled for a total of 18 mannequins). 7 other structures were not based on real people but aim to reflect underrepresented experiences in fashion.
This is HUGE (pt: huge)!!!!!
Full article on this next week.
My request: if anyone can find a photo of the accessible, step-free entrance, please send it to me!!!
(Also, bonus fact: Sinéad Burke made history in 2019 as the first ever Little Person to attend the MET Gala)