For the first time ever, individuals with disabilities that do not qualify for Pennsylvania state benefits can purchase an ACCESS Philly Card directly from Art-Reach that allows them to receive $2 admission to over 50 museums, gardens, theaters and cultural sites throughout Greater Philadelphia.
“ACCESS Philly is actually in its 5th year, and over 600,000 people in the region can already use the program with their Pennsylvania ACCESS Card that they use to manage food and medical benefits from the state”, shared John Orr, Executive Director. “The expansion simply covers people with a disability who rely on Philadelphia as their cultural hub but for whatever reason are not eligible for state benefits.”
The Art-Reach ACCESS Philly Card will have an annual fee that will help Art-Reach offset the cost of managing the program. Orr believes innovation is at the heart of the program, “The return on investment will be strong – with over 50 partners in the region committed to the program it’s one of the most innovative arts revenue sharing models in the country. For most people, the card will pay for itself within one visit.” All revenue generated by ACCESS Cardholder visits is kept by the participating sites, including peripheral spending at shops, cafes and special exhibitions.
ACCESS Philly was built by Art-Reach in collaboration with ACCESS Cardholders in 2014. Over the last few years, the program has emerged as a game-changer for the cultural sector. The ACCESS Philly discount has been used over 500,000 times in the last 5 years and has saved users over $8 million. Additionally, the program has generated over $9 million in new revenue for the arts sector.
For details on how to sign up and for all other program information, including all participating sites click here to visit art-reach.org/access.
