Manager of Access and Wellbeing Programs

Position Overview:

For nearly fifty years, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston has prioritized accessibility, engaging audiences with disabilities through dedicated access and wellbeing programs, and providing the accommodations needed for a welcoming and comfortable museum experience for all visitors. Reporting to the Assistant Director of Accessibility, the Manager of Access and Wellbeing Programs is responsible for developing, implementing, and improving MFA programs for visitors with disabilities of all ages and services for audiences experiencing barriers of entry into the Museum. Programs include on-site, off-site, and virtual tours, artmaking, and wellness activations.

With the Assistant Director, the role serves as the primary supervisor for the dedicated cohort of volunteer access guides. The Manager of Access and Wellbeing manages and ensures programs are welcoming, compliant, and deeply engaging for visitors with diverse physical, sensory, and cognitive disabilities. A key component of this role is recruiting, training, and scheduling volunteer access guides to assist in delivering inclusive offerings.

Essential Functions:

● Develop and manage access tours, wellbeing engagement, and specialized programs for people with disabilities including but not limited to access days, sensory days and activations for Disability Pride Month.

● Work collaboratively across-departments with communication, planning, implementation, and evaluation of programs.

● Supervise day to day needs of access volunteers and educators, including routinely updating training resources and drafting a bi-monthly newsletter to access volunteers.

● Collaborate with Volunteer Programs and Training to provide an effective and diverse recruitment process for Access Volunteers.

● Design and deliver a comprehensive schedule of ongoing evaluation, enrichment, and training for access guides in collaboration with the Assistant Director of Accessibility and the Volunteer Programs department.

● Lead wellbeing programs and tours for visitors with disabilities as needed.

● Maintain sustainable partnerships with local care facilities, schools, community organizations and disability advocacy groups.

● Develop and manage museum access tools such as sensory kits, large print binders, and the access features of the museum mobile app.

● Manage the acquisition and development of the tactile collection and integrate the collection when developing multi-sensory experiences.

● Support the Assistant Director of Accessibility to review institutional access needs such as exhibition design and digital accessibility as needed.

● Support the Assistant Director of Accessibility and conduct staff training on access related topics such as universal design.

● Support internal museum departments in responding to access inquiries.

● Provide support for Community Engagement programs and events such as Community Celebrations and Open House days as needed.

● Other tasks and duties as assigned.

Requirements and Characteristics:

● Bachelor's degree in human services, museum education, special education, art education, or related field; advanced degree preferred.

● Three to five years of experience in museum education, community-based arts programming, special education, or disability advocacy.

● An understanding of pedagogical approaches regarding curriculum design for people with disabilities, inquiry-based learning, and object-based learning,

● Engaging presentation skills with an ability to train and mentor guides on a variety of topics such as gallery tour facilitation and disability justice.

● Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the ADA as well as familiarity with Universal Design Principles and adaptive learning strategies. Experience with audio description, adaptive technologies, or American Sign Language a plus.

● Excellent computer and organizational skills; comfort with technology.

● Ability to communicate clearly to a diverse range of individuals.

● Demonstrated problem solving and critical thinking skills.

● Ability to work some nights, weekends, and holidays as needed.

● Ability to handle sensitive information with tact, confidentiality and discretion.

● Strong attention to detail with excellent follow-through skills.

● Demonstrated flexibility, patience, and self-motivation.

● Ability to work independently and collaboratively.

● Knowledge of, or willingness to learn, about art history and practice.

● Commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, and access.

The Museum reserves the right to change job descriptions. While this job description is intended to include essential duties, it is conceivable that job duties may change before the job description is officially revised.  

This position is affiliated with the United Auto Worker’s Union

The MFA is an equal opportunity employer. The community and audience we serve is diverse, and we wish to foster that diversity in our workplace. Toward that end, the MFA does not discriminate against individuals in hiring, employment or promotion on the basis of race, religion, color, sex/gender, gender identity and gender expression, age, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, citizenship, handicap or disability, veteran or military status, political belief, pregnancy, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by law.