Arts Access Aotearoa's purpose is to increase access to the arts for people who experience barriers to participation as artists, performers, audience members, and gallery and museum visitors. It does this by working in the disability, mental health and Deaf communities, and through a network of community arts organisations called creative spaces. It also works with the professional arts sector to help them improve their access to Deaf and disabled audiences. It also advises the Department of Corrections on its arts programmes and activities, and advocates for the arts as a tool to support the rehabilitative process of prisoners and their reintegration back into the community on release.
