Each year, 4.3 million people participate in VSA arts programs across the United States. The organization offers comprehensive programs in the literary, performing, and visual arts. As a national arts education organization, VSA arts implements these programs in partnership with local educational agencies, cultural institutions, institutions of higher education, arts agencies, disability associations, and health and rehabilitation organizations. By utilizing the power of the arts to enhance education, advance socialization, and promote inclusion, VSA arts programs have improved the lives of people with disabilities in valuable ways, helping them to contribute to the social, cultural, and economic life of their communities. VSA arts programs give children valuable academic advantages by using the arts to enhance learning.
Studies show that the arts are integral to every successful society.
In short, exposure to the arts motivates learning and improves our quality of life. VSA arts programs serve as effective mechanisms for people with disabilities to take advantage of opportunities that allow them to reap these benefits. Through arts-based educational programs implemented in schools throughout the country, VSA arts has been instrumental in providing teachers and administrators with the tools to enrich learning for students with disabilities. By making the arts an integral part of the early learning process, children improve their oral and written communication skills, enhance their social skills, and are able to develop a strong academic foundation. Through participation in the visual and performing arts youth and adults with disabilities access the power of the arts as a means of positive self-expression, and personal and professional growth.