Who We Are
MACA is a consortium of professionals
working together to enhance the accessibility of Michigan’s cultural institutions for people of all abilities.
Founding organizations were the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, Arab American National Museum, Charles H. Wright Museum, Detroit Historical Society, Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Zoological Society, Edsel & Eleanor Ford House, Michigan Science Center, and The Henry Ford.
Today MACA is comprised of representatives from over 40 organizations across Michigan.
Types of Organizations Involved:
Organizations Involved Include:
Canton Public Library
Columbia River Maritime Museum
Cranbrook Art Museum
Deaf Professional Arts Network
Detroit Institute of Arts
Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Detroit Zoological Society
Flint Institute of Arts
Grand Rapids Civic Theatre
Grand Rapids Public Museum
Historical Society of Center Line
Impression 5 Science Center
Interlochen Center for the Arts
Kalamazoo Valley Museum
Kelsey Museum of Archaeology
Kent District Library
Krasl Art Center
Lansing Community College
Macomb Library for the Blind and Print Disabled
Marquette Maritime Museum
Meadow Brook Estate
Michigan Humanities
Midland Center for the Arts
Mid-Michigan Autism Association
Oakland University
Potter Park Zoo
Public Libraries of Saginaw
Ruth Mott Foundation/Applewood
Sloan Museum of Discovery
St. Clair County Library
State of Michigan Arts and Culture Council (MACC)
Studio 23/The Arts Center
The Henry Ford
Troy Historical Society
University of Michigan Library
University of Michigan Museum of Natural History
Wayne Historical Society (825)
Wharton Center for Performing Arts
Yankee Air Museum
Our Board
Caroline Braden
PRESIDENT
Caroline Braden is the Accessibility Manager at The Henry Ford. In her role at The Henry Ford, Caroline's work includes planning and implementing offerings and programs for people who are blind/have low vision, deaf/hard of hearing, on the autism spectrum, and who have dementia. In 2016, Caroline received the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability (LEAD) Award for Emerging Leaders. She has presented on accessibility at regional and national museum conferences and has published an article for the University of Michigan's Working Papers series entitled, "Welcoming All Visitors: Museums, Accessibility, and Visitors with Disabilities." Caroline holds a BA in Anthropology, an MA in Educational Studies, and a Museum Studies Graduate Certificate from the University of Michigan.
Gabrielle Hopkins
TREASURER
Gabrielle Hopkins is an Adult Librarian at the Chelsea District Library. She provides outreach to older adults and adults living with Alzheimer’s and dementia through CDL Delivers!, Chelsea’s home delivery service, and via community partnerships. Gabrielle plans and implements a wide variety of adult programming with the library’s Information Services department. Additionally, she manages a diverse large print collection for individuals who have low vision. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English from Michigan State University and a Master of Library and Information Science with a Graduate Certificate in Information Management from Wayne State University.
Jess Burke
SECRETARY
Jess currently serves as the Director of Audience Experience at Grand Rapids Civic Theatre . In this role, she works in all areas of front house service, including the development of all accessibility resources and programs. Since her hire in 2021, she has implemented 11 new accessibility initiatives. Jess earned her B.A. in Theatre and Management from Saginaw Valley State University. In 2022 she became a trained Audio Describer for Grand Rapids Civic Theatre, where she now leads Touch Tours and Audio Description to the Grand Rapids Community. She has unending gratitude for the opportunities she has to create art and access, and continues to foster passion for creating opportunities for everyone in her community to feel welcome.
Cathy Blatnik
Programming Chair
Cathy Blatnik is the Treasurer of the Mid-Michigan Autism Association, the Program Director of a non-denominational and ecumenical disability ministry and the Co-Coordinator of the Special Needs Ministry in the Diocese of Lansing. She is on the Sensory Friendly Performances Advisory Team for the Wharton Center, a member of the Autism Advisory Group for the Henry Ford Museum, a member of the Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, co-founder of the Greater Lansing Developmental Disability Advocacy Collaborative, a member of the Special Education Parent Advisory Committee for the Ingham Intermediate School District representing the Okemos School District and a Certified Tourism Ambassador for the Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau. She holds a B.S. in Business and Management from the University of Maryland. Cathy represented the Mid-Michigan Autism Association when accepting the 2019 Governor's Award for Innovative Tourism Collaboration, was one of the four finalists for the "2020 Remarkable Woman" contest sponsored by WLNS, Lansing's CBS affiliate and has had 30 articles published on the website, themighty.com. She is passionate about helping those with disabilities!
Thank you to previous Board Members who helped MACA get to where we are today:
Shelby Eppich, Interlochen Center for the Arts (Secretary, 2022-2023)
Jennifer Kanyo, Midland Center for the Arts (Communications Chair, 2020-2021)
Jen Taggart, Bloomfield Township Public Library (Vice Chair, 2020-2021, Programming Chair, 2018-2019)
Elena SV Flys, Eastern Michigan University (Administrative & Financial Chair, 2018-2020)
Bree Boetter, Detroit Historical Society (Interim Communications Chair, 2019)
Jessica Belcoure Marcetti, Edsel & Eleanor Ford House (Communications Chair, 2018-2019)
Jenny Angell, Detroit Institute of Arts (Vice Chair, 2017-2019)
Brendan Johnson, Detroit Zoological Society (Administrative & Financial Chair, 2017-2018)
Larissa Kunynskyj, Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum (Communications Chair, 2017-2018)
Ameera Chaaban, Arab American National Museum (Programming Chair, 2017-2018)