SPOKANE, Wash. — The Disability Action Center North East Washington (DACNEW) is hosting an event to celebrate all kinds of disabilities and how they intersect with diverse cultures in Spokane.
“Building Bridges” is the title and theme for the event. DACNEW says that the celebration will work to represent all abilities, ages, ethnicities, races, religions and socio-economic backgrounds.
"July is Disability Pride month,” said Mark Leeper, Executive Director of Disability Action Center NW. "Disability is present in every culture, that's why we want to celebrate the many cultures in our area and how they intersect with disability."
The event will take place between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. and will be located around the main fountain at Riverfront Park.
There will be an opening speech from Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown followed by the presentation of the "Tom McTevia Award" to Teresa Skinner from ParaSport Spokane for their work in providing opportunities for youth and young adults in adaptive sports.
The celebration will also include multi-cultural dance presentations, live folk music and more.
Free food tickets will be provided for tacos, kettle corn, shaved ice and s'mores. The organizers are also giving out free t-shirts until they run out.
There will also be a “World Market” located on the Orange Bridge as well as a kid’s area with games, crafts, face painting and sidewalk chalk.
DACNEW will also host a trivia contest about the American with Disabilities Act and give away free raffle prizes.
Leeper describes disability pride as “accepting and honoring each person’s uniqueness and seeing it as a natural and beautiful part of human diversity. It is the one minority group everyone, should they live long enough, will likely join at sometime in their life.”
