Participate in inclusive activities, discover the many resources available to people with disabilities and learn more about adaptive video games at the inaugural Northern Arizona Disability Resource Fair on Oct. 5.
The fair, put on by the Institute for Human Development (IHD) at Northern Arizona University in collaboration with Phoenix nonprofit Care 4 the Caregivers, is a close-to-home opportunity to learn about the region’s diverse disability community and get to know local service providers and disability organizations.
“Most Arizona disability resource fairs and expos take place in the Valley, which can be difficult and time-consuming for northern Arizona families to travel to, and they feature many vendors who do not provide coverage in northern Arizona,” said Sara Clancey, IHD’s director of community services. “The Northern Arizona Disability Resource Fair fills a vital need in the region.”
The Disability Resource Fair will feature more than 30 exhibitors representing a wide range of local disability resources and supports, as well as networking opportunities for participants and family-friendly inclusive activities, refreshments and door prizes. Individuals with disabilities of all ages, as well as family members and caregivers, are welcome. Both admission and parking are free. Fun-filled activities and demonstrations include adaptive video gaming demonstrations, hands-on “make and take” workshops for adaptive equipment and assistive technology, bingo cards for door prizes, sticker mania for kids and live real-time transcription demonstrations (known as “CART captioning”).
“This event was developed in response to a direct request from the community,” Clancey said. “Our goal is not only to create an annual event that showcases disability resources specific to northern Arizona but also to support community-building and create networking opportunities for everyone in our region’s disability community.”
IHD is collaborating with several local disability organizations, including Care 4 the Caregivers, High Country Adaptive Sports, the Flagstaff Unified School District and United Way of Northern Arizona.
The Northern Arizona Disability Resource Fair will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Oct. 5 at the High Country Conference Center, 201 W. Butler Ave. in Flagstaff. If you are interested in learning more or registering, please visit the website or email IHDconference@nau.edu. Registration is encouraged but not required to help ensure organizers have sufficient refreshments, supplies and reasonable accommodations so everyone can have a great experience.