Disability awareness fair coming to Finch Fieldhouse Saturday

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Hundreds of people are gathering this Saturday at Finch Fieldhouse with one common goal: Spreading awareness about disabilities.

The Disabilities Awareness Fair is open to the public event and runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. tomorrow at Finch Fieldhouse. Some events planned for the day include a visit from Dog Tales, a mid-Michigan based group of therapy dogs, a disability movie series and an equipment demonstration.

It will host a wide variety of more than 60 local and state vendors, including the Isabella County Commission on Aging, Michigan Parents of the Visually Impaired and CMU’s American Sign Language Society.

Temperance junior Angie Palazzolo is looking forward to volunteering at this event. As an E-Board member of ASLS, she wants to raise awareness about deafness.

“I am looking forward to really helping people understand that a big part of understanding deaf culture is understanding that deafness is not viewed as a disability,” Palazzolo said.

She is hoping the fair will help in “changing the misconception” of deafness perceptions, which is ASLS’s motto.

Project Director of DeafBlind Central and coordinator of the fair Beth Kennedy said the Disabilities Awareness Fair is a great opportunity for students to take part in.

“I think there will be a little something for everyone,” Kennedy said. “Everyone will be able to find something applicable to them.”

Kennedy said the event will not only be a great learning experience for students, but a great networking opportunity as well. Talking to the vendors and companies at the fair could result in a job after graduation, she said.

Sharon Horgan, co-chairwoman of the planning committee and executive secretary for Education and Personal Development, also said agreed that the fair is something that all students should experience.

“I think it gives them a perspective of different disabilities and a new awareness of what individuals with disabilities are going through to get through everyday life,” Horgan said.

This is the first Disabilities Awareness Fair at CMU, and Kennedy and Horgan have high hopes for the attendance.

“We’re hoping to get a good turnout,” Horgan said. “If we could get 200 to 500 people to attend, we would be thrilled.”

For more information on the Disabilities Awareness Fair, visit dbcentral.org.