This Saturday, celebrate the disability community with performances, speakers, food trucks, and more—all of it completely accessible. FestAbility at the Missouri History Museum is timed to coincide with the birthday of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“FestAbility is a celebration of disability, so it’s a disability pride festival,” says FestAbility president Sarah Schwegel. “We are really excited to be back in person after a two-year hiatus.”
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The day starts with a Disability Pride Walk from the Forest Park Visitor Center to the Missouri History Museum beginning at 10 a.m., and programming starts at 11 a.m. The DisAbility Project and Without Limits Dance Company will present short performances. The Down Syndrome Association ukulele group will play, and poet Katie Banister and author Sean Gold will speak. Recording artist Lachi, who is blind and a disability advocate, headlines.
All of the performances and activities—including rock climbing presented by Upper Limits and beep ball by Mind’s Eye—are fully accessible and include ASL interpretation, audio descriptions, and captions. Wheelchair checkups and a sensory room are available, and there will be a fashion show of adaptive apparel.
“The great thing with having the History Museum host is they are a great and accessible facility,” Schwegel says. “Being in a really lovely accessible space makes our job a lot easier.”
Schwegel points out that accessibility is not one-size-fits-all. In creating a fully accessible event, she considers each event through the lens of each type of disability: mobility, visual, auditory, sensory processing. “Folks with disabilities are really resourceful,” she says, adding that simple basic accommodations can help everyone.
The Americans with Disabilities Act, which is now 32 years old, has done a lot for the disabled community, Schwegel says. “It paved the way to make sure people with disabilities were included in their communities,” she says. “There’s obviously a lot more work to do. We have an Americans with Disabilities Act, but it’s not perfect, and people with disabilities are often overlooked—accessibility is often an afterthought.”
The event will be live-streamed on social media for those who prefer to participate remotely. Indoor masking is required. Visit the website to plan your visit.
