This Tacoma resources fair might change your mind on what ‘disability’ means
Saying “disability fair” might conjure up images of vendors hawking the latest in wheelchairs or hearing aids.
Instead, picture sailing, rock climbing and horseback riding. Those and other recreational pursuits will be represented Saturday at Metro Parks Tacoma’s Disability Resources and Recreation Fair.
The fair, held at Metro Parks’ STAR Center, will have around 30 organizations and vendors that offer programming and resources for people with disabilities and those in care-giving roles. The focus, said Metro Parks’ adaptive and inclusive recreation coordinator Katt Merilo, is to get people out of their homes and into physical activity.
“Recreation is an essential life experience,” Merilo said. “It’s not a ‘bonus.’ It should be a given at all times.”
Disabilities can lead to isolation, she said, and that can lead to depression. By contrast, enlarging the possibilities in a person’s life can enrich it.
Speaking out
In previous jobs working with the disabled community, Merilo took young adults to comic cons and once organized a talent show. One of her talent-show participants, a 20-year-old woman, was extremely soft spoken.
“She decided her talent was going to be reciting ‘Fresh Prince of Bel Air’s’ rap on her own,” Merilo recalled. The young woman practiced it until she “nailed it.”
“And ever since then, we did not need to tell her to speak up,” Merilo said. “She could project her voice, just from that one experience, because she picked something that she really cared about. And it helped her meet this goal she’d been trying to meet for 12 years.”
Diversity of disability
There are two types of people in the world, a common maxim goes, those who are disabled and those who will become disabled. Live long enough, and you’re bound to experience some kind of disability, which could include mobility, hearing, vision, cognition, speech, sensory integration and more.
Merilo said the fair will have something for everyone.
Pierce County’s specialized recreation group will be on hand to discuss the dozens of programs it offers, including swimming, bowling and art.
The Here and Now Project offers support for people living with paralysis.
“They have support groups, as well as kind of social groups for both people experiencing paralysis and their caregivers and partners,” she said.
Recreation
Organizations are often geared toward specific disabilities. Special Olympics, for instance, is for people with intellectual and cognitive disabilities. 321go! promotes physical activity and other healthy choices for people with Down syndrome and their families.
Other groups open up worlds of possibilities for people living with a variety of disabilities.
Footloose Sailing’s motto is, “Leave your disability at the dock.” Tacoma’s Edgeworks offers indoor rock climbing. Rainier Adaptive Sports has wheelchair basketball and other sports programs.
Key to many of these groups, Merilo said, is recognizing that some people with disabilities like to recreate with people who have similar disabilities while others prefer mainstream experiences.
“It’s all about choices,” she said.
Support
Fair participants were limited to 30 in order to keep aisles wide and not overwhelm with too many information booths, Merilo said.
Those who care for people with disabilities will find plenty of resources at the fair, she said.
Several advocacy and educational groups will be on hand.
Visually Speaking offers courses in American Sign Language. The group has donated a course to the fair’s raffle, she said.
Guides for the hearing and vision impaired will be at the fair. For people with sensory disabilities, the fair will have a quiet space with cushions and headphones.
Removing barriers
Metro Parks’ ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Transition Team is forming a plan to remove accessibility barriers at its parks and facilities, said Metro Parks spokesperson Stacia Glenn. The barriers were identified during a third-party assessment.
The team will be at the fair to gather opinions on the plan and answer questions about the plan.
If you go
What: Disability Resources and Recreation Fair
Where: STAR Center, 3873 S. 66th St., Tacoma
When: 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27
Admission: Free
Information: metroparkstacoma.org/disability-resource-fair
This story was originally published January 26, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
