All members of the Syracuse University community and beyond are invited to the seventh OrangeAbility on Saturday, Feb. 17, from 2-4 p.m. in the Women’s Building Gym A. This student-led initiative is sponsored by the Disability Student Union (DSU), the Beyond Compliance Coordinating Committee (BCCC), the Disability Cultural Center (DCC), Recreation Services and community organization MoveAlong Inc.
OrangeAbility provides disabled and nondisabled people of all ages with the opportunity to play and learn about an array of sports. The event centers the experiences and skills of disabled athletes and sports fans, while highlighting that accessible sports are about tailoring approaches to a wide variety of players, including nondisabled participants. The afternoon activities will celebrate a variety of disability cultures and identities, providing a space for all to feel welcome and comfortable. It is an event that highlights the legacy and growing vibrancy of the disability community on and off the hill.
“My favorite part about OrangeAbility is the energy that the event has. I’ve been to several events of this nature, and I don’t believe that any of them truly capture the energy and fun and camaraderie that OrangeAbility has. It is a one-of-a-kind event,” says Priya Penner ’20, a student in the College of Arts and Sciences and Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and president of DSU.
OrangeAbility 2018 will offer attendees the fun, inclusive energy that participants have enjoyed in the past. Attendees can participate in accessible, adaptive and inclusive sports, including wheelchair basketball, power soccer, wheelchair rugby and more. Local community-based organizations and SU groups will be at the event to visit with attendees.
This year’s event will feature the WNY Wreckers, a wheelchair rugby team based in Rochester; CNY United, a power chair soccer team based in Syracuse; and the Syracuse Flyers, a wheelchair basketball team based in Syracuse. At the beginning of the event, each team will briefly present on the sport and athletes.
American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be provided. Free parking is available outside the Women’s Building across Mt. Olympus Drive. Volunteers will be directing attendees along the way.
Register online on the OrangeAbility website or day-of at the expo to play with a team, volunteer, table with groups or request specific information. For more information, to ask questions or to request additional accommodations, please visit the OrangeAbility website or email orangeability@gmail.com.
About Syracuse University
Founded in 1870, Syracuse University is a private international research university dedicated to advancing knowledge and fostering student success through teaching excellence, rigorous scholarship and interdisciplinary research. Comprising 11 academic schools and colleges, the University has a long legacy of excellence in the liberal arts, sciences and professional disciplines that prepares students for the complex challenges and emerging opportunities of a rapidly changing world. Students enjoy the resources of a 270-acre main campus and extended campus venues in major national metropolitan hubs and across three continents. Syracuse’s student body is among the most diverse for an institution of its kind across multiple dimensions, and students typically represent all 50 states and more than 100 countries. Syracuse also has a long legacy of supporting veterans and is home to the nationally recognized Institute for Veterans and Military Families, the first university-based institute in the U.S. focused on addressing the unique needs of veterans and their families.
