Disability Pride Week invites the campus community to celebrate our full identities, including disabilities, and learn from people with disabilities by joining the following on-campus and virtual events. Read on for the week’s events highlights and be sure to join the events below as we celebrate Disability Pride Week from April 16-22!
OrangeAbility
OrangeAbility is an annual event hosted by the Disability Cultural Center that provides people with and without disabilities the opportunity to learn and experience an array of inclusive and adaptive sports, services and programs surrounding health and wellness. The afternoon of activities will celebrate disability cultures and identities while providing a space for all to feel welcome and comfortable. Be sure to stop by the Barnes Center at The Arch on Sunday, April 16, from noon-4 p.m. to participate!
Disability Pride Space
The Syracuse University community is invited to stop by our Disability Pride Space throughout the week to learn about campus resources, pick up free swag, view historical videos and more. Visit the University Events Calendar for exhibit hours.
Pet Therapy
Destress and enjoy a pet’s company while picking up some Disability Pride swag! Multiple pet therapy sessions will be offered throughout the week, so be sure to check out the University Events Calendar for dates and times. It’s a great opportunity to enjoy time with some furry friends!
Rethinking the Disability Paradigm
What do you need to know about disabled students and co-workers? The Rethinking the Disability Paradigm workshop will answer this question and many more that you didn’t know to ask! Our socially mediated and culturally affirmed beliefs influence how we think and engage with each other. These largely unconscious beliefs can lead to biases and micro-aggressions that impact others in ways that we may not be aware of or intend. Through this workshop, we want you to gain an awareness of your own beliefs and how they influence your actions and the language you use. This workshop will take place on Tuesday, April 18, from 9-10:15 a.m. in 228 Schine. Be sure to register before you attend!
Unlearning and Relearning Disability
The Unlearning and Relearning Disability workshop on Wednesday, April 19, invites participants to engage in brave reflective conversations about the ways we have come to understand disability historically and contemporarily, and how we can reframe these understandings in support of full inclusivity at Syracuse University for our students, staff and faculty. You can register now.
Disability Pride Art Gallery
On Wednesday, April 19, head down to the Disability Pride Art Gallery for an afternoon of celebrating and enjoying a variety of artwork created by Syracuse University students, faculty and staff with disabilities! Campus community members interested in submitting artwork for the Art Gallery can fill out a Participant Form. Fill out the form before April 14 to guarantee a spot for your work!
Keynote Speaker Eddie Ndopu
This year’s Disability Pride Week keynote speaker is Eddie Ndopu. Described by TIME Magazine as “one of the most powerful disabled people on the planet,” Eddie Ndopu is perhaps best known for his human rights advocacy with respect to advancing disability justice at the forefront of the international development agenda. An award-winning and internationally acclaimed humanitarian, storyteller, public intellectual and disability practitioner, Eddie is a thought leader and advocate for social equity, sustainability and disability-based innovation. This year’s Disability Pride Week keynote takes place on Wednesday, April 19, from 6-7:30 p.m. You can attend in-person in 304 Schine Student Center or virtually via Zoom. Visit the University Events Calendar to learn more about the event and speaker Eddie Ndopu.
Office Hours with Vice President Almandrez
Share ideas, issues and opportunities regarding diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) during open office hours with the Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion, Mary Grace A. Almandrez. All members of the University community—students, faculty and staff—are encouraged to stop by and discuss their thoughts on April 20 from 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Intelligence++ Showcase Competition
As part of Disability Pride Week, undergraduate and graduate student teams across Syracuse University and SUNY-ESF will be competing in the Intelligence++ Showcase Competition for a chance to win $10,000 in prizes for student-designed products, services and technologies that can assist intellectually disabled people and their families. The competition takes place on Friday, April 21, from 2-5 p.m. in Whitman School of Management.
NeuroCurious?
On Friday, April 21, stop by 070B Huntington Hall from 3-5 p.m. to gather with other neurocurious and neurodivergent individuals to explore neurodiversity, neurodivergent experience and culture. NeuroCurious? is a shared space to reflect on questions about your own relationship to neurodivergence and neurodiversity.
Creative Community Affinity Group
Head over to the Intercultural Collective Lounge in Schine on Friday, April 21, from 5-7:30 p.m. to create with an artist in residence and find a sense of belonging through creative expression while connecting with others in the Creative Community Affinity Group. Supplies and inspiration will be provided. No artistic experience or skill is necessary!
Let’s Talk About Sex… and More
In this introductory workshop for young adults with Intellectual Disability, presenters from partners including Planned Parenthood, the Barnes Center, the Prevention Network and ACR Health will discuss healthy relationships, sexual assault, consent, mental health, and alcohol and drug safety. The workshop takes place on Saturday, April 22, from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. in 304ABC Schine. Lunch and giveaways will be provided. Attendees must be 16 or older. Make sure to fill out the registration form to attend!
Contact Karly Grifasi at 315.443.8514 with any questions or concerns, or to request accommodations.
Written By Wanshi Zhang ’23, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications