photo by: Contributed

Local organizers will host the Lawrence Disability Pride celebration on Saturday, July 25, at the Dole Institute of Politics, 2350 Petefish Drive. The annual event celebrates the Americans with Disabilities Act and aims to bring the disability community together.

Local disability advocates will host a Disability Pride celebration Saturday that highlights the importance of disability rights legislation and works to strengthen the disability community.

The free event, which is in its fourth year, will be at KU’s Dole Institute of Politics, 2350 Petefish Drive, on Saturday, July 25, from 1 to 5 p.m. The event brings the community together to “uplift disability culture, advocacy, accessibility and inclusion in Lawrence” while also raising funds to support organizers’ efforts, according to a press release.

Dot Nary, a retired KU professor who lobbied for the ADA, said in a statement this event is only able to happen because of a coalition of organizers from groups like Independence Inc., LMH Health, The Arc Douglas County and KU’s Center on Disabilities. Nary said this group’s aim is to “ensure that anyone of any age with any type of disability can live their best life in our community.”

Rex Ellebracht, a local disability advocate and independent living specialist with Independence Inc., said the annual event is the same weekend as the passage of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act on July 26, 1990. Ellebracht said Bob Dole was instrumental in getting the legislation signed, so it means a lot for the Dole Institute to partner with the organizers.

This year, the organizers are able to give away prizes to attendees, including Kansas City Royals tickets, Sylas and Maddy’s gift cards and a stay at the Eldridge Hotel. Ellebracht thinks working “hand-in-hand” with the Dole Institute helped bring more attention and local support for the event, and the extra space means more people can attend this year’s celebration.

The day will start with a video message from former Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, one of the authors of the ADA. The event will also feature speeches from Audrey Coleman, the director of the Dole Institute; Evan Korynta, the ADA compliance administrator for the City of Lawrence; Democratic state Rep. Brooklynne Mosley, who represents District 46 and Mike Oxford, a national disability rights activist.

The program also includes a discussion panel moderated by Ellebracht and Carrie Greenwood, another disability advocate and president and CEO of Miss Wheelchair Kansas, that will feature conversation about how the ADA has supported almost a generation of adults with disabilities. Ellebracht said the event will focus on bringing awareness to everyone about the importance of the act, but also it will focus on “where we need to go” to improve the legislation.

After the informational speeches, Ellebracht said the final hour of the event will be a social hour, with live music, refreshments and a resource fair about local organizations that can help people with disabilities.

Ellebracht said he has been happy to see the event grow over time, and it has helped spread more awareness about the needs for people with disabilities, whether they are physical or mental. He said the event connects people with disabilities and allies or caretakers with one another, creating a stronger community.

“(We want) to create a network of people to support each other,” Ellebracht said.

The event will be interpreted in American Sign Language, and free parking is available adjacent to the Dole Institute. Attendees are asked to register online for the event, but it is not required.

photo by: Courtesy: Dole Institute

The Dole Institute of Politics on the West Campus of the University of Kansas.