SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Syracuse University is hosting the second annual Disability Pride Week, dedicated to celebrating and embracing individuals’ full identity. A series of events have been planned for the occasion focused on creating opportunities and awareness.
On Sunday, Orange Ability kicked off the week with a day full of adaptive and inclusive sports open to everybody with or without disabilities. A popular sport played was wheelchair basketball, with non-disabled and disabled individuals. Wheelchair users were present to help teach and guide non-disabled players. The event’s purpose is to help educate the public about the services and programs available for people with disabilities.
A Syracuse Alum who has a vision impairment and congenital disorder, Eddie Zaremba, said that SU hasn’t always been this inclusive.
“They did some awesome things, but we just, you know, there wasn’t a whole lot of movement from the undergrad side,” he said. “There wasn’t a lot of disability identity and culture that was like out and proud people were just kind of, you know, if you had a disability, you had a disability, but there wasn’t like a group. So, we started it.”
The university has also celebrated Disability Pride Week by offering many other different events. Pet Therapy is one of the popular events, open for all students looking to benefit from a furry friend.