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Jaleel King
A disability pride festival is coming to the Lehigh Valley this summer thanks to a partnership between the Lehigh Valley Arts & Cultural Alliance (LVACA) and Disability Pride PA. Disability Pride Lehigh Valley is a family-friendly event celebrating the disability community with art, live music, special guests, resource tables, food trucks, and games for all ages. The event takes place on Saturday, July 22 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Penn State Lehigh Valley in Center Valley, PA. Admission is free and open to the public.
Disability Pride Lehigh Valley is a welcoming community event serving as an inclusive and supportive environment that honors disability culture and promotes disability pride. Modeled after other Disability Pride Pennsylvania events, Disability Pride Lehigh Valley aims to create a centralized event in our community where individuals come together through the power of the arts to foster disability celebration.
Disability Pride Lehigh Valley will feature live musical performances and a pop-up visual art exhibit that showcase the talents of the Lehigh Valley disability community. Americana Rock band Gooch and the Motion will be headlining the festival along with local performing artists Controlled Chaos, Friends of Tom Band, Larry Mason, and Nicole Rissmiller. The visual art exhibit will feature work by 11 local visual artists.
The event also features resource tables, games for all ages, and a Chill Zone sensory room with calm, quiet activities for attendees who need a break from the action. Food Cactus Blue Mexican Restaurant and The Udder Bar will be available for purchase.
Disability Pride Lehigh Valley is accessible to all. Jacqui Schwartz, LVACA Accessibility Manager, explains, “Our ultimate goal is to make Disability Pride the epitome of accessibility and inclusivity in the Lehigh Valley, ensuring that everyone can actively participate and feel welcome.” The campus at Penn State Lehigh Valley is fully accessible to individuals with mobility access needs. Recorded audio description will be provided for visual arts and American Sign Language interpreters will be working throughout the event to provide ASL interpretation for announcements and performances. Event partner LANTA will provide special LANtaFlex 505 Service to and from Disability Pride Lehigh Valley.
Disability Pride Lehigh Valley is made possible thanks to support from Penn State Lehigh Valley, LANTA, Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center, and Lehigh Valley Center for Independent Living. State-wide sponsors, who also support Disability Pride PA’s events across Pennsylvania, include Autism Connection of Pennsylvania, Community Health Choices, AmeriHealth Caritas, Convatec, Disability Rights Pennsylvania, Highmark Wholecare, Inglis, Liberty Resources, Mid-Atlantic ADA Center, NEPA Inclusive, PA Health & Wellness, Temple University, UPMC Health Plan and Values Into Action.
For more information about Disability Pride Lehigh Valley, including a full list of exhibitors and opportunities to advertise or volunteer at the event, visit our website or email info@lvaca.org.