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march disability awareness month

March Disability Awareness Month 2024: Fueled for the Future

Join us for our annual Disability Awareness Month celebration throughout March to spread awareness of what life is like for those with physical and intellectual disabilities in our community.

This year, we’re “Fueled for the Future” as we partner with Indy Fuel to showcase their upcoming move to the new Fishers Event Center and the inclusive amenities it will provide to our community.

march disability awareness month

Congratulations to the 2024 Accessibility & Inclusion Award Winners

Get to know the award winners on our This is Fishers blog at ThisIsFishers.com/MDAM-Winners.

Stacey Oldham
2024 Life Without Limits Award Winner

Lauren Hayes, Heartland Church Cornerstone Employer Award Winner

Jillian Mack
2024 Accessibility Award Winner

Event Lineup

Fishers March Disability Awareness Month Kick-Off: Fueled for the Future

Friday, March 1 / 8:30 – 10 a.m.
Launch Fishers Theater / Free, no registration required

Mayor Scott Fadness and the Fishers Advisory Committee on Disability invite the public to celebrate the kick-off of Fishers March Disability Awareness Month. This year’s theme “Fueled for the Future” will showcase our partnership with the Indy Fuel, who will play at the new Fishers Event Center when it opens later this year. The event will highlight the many programs and facilities coming soon that have been designed with quality of life for those with disabilities in mind.

Stacey Oldham, Fishers resident and Board Member of the FACD, will present the keynote address as she shares the inspiring story of her 40-year journey with Multiple Sclerosis. The morning will also feature the presentation of the annual Fishers Advisory Committee on Disability’s Inclusion and Accessibility Awards, which are given to those who inspire and advocate for the disability community. The event will also include a performance by the Outside the Box choir.

Fishers Parks StoryWalk

Begins March 4 / Daily, dawn to dusk
Brooks School Park / Free, no registration required

Enjoy an easy, family-friendly hike around Brooks School Park as you enjoy March’s featured book, Just Ask, written by United States Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. The #1 New York Times bestseller is the winner of the Schneider Family Book Award.

About the Book:
Feeling different, especially as a kid, can be tough. But in the same way that different types of plants and flowers make a garden more beautiful and enjoyable, different types of people make our world more vibrant and wonderful. 
 
In Just Ask, United States Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor celebrates the different abilities kids (and people of all ages) have. Using her own experience as a child who was diagnosed with diabetes, Justice Sotomayor writes about children with all sorts of challenges–and looks at the special powers those kids have as well. As the kids work together to build a community garden, asking questions of each other along the way, this book encourages readers to do the same: When we come across someone who is different from us but we’re not sure why, all we have to do is Just Ask

Fishers Arts Council’s Second Friday: March Disability Awareness Art Exhibition

Friday, March 8 / 6 – 9 pm
Hamilton County Community Foundation’s FAC Hub Gallery / Free, no registration required

Fishers Arts Council hosts an evening for all ages including live music and various kinds of artistic expressions on display in the gallery.  All are welcome to this “Second Friday” celebration of artists with different abilities. Speakers from the Fishers Advisory Committee, Ignite Studio, and the Fishers Arts Council will make comments at 7 p.m. but guests are invited to visit in an open house style. Light refreshments will be available. Learn more here.  

OneZone March Luncheon: Disability Awareness Panel

Wednesday, March 13 / 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. 
FORUM Events Center / Registration required

Find your next great hire at OneZone’s March luncheon! Local employers will share their experiences hiring individuals with disabilities and tips on how your company can too! In the lobby after the luncheon, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a reverse job fair with prospective individuals. Register here.

Preparing for Your Next Employment Opportunity

Friday, March 15 / 9 – 11 a.m.
Grace Church Fishers / Registration requested

With an unemployment rate under 3% in Hamilton County, employers find it difficult to hire for all the open positions.  What people may not realize is that the unemployment rate amongst qualified potential employees who happen to have disabilities is well over 50%. Hosted by the Fishers Advisory Committee on Disability’s Allies for Disability Employment Group, individuals with disabilities who are ready to work will have an opportunity to participate in an open house-style event with stations for resume development, job seeking tips, online interview practice, and mock interviews. Hamilton County resources will be available to help people learn about seeking, finding, and landing a job. Register here.

Indy Fuel Game: March Disability Awareness Night 

Friday, March 22 / 7 p.m.    
Indiana Farmers Coliseum / Tickets available February 15

Come cheer on the Indy Fuel as you support the Fishers Advisory Committee on Disability. Purchase tickets for a special rate of $25 at the link below and a portion of your ticket will go back to support the committee. The first 100 tickets purchased will also receive a special “Fueled for the Future” T-shirt.

A section of ADA seating has been set aside this night for those purchasing a ticket. Where possible, a block of seats has been grouped together so that Fishers fans can cheer on the Indy Fuel together.

Assistive Technology for Individuals with Disabilities: for adults

Saturday, March 23 / 1 2:30 p.m.    
Hamilton East Public Library – Fishers

This free workshop will cover accessibility hardware solutions for reading and writing, as well as apps and plug-ins that can help improve both. Attendees will be able to explore in a short hands-on session a few switch-based toys, BluBee Pals, and iPad apps for academic and behavior solutions. Registration not required.

Hamilton County Transition Fair

Wednesday, March 27 / 6 – 7:30 p.m.  
Hamilton Southeastern High School, enter through door 18 / Free, no registration required

This event gives families the opportunity to talk directly with the agencies and providers who support individuals with special needs at ALL levels and stages of life. Please plan to join us for your opportunity to gather information to address the current or future needs of your individual with special needs. 

Please email Chrissy Pogue, Transition Specialist for Hamilton Southeastern Schools at cpogue@hse.k12.in.us with any questions. 

Hamilton East Public Library Workshops 

Join the Hamilton East Public Library for various workshops and programs themed around Disability Awareness Month. Learn more on their event calendar here.

  • Get Involved with Special Olympics Indiana: For teens & adults | Tuesday, March 5 | 6 – 6:45 p.m. | Fishers Library
  • Dyslexia 101: For adults | Wednesday, March 13 | 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. | Fishers Library
  • Supporting Children with ADHD: For adults | Saturday, March 16 | 2 – 3 p.m. | Noblesville Library
  • Notes on Blindness: For adults | Tuesday, March 19 | 5 – 5:45 p.m., 6 – 6:45 p.m., 7 – 7:45 p.m. | Fishers Library
  • Preparing for Adulthood on the Autism Spectrum: For adults | Sunday, March 24 | 3 – 4 p.m. | Virtual 

Thank you to our sponsors:

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Accessibility Resources

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About the Committee

Since 2016, the Fishers Advisory Committee on Disability‘s March Disability Awareness Month in Fishers has championed inclusion, collaboration, and acceptance for all people who live in our smart, vibrant, and entrepreneurial community.

This effort has had a positive impact on more than just people with disabilities in our city – it has become an achievement for which other communities strive.