Disability Awareness Month Celebration – October 2026
“More than Visible”
There are aspects of disability that are not outwardly apparent, such as invisible disabilities. Even individuals with visible disabilities face challenges that are not seen by others. Having a disability can cause others to only see that part of you, but we are complete individuals just like anyone else. We have our own unique interests, goals, and skills just like everyone else. People with disabilities are not just something seen within a community, but we actively contribute to it. We have jobs, make connections, and offer unique perspectives that enrich the community. We invite you to join us as we celebrate all members of this community and their presence and contributions to our society. The James Farmer Multicultural Center is working closely with the Office of Disability Resources, the Office of Title IX & ADA Compliance, faculty colleagues, as well as Best Buddies, POTS, and Talk to the Hands student clubs to coordinate and plan the events for this month-long celebration.
ASPIRE Week/Accessibility BINGO
Tuesday, September 29 | 8:00 p.m. | Chandler Ballroom, Cedric Rucker University Center
Co-sponsored by the UMW Student Government Association, Office of Community Relations and Compliance, Office of Title IX & ADA Compliance, Campus Programming Board, and the Disability Awareness Month Planning Committee
Members of the campus community, including faculty, staff, students, and alumni, are invited to join us for a fun night of BINGO as part of the ASPIRE Week celebration. The caller for BINGO will be President Paino. Come out to have a good time, as well as several chances to win amazing prizes including some that celebrate Disability Awareness Month, which beings on Thursday, October 1st.
Disability Awareness Month Kick-Off – Table Fair
Thursday, October 1 | 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. | Campus Walk in front of Lee Hall | (Rain location: 2nd Colonnade Room, Cedric Rucker University Center)
Join us for our Disability Awareness Month kick-off event! Information and goodies, including free t-shirts, will be available from campus and community partners, such as: the Office of Disability Resources, the James Farmer Multicultural Center, Delta Alpha Pi Honor Society, POTS Club, Talk to the Hands, Best Buddies, the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, Mental Health America – Fredericksburg, and more.
“More Than Visible” Art Exhibit
Thursday, October 2 | 4:00 p.m. | For Five Coffee Shop
Throughout the month of October, stop by For Five Coffee Roasters to view the “More Than Visible” art showcase. This pop-up exhibition celebrates the skills of some of Mary Wash’s student artists with disabilities, who are a remarkable reminder that disabled identity and culture is so much more than what’s visible.
Adaptive Sports Day
Saturday, October 3 | 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. | Goolrick Main & Auxiliary Gyms
Co-sponsored by POTS Club, UMW Athletics, the Office of Title IX & Compliance, and the James Farmer Multicultural Center
This event celebrates the unique abilities of persons with disabilities in the realm of sports. Often, persons with disabilities are discouraged or denied the opportunity to participate in any form of sports. This event will demonstrate inclusive excellence and uplift and champion individuals with disabilities by giving them a platform to shine and excel. It will bring about positive social change through engagement. By participating in the various adaptive sports stations (goalball, wheelchair basketball, boccia ball, and pickleball), individuals have the opportunity to gain a better understanding and appreciation of the complexities faced by individuals with disabilities, as well as their talents and contributions in sports and more broadly.
ASL Dinner
Thursday, October 15 | 5:00 p.m. | Chandler Ballroom A/B, Cedric Rucker University Center
Sponsored by Talk to the Hands Club
Join Talk to the Hands for our fourth annual ASL Dinner! The ASL Dinner is an event included in this celebration hosted by UMW’s American Sign Language Club. The purpose of this event is to encourage attendees to try to communicate without using verbal language, instead by using American Sign Language, written language, or any other form of non-verbal communication while eating and having fun! So many people do not use verbal language to communicate, and by trying to find new ways to communicate, we are attempting to make our community more inclusive and understanding.
Disability Awareness Month Celebration Major Performer: Bill Shannon
Friday, October 16 | 6:00 p.m. | Digital Auditorium, Hurley Convergence Center
Bill Shannon is an interdisciplinary artist, inventor and maker who explores body-centric work through video installation, sculpture, drawing, linguistics, sociology, choreography and dance. Bill’s interdisciplinary works have been performed and exhibited globally and include a multi-year street performance “Regarding the Fall” and correlated line art series “Notes on Performance” a video installation series “Fragmentation Series” and five group works for dance theater focused on translating “street dance” to the stage. Bill is a Guggenheim Fellow in Dance, a Foundation for Contemporary Art fellow in Performance Art, and a United States Artists Fellow in Choreography. Bill has performed globally including New York Live Arts, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Sydney Opera House, MCA Chicago, Temple Bar Square Dublin and many more. While primarily a solo independent artist Bill has also worked as an aerial straps choreographer for Cirque Du Soleil’s touring show Varekai and starred in RJD2’s viral music video directed by Joey Garfield titled “Work It Out.” Currently, Shannon lives in Pittsburgh and continues to work independently on a range of self-directed projects while caring for his family.
Sensory Bins Service Activity
Tuesday, October 20 | 4:00 pm | 2nd Floor Gourley Living Room, Cedric Rucker University Center
Come make sensory bins to donate to local elementary schools. Sensory bins allow people to relax and engage with their five senses in a calming and self-regulated way.
All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. For more information, please contact the James Farmer Multicultural Center at (540) 654-1044 or visit the James Farmer Multicultural Center website. Please email us at jfmc@umw.edu if you have any questions regarding disability-related accommodations.