ABOVE: From left: Jerry Miller, Jane Lintelman, Pat Kietzer, Jim Erickson, Bill Schauberger, Peter Engstrom and Tara Eisenmenger hold their Disability Awareness Day banner at the Martin County Fairgrounds. The banner will be displayed where the Human Rights Association will be situated throughout the fair, educating on people with disabilities.

FAIRMONT – With a successful first year in the rear-view mirror, Disability Awareness Day is looking to be bigger and better than ever for people with disabilities on August 14 at the Martin County Fair.

Human Rights Organization (HRO) Secretary Jane Lintelman said she found a similar event at the Clay County Fair several years ago and was able to gather a wealth of information from the organizers.

“They were willing to give me all their information and how they went about doing it,” she said. “We went to the fair board with it in Fairmont.”

Last year, they had around 160 people who registered. With this number and the positive reception they received, they got to work right away on this year’s iteration.

“We got a banner figured out, and we started brainstorming on how many more we could invite,” Lintelman said. “We did fundraisers so we could have more money for this year.”

By spreading the word further and raising funds to accommodate more people, this year the number of registrations has grown to 242. Lintelman said finding this number was central to fine-tuning preparations for Disability Awareness Day.

“We sent out a letter telling what’s going to happen,” she said. “Then they needed to fill out a registration form that had how many people were coming, how many staff and contact information. We’ve given that to the Fair Board, and they take care of getting the wrist bands.”

For those who registered, they will receive $10 cash to use at the fair, free ride access from 1 to 3 p.m. and their registered staff members/caretakers will enter free as well. Anyone with a disability, regardless of whether they registered, will be able to enter for free this year as they did last year.

HRO President Peter Engstrom said Prairie Lakes Transit is also providing free transportation this year.

“They don’t have to say, ‘I have a disability,'” he said. “This is an additional benefit. Anybody who wants to go to the fair that day can come for free through Prairie Lakes Transit, and we’re reimbursing them.”

Compared to the smaller time frame last year, Treasurer Pat Kietzer said this year allowed them to get a merry-go-round and Ferris wheel for the fair.

“This is a new carnival this year,” she said. “They’ve done Disability Awareness Day at other fairs. They’re willing to work with us. Everyone is so willing to work with us.”

“This event is for individuals, but it’s also to promote information about human rights and disabilities,” Engstrom said. “For example, city council has graciously agreed to do a proclamation on the 11th of August, saying that August 14 will be a Disability Awareness Day for the city of Fairmont. It will talk about the history of disability awareness in Fairmont.”

With the increase in people this year, Lintelman said there will also be more handicap-accessible porta-potties and they will be more centrally located.

A new event this year is a free talent show from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Bank Midwest building for people with disabilities.

“There’ll be people with disabilities sharing their talents with the people at the fair, which is pretty awesome,” Lintelman said.

With this year’s event attracting more people with disabilities and expanding their opportunities, Lintelman said she hopes to see more of the emotions she witnessed last year.

“Joy, happiness, gratitude, camaraderie,” she said. “It’s so gratifying and almost humbling we can provide people with disabilities the ability to experience the fair that they would not be able to otherwise.”

*Editor’s Note: This article ran in the Sentinel’s 2024 fair preview section.