Nearly 300 benefit from Disability Day
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FAIRMONT - In its third year, Disability Awareness Day at the Martin County Fair skyrocketed to nearly 300 people with disabilities from across the area in attendance enjoying free entry, food and access to rides. The event is put on by the Fairmont Area Human Rights Organization.
Nine organizations brought people, including Mankato Rehabilitation Center Inc. (MRCI), Support, Training and Employment Programs (STEP), REM, Community Options and Resources (COR) and Elm Homes.
Heading into the fair this year, Organizer Pat Kietzer said there were many who eagerly awaited Disability Awareness Day.
"I know it’s STEP, the one gal counts the days until the next fair because she loves to come to the fair and ride rides and so forth," she said. "She’s already looking forward to next year’s fair."
Organizer Jane Lintelman said a lot of those who attended enjoyed the rides.
"They like to ride," she said. "The barns. They just walk all around. They got the wheelchairs for them, and the food."
"And seeing their friends or their peers, coworkers, and so forth," Kietzer added.
Samantha Duncan, who helped bring people around the fair in wheelchairs, said they got some food and ice cream, looked at the animals like the pigs and horses and went through the exhibits.
"I really like that we have free accessible water here," she said.
In working with people with disabilities at the fair, Duncan said partaking in the food and ride options were their favorite parts.
"If they’re able to go on the ride, they enjoy the ride," she said.
Having social activities like this that people can look forward to and have the capacity to be around dozens of people is crucial, according to Lintelman and Kietzer.
"Extremely important," Lintelman said. "It’s just as important, if not more, for the disabled than it is for others. Human Rights Organization puts this in our mission: everyone has human rights."
Last year, Lintelman said it rained and a generator blew on Disability Awareness Day, which took away a crucial part of the experience. This year, the rain stayed away for the majority of the day, and everyone who attended was able to sample the rides.
This year, they added an information booth, where they handed out bags with paper, sticky notes and pens to people with disabilities and their staff.
"We had from Learning Unlimited a backpack-type bag that people could choose if they wanted that one," Kietzer said.
Officially, 281 people from nine different organizations came, as well as some independent people who registered themselves. This is a nearly 40-person jump from registration records at last year’s iteration. A big piece of this was effort by the organizers to make travel easier.
"We offered free rides to and from the fair this year for Disability Awareness Day," Kietzer said. "Prairie Lakes Transit is providing that, and we are picking up the tab for that this year."
Due to the price of gas and taxi rides, and space available on the shuttles that only some of the organizations possess, Lintelman said that was a big draw.
Another big draw was the talent show, put on by the Aktion Club. Dozens were in attendance as people with disabilities sang, danced and read poetry, expressing themselves and transmitting joy to a full house of people.
Overall, Kietzer said this year went well for Disability Awareness Day.
"Because of the weather," she said. "It didn’t rain, and it wasn’t extremely hot. I think they had a good time. I think they enjoyed everything that we provided for them this year."
From not existing four years ago to providing a full fair experience to around 300 people, Lintelman said it has been so rewarding and satisfying.
"A lot of work goes into it," she said. "We send out evaluations, and we use them every year. We’ve got good grants and scholarships, and we do fundraisers. We’re just really excited."
Duncan agreed that, in working with people with disabilities, having an event like this for them is absolutely amazing.
One area she said she would like to see improvement is in some of the animal barns, as some, like the horse barn, were difficult to get into, and others were not accessible to those with wheelchairs.