The Abilities and Possibilities Fair, organized by The Arc, came to the Thursday Night Market in the downtown plaza. The fair was an opportunity for disabled individuals to share their perspectives and educate the community on how they are more than just a disability.

The Arc is dedicated to not only educating communities about disabled individuals but also helping those individuals through programs and services that allow them to be self-supporting and independent. The Butte County Arc program first started the Abilities and Possibilities Fair in downtown Chico last year. Their resource developer, Kathy McCreary, had the idea to organize the fair three years ago, but only recently it became a reality.

McCreary saw the benefits of disability awareness events that were hosted by other branches of The Arc and was set on giving Butte County the awareness they needed. In just 2 years, the fair has already generated multiple supporters and participants.

Among the programs that participated in the fair, all are active supporters of disabled individuals, providing resources ranging from career orientations to the Special Olympics. Spreading awareness in the community helps both the general public and those that are directly affected by disabilities, giving them options they never knew they had.

Support for the disabled community continues to grow as more people become aware and conscious of how these individuals are more than just their disability, they are students, family, and above all human beings. To engage further with The Arc and the disabled community, more information is available on their website.

Melissa Joseph can be reached at [email protected] or @melisstweetz on Twitter.