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Festival celebrates seniors, persons with disabilities

SeniorsFest
The inaugural Airdrie Seniors and Disabled Festival will celebrate those individuals and raise awareness about the challenges they face. Photo: Metro Creative Connection

Airdrie will honour some of its less-recognized individuals this summer, during the inaugural Airdrie Senior and Disabled Festival. The free event, hosted by Volunteer Airdrie, is set for June 8 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Airdrie Curling Club and Over 50 Club.

“This is about promoting awareness about people with disabilities and seniors, and celebrating them,” said organizer Nina Nath.

Nath said she hopes the event will convey the message that local seniors and people with disabilities “are human beings, too,” who deserve to be respected, valued and supported, while highlighting some of the challenges they face daily.

The festival will feature refreshments, live music and door prizes, according to Nath. Guest speakers will discuss topics relating to seniors and people with disabilities, and a small trade show will host booths showcasing equipment and services designed for those groups.

She said she’s hoped to see a festival celebrating seniors and people with disabilities in Airdrie for many years, but her dream didn’t gain traction until she recently became a director with Volunteer Airdrie. Her idea was widely supported by the board, she said, which has helped make the festival a reality.

In November 2018, Nath and other members of the Volunteer Airdrie board made a presentation to Airdrie City council requesting Dec. 3, 2018 be recognized as International Day of Disabled Persons in Airdrie, which was granted unanimously. Nath said a modest celebration ensued, and Volunteer Airdrie decided to follow up with a bigger celebration this summer. That seed eventually grew into the upcoming festival.

As a person living with a disability, Nath said she loves living in Airdrie, but admitted she encounters challenges every day. She highlighted accessibility and transit as two areas that could be improved.

She added becoming a senior is inevitable for anyone fortunate enough to live a long life, and disability does not discriminate.

“It can come to anyone at any time – any gender, any caste, any financial status,” she said. “It comes unannounced, so we should be very aware of that and respect that.”

More generally, according to Nath, caring for seniors and people with disabilities can be consuming. Those individuals are sometimes viewed as a burden and relegated to the margins, she said, which can leave them feeling isolated.

“As soon as you become disabled, your friends go away,” Nath said. “A lot of people think a disabled person is going to be too much responsibility, so they’re not invited. That is a very, very sad situation. They’re not a problem.”

Taking a day to celebrate local seniors and people with disabilities will help connect them with the wider community, Nath said, and highlight their importance while providing an opportunity for other residents to learn from and about them.

Volunteers are still needed to help with the festival, Nath added. Anyone interested can contact her at 403-988-4485, or email [email protected] for more information.

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