At the Festival of Human Abilities, visitors can watch performances and learn unique adaptive skills taught by artists and other experts with disabilities. Featured at the festival are hip hop wheelchair dancers Auti Angel, The Rollettes, Infinite Flow, a sign language choir, Kodi Lee, a singer who is blind and has autism, Dat Nguyen, a guitarist who is blind, and other inspiring performing artists.
Along with these music and dance performances, the Aquarium will feature art demonstrations and displays, including mouth-stick art by local artists with disabilities. Diveheart will present adaptive SCUBA demonstrations to show that people of all abilities can enjoy this therapeutic sport.
A variety of free creative workshop classes will be held on site, lasting thirty to forty-five minutes per session. Participants will have the opportunity to learn to sing in sign language, create wheelchair art, paint a hat, and try hip hop wheelchair dancing. All major programming will have sign language interpreters, and the Aquarium will provide audio tours for guests who are blind.
HONOREE: This year’s honoree will be Andrew Skinner. In August 2008, Andrew Skinner co-founded the Triumph Foundation, a non-profit organization whose mission is to help individuals with spinal cord injury. Triumph Foundation promotes maximizing recovery & return of function through regular exercise, living a healthy lifestyle, focusing on independence, and keeping a positive attitude.
Through Triumph Foundation, Skinner has spent many volunteer hours mentoring and offering support to people with spinal cord injuries. The cornerstone of their outreach is giving newly injured people care baskets that are like tool-kits which provide information and resources about the many SCI support organizations, assistance programs, and activities.
WHEN: Saturday and Sunday, January 28-29, 2017, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Award ceremony: Sunday, January 29, 2017 at 11:45 a.m.
WHERE: Aquarium of the Pacific, 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA 90802
COST: $29.95 adult (12+), $26.95 senior (62+), $17.95 child (3-11), and free to kids age three and under and members
Sponsor: Marriott Long Beach.
INFO: (562) 590-3100 or http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/events/info/festival_of_human_abilities/
We have teamed up for a Giveaway! One winner will win a Family 4-Pack of Tickets for either the 28th or the 29th! Leave a comment below to enter! Deadline to enter is January 26th, 2017 at 9 am PST.
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AQUARIUM: The nonprofit Aquarium of the Pacific is a community gathering place where diverse cultures and the arts are celebrated and where important challenges facing our planet are explored by scientists, policymakers, and stakeholders in search of sustainable solutions. The Aquarium is dedicated to conserving and building nature and nature’s services by building the interactions between and among peoples. Home to more than 11,000 animals, Aquarium exhibits include the June Keyes Penguin Habitat, the interactive Shark Lagoon and Lorikeet Forest exhibits, and the new Vanishing Animals and Horses and Dragons exhibitions. Beyond its animal exhibits, the Aquarium offers educational programs for people of all ages, from hands-on activities to lectures by leading scientists. The Aquarium won a 2015 Travelers’ Choice Award for Aquariums, as awarded by TripAdvisor® travelers. The Aquarium offers memberships with unlimited FREE admission for 12 months, VIP Entrance, and other special benefits. For more information, visit www.aquariumofpacific.org.
Wow! Would love to go.
Congrats Carolina!