MURRAY, Ky. — The Murray-Calloway County Fair held a Special Needs Day for People with Disabilities on Thursday, an event aimed at providing a space for people with special needs without flashing lights, large crowds and loud music that can be off-putting.
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More than 300 people attended the event, which lasted an hour. Attendees chose from five amusement rides, played carnival games, ate free food, learned how to milk a cow and toured emergency response vehicles.
Among the many who attended the event were Matthew Adams and his mother, Dawn McCarty, who have attended the event for the past two years and made some new friends along the way.
Adams said he enjoys special needs days because they allow children to have fun without being overstimulated, something he sees often.
Dawn McCarty
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“Some people with special needs don’t want to go at night,” Adams said. “For a child with special needs, going at night can be extremely distressing.”
McCarty noted that parents love attending special needs days. They love watching their kids ride the amusement park rides and interact with other kids, she said.
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“These events are really great for all my friends with disabilities, including my kids, and they really enjoy it,” McCarty said. “It’s a great time for them to get together with all the friends they all know.”
Trish Parrish of the Murray-Calloway County Fair Board said the hour-long session was the maximum the group could accommodate and she hopes that in the future, more parents with children with disabilities will take advantage of the event.
“They get to experience things that other people don’t get to experience,” Parrish said, “and we’ve had great feedback from the people who work with them and from people who are from neighboring counties.”
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