Image captionThe first Disability Awareness Day was meant to be a “one-off”, organisers said.Article informationAuthor, Paul BurnellPosted by BBC News
1 hour ago
An event believed to be one of the largest events in the world for people with disabilities will be held.
Warrington’s Disability Awareness Day will take place in Walton Hall Gardens from 10am to 6pm and will feature over 200 exhibits and 220 organisations.
It was founded in 1992 as a “one-off” effort by David Thompson and two friends from a support group.
Since then, all events are said to have attracted a total of around 600,000 people, with around 20,000 attending last year.
“I’ve been really thrilled to see the organisation grow over the last few years,” said Ms Thompson, who founded Warrington Disability Partnership (WDP) after breaking her back during a football game in 1989.
“I’m convinced there is nothing bigger in the UK and it’s almost certainly the biggest in the world,” said Mr Thompson, who was made an honorary citizen of Warrington earlier this year.
The event is now holding spin-off gatherings in Gibraltar and Cameroon.
Image caption: Over 220 organizations participated in this event
The event currently has a team of 30 volunteers working on it, who have been preparing the venue for a week.
“We wanted to do it as a one-off event to show people what information and support is available to them, and 32 years later, we’re still here,” Thompson said.
The day also offers a range of activities, from scuba diving to silent disco.
Thompson said the event epitomized the WDP’s spirit: “It’s not what you can do, it’s what you can’t do.”
Mr Thompson, Deputy Lieutenant of Cheshire, was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 2001 for services to disabled people.
Related article
Source link