Special Olympics Athletes & Volunteers Participate in First-Ever Disability Justice Parade

Saturday event features a parade followed by a celebration at Arms Park

Concord, NH (October 13, 2022) – “All means all” is the mantra for this Saturday’s inaugural Disability Justice Parade in Manchester. The event is designed to “celebrate and elevate the values of inclusion, equity and justice for people with disabilities” according to organizing entity ABLE NH.

Special Olympics New Hampshire (SONH) athletes and volunteers will be marching in the parade and celebrating a year that has seen many activities returning to near-pre-pandemic levels. Several athletes that were part of Team New Hampshire at the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games in Orlando, Florida plan to be in attendance on Saturday.

Parade units will stage at 100 Commercial Street in Manchester where the parade will step off from at noon on Saturday. The half-mile parade route goes down Commercial Street turning left onto Stark Street and ending at Arms Park. The parade will be immediately followed by a festival at Arms Park including vendors, food and entertainment. Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig is scheduled to proclaim Saturday “Disability Justice Day” in the Queen City.

The Flying Gravity Circus is a Granite State-based non-profit with the mission to promote artistic expression, physical fitness, and positive youth development by teaching circus skills and creating opportunities to participate in a range of circus performances. As part of Saturday’s festival, the Flying Gravity Circus will perform at 1:00 pm in Arms Park.

“Inclusion for all is one of the core elements of Special Olympics New Hampshire and we are proud to be a sponsor and partner with ABLE NH for this inclusive celebration” said SONH President and CEO Mary Conroy.

Andrew MacLeay is the Community Organizer for ABLE NH and he stated “ABLE NH and it’s partner organizations are excited for New Hampshire’s first Disability Justice Parade. A Disability Justice Parade calls us to come together, uplift, and amplify one another’s voices and be heard. Disability pride is about accepting and honoring each person’s uniqueness and seeing it as a natural and beautiful part of human diversity.”

The parade and admission to the festival are free and open to all. For more information about ABLE NH visit www.AbleNH.org.

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Contact: Mark Ericson
603-498-5186 
MarkE@sonh.org