Fourth Annual Disability Resource Fair promotes inclusivity and awareness

By Staff Writers Luna Bichon, Cecilia Cheng & Abigaile Lei

As the disability community continues to grow, the need for stronger connections with the Fremont community becomes increasingly clear. Featuring more than 45 booths, the annual Disability Resource Fair seeks to bridge the long-overdue connections at the Fremont Downtown Event Center on September 21. Held by the City of Fremont Human Relations Commission in collaboration with Friends of Children with Special Needs (FCSN), Co-Founder Anna Wang first introduced the event in 2021 as a way to serve families with disabled individuals and expose them to social workers like police and firefighters, while creating a hub of resources to turn to for assistance. This year’s event boasted more than 800 attendees, 300 more visitors than last year, demonstrating the growing support and recognition of the disability community. 

Incorporating live music, raffles, and activities such as plastic axe throwing, face painting, and giant cup pong, the fair ensures a lively and inclusive environment for everyone that attends. Additionally, Fremont police officers and firefighters educated the community about their efforts in serving the city, with a purpose to assure the disabled citizens of Fremont they were safe and protected from danger. Local politicians also made an appearance to provide support, like Fremont Mayor Raj Salwan and CA Sen. Aisha Wahab. 

The festival promotes inclusivity through engaging showcases, including a safety demonstration, which provides an introduction to first responders. Police and firefighters demonstrated how drones, fire equipment, and other safety technology worked, keeping crowds captivated and interested.  These activities help create a respectful and supportive environment for the community as a whole. “One in 33 kids are diagnosed with autism, so this community is definitely expanding,” event organizer Kelly Ko said. “That’s really the most important thing, to connect them with the services and resources.”

The festival helped spread awareness for people with special needs, with volunteers and workers providing support for families that are struggling to find tools to help. Many of the vendors and volunteers took joy in being part of the community and bringing people together to help where it is needed. Attendees expressed their appreciation for the resources and engaging booths present at the event. “I work for [FCSN] because my sister has special needs,” FCSN employee and MSJ alumni Conrad Sun said. “I did find some really cool resources that could help her out, like [assets] for support and living services.” 

Many attendees saw the event not only as a meaningful resource but also an example of what could be accomplished when the community works together. The fair holds a place in the city as an “all non profit, community driven [event],” Mayor Raj Salwan said. “There’s a lot of stakeholders … folks that are in that industry, so I think that’s what makes it unique and special.” Ultimately, the event was a successful testimony to the power of community action, spreading much needed awareness for the disability community.