ReinventAbility’s Free Inaugural DisFest

ReinventAbility, the organization that engages and entertains while contributing to a more universally accessible future, announces the inaugural DisFest, a free celebration of accomplished artists and performers with disabilities, Saturday, July 22, from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St, ramp entrance on Randolph at Garland. DisFest is presented in partnership with the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and collaborators MOMENTA Dance Company, Bodies Of Work/UIC and the Disability Pride Parade. 

DisFest will feature several events ranging from art displays, pop-up performances, interactive workshops, dance classes, and more! 

ReinventAbility Founder, Ladonna Freidheim, is passionate about inclusion, dance, science and joy. She is an award-winning leader and advocate for arts inclusion as well as a formally trained wheelchair dancer. Freidheim is a Chicagoan, born and bred, who spent her bun-headed ballerina youth on the south-side, an enormous dance bag slung across her shoulder, riding the CTA across the city. A degenerative disability ended her ballerina life and she recovered from surgeries with future paralympic athletes who introduced her to disability culture. With the aid of braces and a cane or crutches, Freidheim is able to navigate the world much of the time, but it is her wheelchair that has restored her dancer’s soul.

DisFest is FREE and fully accessible including wheelchair access, ASL, captioning, audio description, a quiet space and “What To Expect” preview. More information and a complete schedule of events, may be found atReinventAbility.com.