8th annual disability pride celebration in Toronto

Hundreds to gather at Nathan Phillips Square on July 19th

at the 8th annual disability pride celebration in Toronto

TORONTO—To mark the 8th annual disability pride celebration in Toronto, Simply People: Celebrating Our Lives & Identities, hundreds will gather at Nathan Phillips Square on July 19th from 5:00PM to 8:00PM. This free outdoor event is open for all to attend (rain or shine) and there will be a number of performances and guest speakers on stage. Display tables will be setup by organizations to provide information about their products and services.

“Our vision is to bring as many people together to celebrate our lives and identities in an inclusive environment of positive synergies and attitudes of being proud,” says Uzma Khan, a founder of this annual event.

This year’s on stage entertainment will include comedic acts by Andre Arruda and Adam Wilkinson. There will be performances by singers Joel Martin & Selyne Maia and Olivia Pileggi,. DramaWay will be performing an interpretive dance. Also, for the second year in a row the bands Symphony of Nine and Ordain will perform.

“We're so honoured once again, to be part of 'Simply People' this year. As Torontonians, this festival represents the culture of acceptance and understanding that this city is known for”, says Scott Dion Brown, lead singer of Symphony of Nine.

Guest speaker, Jeff Noble, founder of www.fasdforever.com, will touch on his personal experience living with a disability and his passion for educating and coaching people about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Another guest speaker, professional activist, Alexandra Cotric, will be sharing her story of how she took a hold of her educational career in her grade eight year as a student with a Learning Disability to becoming an Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) certified teacher.

This event is brought to you by Canada-Wide Accessibility for Post-Secondary Students (CANWAPSS) and friends of CANWAPSS, including LinkUp Employment Services, Abilities Arts Festival, Accessible Media Inc. and Easter Seals Canada (Access 2 Entertainment).

ASL interpretation, attendant care and transcription services will be available onsite.

For more information about this event, please e-mail the organizers at info@disabilitypride.ca or visit www.disabilitypride.ca. Join their Facebook group at Simply People - Disability Pride Celebration in Toronto.