Each year, Disability Rights Iowa celebrates the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Though the nonprofit existed before the passage of the landmark civil rights legislation, the law “radically changed” the advocacy work that could be done on behalf of Iowans with disabilities, said Catherine Johnson, executive director of Disability Rights Iowa.

“So this year, it made sense to do our 40th anniversary celebration in combination with the ADA celebration,” Johnson said.

The nonprofit also found a serendipitous partner for the event. In May, the Athene North Shore Recreation Area opened at Easter Lake Park in southeast Des Moines. The park’s universal design and amenities – including an inclusive playground, equipment such as water wheelchairs, direction signage with Braille and much more – make it among the most accessible parks in the country. The North Shore’s leaders also hoped to celebrate the ADA’s anniversary this year.

Johnson thought the park would make a fun and accessible location to celebrate Disability Rights Iowa’s anniversary celebration, dubbed the 40/34 Equal Access Festival. (The numbers represent 40 years of Disability Rights Iowa and 34 years of the ADA.)

The event will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on July 27. At the event, Disability Rights Iowa will premiere a video featuring Iowans with disabilities sharing about the impact of advocacy. There will be a welcome lunch at 11:30 a.m., and vouchers for a free meal will be given to the first 150 people in attendance of the event. Following lunch, remarks will be delivered by Johnson, Devon Boes (program and outreach coordinator at the park) and Iowa Rep. Josh Turek.

“We were just really impressed with what [the North Shore leaders] have done and thought that it made a lot of sense to do an event there with their partnership,” Johnson said. “We don’t ever forget how hard it is when you’re a person with a disability to call our agency and say, ‘I need help,’ … and to put their trust in letting us help them fix that problem is something we all take great pride in. We wanted to give back with a fun day and the ability to say thank you.”

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend and can alert organizers of reasonable accommodations to participate by going to the event webpage. American Sign Language will be available throughout the entire event, and in-person captioning will be available from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Learn more about the event.