Donegal County Council and Strabane District Council in association with the EU INTERREG IVA Citizenship Project’s Community Awareness Programme is pleased to announce the first cross border Disability Awareness Week entitled “Celebrating Citizenship”.
The Disability Awareness Week will be launched on Friday 25th November at the Council Chambers in Lifford at 12 noon and from then until Saturday 3rd December, a total of 17 events will take place which raise awareness of disability in local communities and highlight and celebrate citizenship of all people. Many of the events feature the professional performances and exhibitions by people with disabilities which is the foundation and focus of the theme “Celebrating Citizenship”.
The majority of the events taking place are free of charge and everyone is welcome to come along and join in and more importantly enjoy themselves. Some of the key events which are taking place include a Dramatic Musical Extravaganza in the Alley Theatre, Strabane on Saturday 26th November. This event promises to entertain, thrill and excite a family audience with scenes of some well known musicals, songs from the 70’s and country music favourites.
On Sunday 27th November, The Regional Culture Centre in Letterkenny, hosts “An Evening of Choral Song” with the Open Arts Community Choir accompanied by the Errigal Singers. The Open Arts Community Choir is an award winning dynamic and inclusive choir based in Belfast and for the past 11 years have demonstrated how people from different cultural backgrounds with and without disabilities have come together through the medium of song to provide high quality performances across a variety of different musical genres. Donegal’s very own Errigal Singers will also perform on the night.
On Thursday 1st December a Cross Border Health Fair will take place in Derg Valley Healthy Living Centre, Castlederg which will offer attendees information and advice regarding a range of health issues. The event is primarily aimed at people with disabilities however is open to all. A warm healthy snack awaits and everyone will be entered into a free draw to win a prize on the day. A range of free “tasters” of complimentary therapies will also be available on the day.
On Saturday 3rd December, a Cross Border Sports Ability Day will take place in the Riversdale Leisure Centre, Strabane. This exciting event gives people with disabilities the opportunity to try out sports they may not have tried before and more importantly to enjoy a fun day out. Saturday also sees the close of the week with an evening of celebration hosted by PWDI in the Finn Valley Athletic Centre, Stranorlar. This cross border event is open to all people with disabilities, their families and friends to come along to celebrate the achievements of people with disabilities throughout 2011.
Throughout the week, the Central Library in Letterkenny will host an adult literacy exhibition and a range of resources to assist adult literacy will be available throughout the week. Also available throughout the week will be the new information booklet
featuring local services and published by the Donegal Physical and Sensory Services, Pearse Road, Letterkenny.
The Disability Awareness Week 2011 is supported by the European Union’s INTERREG IVA Programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body and delivered by Co-operation and Working Together.