In the midst of this weekend’s NCAA Tournament East Regional contests, people with and without disabilities came together for their own March Madness in a game of wheelchair basketball.

Hundreds of community members gathered in Flanagan Gymnasium this past Saturday to play, watch and learn about accessible athletics at the 4th annual OrangeAbility Accessible Athletics Expo. In addition to wheelchair basketball, the event offered hand cycles, sled hockey, wheelchair quidditch and a professional rugby game between the Western New York Wreckers and the Ottawa Stingrays.

The expo, which was open to the public, was organized by numerous organizations, including the Disability Student Union, Disability Cultural Center, the Department of Recreation Services and Move Along, Inc., a community non-profit.

Eddie Zaremba, the co-chair of OrangeAbility and founder of the Disability Student Union, said this collaboration is part of an effort to work with the community and represent a wide array of people.

Zaremba said the Disability Student Union and the Disability Cultural Center were the first to work together on this project, which is run by students with support from the organizations. Zaremba said facilitating an event like OrangeAbility is important to these groups because recreation and sport are crucial parts of life and should be accessible to all.

Christy Kalebic, co-chair of OrangeAbility and Disability Student Union President, said the expo is about complete inclusivity and allowing everyone, regardless of mobility challenges, to participate.

Kalebic, a sophomore psychology major with a minor in disability studies, said this year OrangeAbility had almost 50 volunteers from community and student groups. Volunteers played games, facilitated activities and helped with general administration, she said.

Both Kalebic and Zaremba said the event has grown over time as it has expanded into the community and attracted more participants.

Syracuse University’s Office of Disability Services was one of the organizations tabling at the expo. Paula Possenti-Perez, the director of SU’s Office of Disability Services, said the office was there to show the community that it is more than just a place to facilitate accommodations.

“We want them to know we are fun,” she said.

Possenti-Perez, who is also on the board for the Disability Cultural Center, said the best part of OrangeAbility is the effort to demystify non-traditionally enrolled students and to allow them to build networks in the community.

Jeff Wright, executive director at Move Along, Inc., said community outreach is important to him, too. As an OrangeAbility partner, Wright tries to bring in more central New York organizations every year so that the community can see what is available to them.

Wright said the power of accessible athletics to lift the spirits of the participants is invaluable.

“We want them to reach their full potential,” he said.

One attendee, Anthony Canestrare, a freshman whose major is undecided, said he came to OrangeAbility because he likes to watch wheelchair basketball and thought it might be a good opportunity to meet new people. He said he would definitely come again next year.

Tori Cedar, Disability Student Union member and OrangeAbility volunteer, said the organization hopes to start doing smaller-scale sporting events more regularly.

Cedar, a freshman psychology and communication sciences and disorders dual major, also said she sees the expo as an accessible, safe space where participants can be anyone looking to socialize and be part of a group.

“A lot of people don’t realize that this is just having fun,” she said.

Published on March 29, 2015 at 10:12 pm

Contact Delaney: dovanwey@syr.edu