Join Queerly ME and BRIDGE Maine for a day of discussions and activities centering LGBTQIA+ people with disabilities in Maine.
The event will include the following:
12PM-1PM: A panel discussion made up of 5 panelists who are LGBTQIA+ with a disability to discuss their experience with accessibility in outdoor spaces and LGBTQIA+ spaces. The format of this panel will be question and answer.
2PM-3PM: A community forum made up of small breakout groups (roughly 4-5 people per group). Facilitators will provide discussion prompts related to the lived experience of LGBTQIA+ people with disabilities. We will note suggestions / feedback on how to improve community space, and broadcast calls to action via social media after the program ends. There will be a notetaker in place for each group.
All Day (10am-4pm), we will have:
A small resource table area in the parking lot of the venue. We plan to partner with organizations that serve those with disabilities and organizations that provide accessible programs for LGBTQIA+ people with disabilities.
A low sensory room made up of quiet activities, fidget toys and crafts, low light / tent and cushion areas. This will be located indoors near the main entrance.
Outdoor equipment demo stations: we will have a few organizations demoing adaptive outdoor equipment for those with limited mobility who want to access outdoor recreation. This will occur at the front of the building.
Socializing / Networking outdoors between participants, facilitators, panelists, etc. throughout the day.
About Our Program Partners:
BRIDGE Maine is a disabled and queer peer-to-peer support group that aims to build and maintain relationships by and for multi-marginalized disabled people that protect and prioritize the community’s collective well-being.
Campus Accessibility:
Adaptive Outdoor Education Center is an accessible indoor and outdoor campus. All indoor entrances are wide and there are ramps throughout the building, buttons that open doors, and wheelchair accessible bathrooms. The main outdoor paths are gravel and flat, but there is a steep incline going down to the forest paths. An alternative path is located near the parking lot. We have found that some entrances to the building and trails are difficult to access if in a power wheelchair; in this case, there are alternative entrances and pathways we can direct to. At the event, these paths will be clearly marked with signs that have a power chair symbol with a slash through it, and say INACCESSIBLE. Volunteers will be available to help point you to where you’re going, and help you find the best path to take.
There will be a Deaf / Hearing ASL interpreting team present for the duration of the panel and community forum. If you are attending via Zoom, there will be an OWL that is focused on the panel, and a separate camera pointed on the interpreting team, which will be highlighted in the call. The event will also be live captioned, which will be displayed on screen, and a transcript can be provided upon request. Image descriptions will be provided when applicable, and visual descriptions of the panelists will be given. As courtesy to both the audience and interpreters, panelists will also say their name before they begin speaking. We encourage the breakout groups to do the same.
For the panel which occurs inside, masks will be required in the room unless an individual’s disability or language needs conflict with the use of a mask. The community forum will allow for break out groups indoors and outdoors. There is room inside to spread seating out, and the panelists will be sitting 6 feet apart and at least 6 feet away from the audience.
There will be food available at the event. There will be wraps provided by Wild Oats (vegan and GF options available), a vegan soup, and snacks.