The Medical College of Wisconsin’s department of physical medicine and rehabilitation is scheduled to host the second annual EveryBODY Plays! Adaptive Sports and Recreation Expo on Saturday, July 25, at Nathan Hale High School in West Allis.
EveryBODY Plays! is designed to introduce adaptive sports and recreation to individuals with disabilities and to create awareness in southeast Wisconsin.
Events will include handcycling, kayaking, tennis, wheelchair basketball, children’s activities, a climbing wall and more. More than 45 different organizations will showcase their programs. The event is free and open to the public.
“By gathering this many resources in one place, we can demonstrate to persons with disabilities the many opportunities available to them in the community, perhaps in their own backyard, and also raise awareness across southeastern Wisconsin of the substantial need for programs that meet the needs of persons with disabilities,” said Dr. Kenneth Lee, associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at MCW and the primary organizer of the expo. Lee sees patients at the Clement Zablocki VA Medical Center.
“This is the second year of the event, and our goal is to reach as many people as possible across this region and help them get here, enjoy the expo, and leave with new experiences and knowledge about community resources available to them and their families,” Lee said.
The expo also is part of the Milwaukee area celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA, enacted July 26, 1992, gives civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities.
The expo will have a special ADA25 Celebration ceremony emceed by U.S. Paralympian gold medalist Kevin McKee. It will feature an adaptive ballet performance by students of the Milwaukee Ballet, and County Executive Chris Abele will be present to read a proclamation celebrating the significant impact of the ADA on the lives of individuals with disabilities.
The expo will be held rain or shine, and activities begin at 9 a.m. and run through 2 p.m. Pre-registration is encouraged. Nathan Hale High School is located at 11601 W. Lincoln Ave. in West Allis. Organizers also are recruiting volunteers.
