On July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, was signed into law. The law was created to establish a clear and comprehensive prohibition of discrimination the basis of disability. On July 27, 2015, Ex Fabula in collaboration with Broadscope Disability Services presents Easy Access StorySlam: A celebration and exploration of the Americans with Disabilities Act through personal stories. The event welcomes audience members to share their own stories, along with four scheduled storytellers.
In celebration of the ADA’s 25th Anniversary and Ex Fabula’s first disability-focused event, this week’s show features two very different experiences with two very different disabilities. In November 2014, Lee Rowley shared an intimate account of his struggle with depression during our “My Nemesis” StorySlam. Depression is leading cause of disability in the United States in people ages 14 through 44. Not all disabilities are visible or physical and mental illness is often just as limiting and discriminated against.
Our second story comes from March of 2015 when Deserae Constantineau took to the stage during our "OOPS" StorySlam. Diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis in 1983, long before the ADA, Deserae takes us through the challenges of “mainstreaming” in public schools and the lack of accessibility and adaptation she experienced during her school years.
Speaking of StorySlams, we’ll be announcing our Season 7 StorySlam themes by the end of August. We will beginning this season in September rather than October. So there’s not too long to wait before you can resume your monthly Ex Fabula fix! However, if September is still too far away, catch Ex Fabulaand Milwaukee Public Library in the beginning of August at #TheSpot4MKE on 5th and Wisconsin and share your story! We’ll be collecting UltraShorts – short personal stories written on slips of paper – inspired by Maurice Sendak: The Memorial Exhibition and Where the Wild Things Are.
