The first Broadway play I ever saw was in 1980, the Tony winning Children of a Lesser God with actress Marlee Matlin portraying a deaf janitor.  I was mesmerized in the fluid dance-like sign language that was so much a part of the play.  Matlin is the only deaf performer ever to have won an Academy Award when she later portrayed that same role of Sarah Norman in the movie of the same name.  

Earlier this month we witnessed a first when Ali Stroker won a Tony for her role in Oklahoma.  This time, instead of the choreography of American Sign Language (ASL), we saw the challenging dance performances that included this woman in a wheelchair.  Who would have considered casting the enduring and coquettish Ado Annie with an actor in a wheelchair?  

Patty Duke played Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker and received a Tony for her performance in 1962.  She was recognized as a great actress in light that she was able to so convincingly portray a deaf and blind girl. At that time it was inconceivable to have had a woman with an actual disability on stage.   Bradley Cooper portrayed John Merrick in The Elephant Man and Daniel Day Lewis was Christy Brown in My Left Foot.  There are many other great roles of individuals with disabilities who are too often portrayed by able bodied actors.

Each year we host some of our friends for a day game to cheer on the Fort Wayne TinCaps. Some of our friends have gone every year since we started the tradition 9 years ago and always look forward to the summer event. It’s a day where we get to engage with service providers and their clients, and sometimes even family members. Participation varies year to year; yesterday we hosted over 1,300 people for the game! The added bonus was that it was actually sunny after months filled with rain.

AWS Foundation staff always attends the game, walking around saying hello to our guests, sporting our AWSF shirts. The TinCaps staff is courteous, patient, and more than eager to help out when the rare problem arises. We usually give a gift to our attendees, one year it was hats, this year it was cooling towels with the AWSF logo. The cooling towels were a big hit on this hot day!

These games serve multiple purposes to fulfill our mission. The most important is the social enrichment of those with disabilities. They get to watch the game and socialize with their friends, and enjoy some fresh air. This gives them a chance to engage in their community with their neighbors of all abilities and build comradery through a common interest. It also works toward our mission of inclusion and awareness. Attendees of the game who are not part of our large group interact with those with disabilities and their caretakers throughout the event. The more exposure you have to something, the more comfortable you become. Inclusion drives innovation for more accessible, more sensory friendly, more welcoming environments.

All in all, anothoer successrful event is in the books and we celebrated a TinCaps win! We taught people about our mission, said hello to old friends, and made memories that will last for years to come. If you were at the game, we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. See you next year!