Disability Awareness DeKalb is hosting a night of Disability in Song, Dance, Sign and Poetry 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at the House Cafe, 263 E. Lincoln Highway. This event is part of a broader Disability Awareness Month initiative that takes place in DeKalb every October.

Disability Awareness Month in DeKalb is “a month-long, citywide series of free recreational and educational events focused on disability,” according to the Disability Awareness DeKalb official Facebook page.

The event raises awareness for all types of disabilities, from spectrum disorders, neurodivergence or neuroatypical disorders and mental illness. While mainstream conversation often leaves certain disabilities off the table, Disability in Song, Dance, Sign and Poetry is an inclusive event aimed for people from all walks of life.

Kelsey Williams, Co-Coordinator of Disability Awareness month, said this event is important for expanding people’s minds on what art made by people with disabilities looks like, especially in the face of long-held stereotypes.

Disability in Song, Dance, Sign and Poetry allows local artists to share their stories to productively add to the conversation and social awareness of disabilities. By allowing those with disabilities to share their experiences through art, disabled individuals can reclaim the narrative surrounding their own experiences.

“We want to make sure we can portray the entire experience of living with disabilities, dark and light,” Williams said.

The event will feature a range of art from spoken-word poetry to dance and jazz music. Among those making appearances are spoken-word poets Jenny Stamatakos and Shamira Williams, Kelsey Williams with an ASL song interpretation and the NIU Jazz Combofest performers.

Williams explained how even if someone has no experience with disabilities, they can still gain a lot from coming to the event.

“This is a great, informal setting for someone who wants to help people with disabilities to come, listen and learn,” Williams said.

Attendees can gain insight into what living with a disability is like and exposure to different life experiences. With so much stigma surrounding disabilities in society, this event provides a platform in which human experiences speak louder than stereotypes.