State Museum to celebrate individuals with disabilities on Saturday, March 14

Disability Celebration Day features fun activities, including a community art project, sensory-friendly shows, a silent disco and more  

The South Carolina State Museum announced the return of its Disability Celebration Day event, celebrating the 1.1 million adults and nearly 250,000 children living with a disability in South Carolina, on Saturday, March 14 from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Guests of all ages and disabilities are invited to visit the museum and get creative with disability-adapted activities and sensory-friendly experiences.

“Initiatives like Disability Celebration Day, our monthly Accessibility Mornings and ongoing ADA-compliant facility improvements reflect our commitment to fostering greater equity and access throughout the museum,” said Ani Simmons, SCSM Director of Audience Engagement.

During Disability Celebration Day, guests have the opportunity to ‘make their mark’ by joining in a ZotArtz Community Art Creation. Using adaptive art tools, such as stamping tools and paint rollers on wheelchairs, each participant will paint on a large floor mural and make individual poster sized paintings to take home.

Guests are also invited to enjoy a Silent Disco with sounds in headphones so you can individually control the volume, explore hands-on history stations with objects from museum’s teaching collection, and tactile materials from NASA, and so much more. Sensory-friendly planetarium and 4D shows will also be offered with American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation, sponsored by Colonial Life, provided by certified interpreters from the SC School for the Deaf and Blind. A full list of activities can be found on the museum’s website, scmuseum.org .

Disability Celebration Day attendance and activities are free for participants, with the exception of planetarium and 4D theater shows, which are $5 each. Online pre-registration is encouraged, but walk-up participation on the day of the event is also welcome. Many activities and shows are capacity limited so pre-registration is encouraged to ensure we can best accommodate all participants.

Program Schedule:

9 – 11 a.m. | Sensory Hours: Sounds and lights in the museum will be turned off for a more sensory-friendly exploration experience.

10 a.m. – 2 p.m.  | Main Event:

• Meet Community Resource Partners from across the state and learn more about local accessibility focused groups and organizations here to serve you.
• ZotArtz Community Art Creation featuring art experiences and art tools for everyone. Using accessible art tools, each participant will paint on a large floor mural and make individual poster-sized paintings to take home. Art rollers will also attach to wheelchairs and stamping tools to give everyone the opportunity to make art. The wheels on wheelchairs and other mobility devices will have their wheels covered for protection. In addition, shoe covers will also be available for guests and booties will be available for service dogs.
• Silent Disco with fun space that includes music via headphones
• Several hands-on stations will be available throughout the museum including an astronomy touch zone in the observatory and hands-on history stations in the museum galleries.
• Astronomy Sonification: Hear what space looks like as our astronomers discuss how NASA has encoded information about stars, galaxies, and other celestial objects with sound.
• Sensory Room that offers a dedicated quiet space with a variety of tools for guests who may need to take a break during their visit to the museum. Presented by The Behavior Co.

Sensory Friendly Shows with ASL Interpretation

• 11 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. | 4D Show, Sea Lion 4D (ASL) *
• 9:45 a.m. and 1 p.m. | Planetarium Show, Áróra (ASL) *

*Note: These showtimes listed above include ASL interpretation and adjusted volume/lights. All planetarium and 4d shows carry an additional fee.

About the South Carolina State Museum

Since opening in 1988, the South Carolina State Museum has been committed to collecting, preserving and showcasing the rich culture, art, natural history, technology and innovation of the Palmetto State. Through a comprehensive collection of over 1.1 million objects and four floors of stimulating exhibitions and displays housed within the historic Columbia Mills Building, the State Museum provides educational environments that entertain, inspire and enrich the lives of millions of visitors and students from across South Carolina. For more information about the museum, visit scmuseum.org.