State Museum to celebrate those with disabilities with special event on Saturday, March 8

Disability Celebration Day features activities including a community art project, silent disco, sensory-friendly shows 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 8. Guests of all ages and abilities are invited to visit the museum and get creative with disability-adapted activities and sensory-friendly experiences.

“We are excited for the return of Disability Celebration Day as we work to make sure our museum is accessible for all guests.” says Laura Ybarra-Kane, Manager of Education and Experiences. “Through programs such as Disability Celebration Day, our monthly Accessibility Mornings, and upgrades to our facilities so they are ADA compliant, the State Museum is actively working to be more equitable and accessible.”

During Disability Celebration Day, guests have a special 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 lights and sound via headphones, provided by The Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry, explore hands-on history stations and experience tactile materials from NASA in the astronomy touch zone. Sensory-friendly planetarium and 4D theater 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.

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 the day of the event is also welcome. Many activities and shows have limited capacity 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 down wherever possible for a more sensory-friendly exploration experience.
• 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.  | Meet Community Resource Partners from across the state and learn more about local accessibility focused groups and organizations here to serve you.
• 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. | 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 create art. This creative process uses paint, so participants should dress accordingly. Wheelchairs and other assistive devices will be covered as well as shoes (and service animal paws).
• 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. | The silent disco is a fun space that includes music via headphones so you can party and dance to music at your own pace! Feel free to turn the music up – or down – as you need. Provided by The Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry.
• 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. | 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.
• 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. | Astronomy Sonification: Hear the sounds of space as our astronomers discuss how NASA has encoded information about stars, galaxies, and other celestial objects with sound.
• 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. | A mini-exhibition from Able South Carolina and the South Carolina Access and Independence Network (SCAIN) celebrating Disability Rights along with a postcard and poster making station.
• 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. | Sensory room offering 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 theater show, Turtle Odyssey 4D (ASL) *
• 9:45 a.m. and 1 p.m. | Planetarium show, Solar Superstorms (ASL) *

*Note: The 9:45 a.m. showing of Solar Superstorms is FREE of charge and is first-come, first-served the morning of the event as part of our monthly Accessibility Mornings. All other planetarium and 4d shows carry an additional fee.

About the South Carolina State Museum 

For nearly four decades, the South Carolina State Museum has been committed to collecting, preserving and showcasing the rich culture, art, and natural history 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 imagination and creativity, and enrich the lives of millions of visitors and generations of students from across South Carolina. For more information about the museum, visit scmuseum.org.