Chicagoland DPOCC, UIC Disability Cultural Center, and Center on Racial and Disability Justice Hosts 5th Annual Accessible Juneteenth
For immediate release
2025 Accessible Juneteenth
Wednesday, June 18th, 2025
4 to 7:30 PM CDT
UIC Quad (near the UIC Student Center East Building)
750 S. Halsted St. Chicago, IL 60607
Join the UIC Disability Cultural Center, the Chicagoland Disabled People of Color Coalition (supported by UIC’s Institute on Disability and Human Development), and the Center for Racial and Disability Justice at Northwestern University for the fifth Accessible Juneteenth, where we celebrate the Black disability community! We want to make Juneteenth a fun and accessible experience for all, including disabled people in the African Diaspora. We will have the following at the event:
Food
Performances
Open MicExhibitors
Family-friendly, Non-alcoholic Event
About Accessible Juneteenth 2025
This year, DJ Matt returns to bless us with music fit for our Accessible Juneteenth celebration.
We’ll kick the evening of performances off with Victoria Boateng’s djembe, and Accessible Juneteenth MC Donna will be BACK hosting an Open Mic where you can share your talents in singing, spoken word, playing instruments, and more! Pinqy Ring and J Bambii will headline the performances this year.
Sign up for the open mic now! Sign-ups for spots in person will be limited.Link to sign up for Open Mic: https://forms.gle/vSsJML6wQnXL8CXa8
We are excited to share food from Cook It Mama Café (sandwiches & salads with vegan & gluten-free options).
We’ll have tables where you can meet people from Black-owned and disability-owned/friendly organizations and businesses. If you’re a Black and/or disability-owned/friendly business and organization, and you would like to be an exhibitor, sign up at: https://forms.gle/ECokkvxpo9qqu1UZ9
We are also looking for volunteers to help run many aspects of Accessible Juneteenth; if you’re interested, sign up at: https://forms.gle/rv8thrYGcSxunYcX9
Access Information
ASL and captioning will be provided for the Open Mic and showcase portion. We’ll have tents for shade, and the nearby Latino Cultural Center will be available for a quiet, cool-off space! For the care of immunocompromised people in our community, please wear a mask indoors. We’ll have extras on hand! Accessibility requests, questions, or event inquiries can be sent to dcc@uic.edu
What to Expect
4:30pm Welcome and Announcements
5:00pm Open Mic & Showcase
Throughout: Food! Exhibitors! And more
Getting there
Accessible Juneteenth will be located along the north side of the UIC Quad (behind UIC Student Center East); 750 S. Halsted St., Chicago, IL
From Halsted Street, enter Student Center East, and go to the back campus-facing doors. Continue straight between Lecture Centers C and D to the Quad.
From Harrison Street (near Blue Line west entrances), cross Harrison to the east of the tall white dorm with the Starbucks in it, and continue down the main sidewalk through campus. Go between Lecture Center A and B to enter the Quad.
From Taylor Street, go straight through the covered corridor through the Science and Engineering Labs, and continue straight. Go between Lecture Center E and D to the Quad.
From Taylor and Morgan, follow the path from the corner into campus, and veer slightly left to approach the Lecture Centers. Go between Lecture Center E and F to enter the Quad.
Go to a visual map with these access routes
The best address for scheduling pick-ups or drop-offs is Student Center East, a wheelchair-accessible building at 750 S Halsted St.
TRANSIT
Two blocks away from the West exit of the UIC/Halsted Blue Line train station.
The 7-Harrison and 60-Blue Island/26th CTA buses pick up on Harrison, in front of the Behavioral Sciences Building.
VISITOR PARKING LOTS
Halsted and Taylor Lot
Harrison Street Parking Structure (1100 West Harrison Street)
This event is brought to you by: Chicagoland Disabled People of Color Coalition, The Institute on Disability and Human Development, UIC Disability Cultural Center, and Center for Racial and Disability Justice (Northwestern University)
Contact UIC Disability Cultural Center for more information or if you have any questions about the event: dcc@uic.edu.
Join HCL, UDF, and Bri Beck for a facilitated community conversation surrounding the nuanced challenges of cross disability access in personal, professional, and communal spaces.
As disabled people, we often navigate the complexities of self-disclosure, accessibility, and supporting one another—especially when our access needs conflict. How do we balance personal well-being with community care? How can we acknowledge and navigate these tensions while fostering inclusivity?
Facilitated by Bri Beck, a licensed clinical professional counselor, this workshop invites participants into a thoughtful discussion on the realities of conflicting access needs. Together, we will explore expectations, boundaries, and the emotional complexities that arise when our needs don’t align. Through guided conversations and small-group discussions, we’ll reflect on real-life scenarios, share strategies, and consider how to create more inclusive spaces without sacrificing individual support.
All are welcome to join this important dialogue on the nuances of accessibility, interdependence, and the challenges of building truly inclusive communities.
ACCESSIBILITY: ASL Interpreted, Open Captions, Sensory Friendly, Wheelchair Accessible
CONTACT: Marty McConnell, Blue Hour curator, marty@poetrycenter.org
The Chicago Poetry Center invites you to this year’s final three editions of Blue Hour, voted “Chicago’s best reading series 2025” by the Chicago Reader! Blue Hour is a free monthly in-person reading series paired with a generative writing workshop.
The next Blue Hour will take place on Wednesday, April 16. The writing workshop will run from 6 to 7 p.m., followed by the open mic and featured readers from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Our features for the night are Ayokunle Falomo and Viola Lee.
Ayokunle Falomo is Nigerian, American, and the author of “Autobiomythography of” (Alice James Books, 2024), “AFRICANAMERICAN’T” (FlowerSong Press, 2022), two self-published collections and “African, American” (New Delta Review, 2019; selected by Selah Saterstrom as the winner of New Delta Review’s 8th annual chapbook contest). He is the recipient of fellowships from Vermont Studio Center, MacDowell, and the University of Michigan’s Helen Zell Writers’ Program, where he obtained his MFA in Creative Writing—Poetry.
Viola Lee graduated from NYU with an MFA in Poetry. Her book “Lightening after the Echo” was published by Another New Calligraphy. She has published poems in literary journals throughout the US, including Barrow Street, Bellevue Literary Review, and Another Chicago Magazine. Her poems were finalists in the Pleiades Prufer Poetry Prize and the 2022 Mississippi Review Poetry Prize. Her manuscript “The Only Home” was a finalist in the 2023 Switchback Books’ Gatewood Prize, Semi-finalist in the 2023 Perugia Press Poetry Prize and finalist in the 2024 X.J. Kennedy Poetry Prize.
Registration for the April edition of the Blue Hour reading is available https://AprilBlueHour.eventbrite.com.
Registration for the April edition of the workshop is available https://april25-bluehour-workshop.eventbrite.com.
The workshop and reading both take place at Haymarket House located at 800 W. Buena in Chicago. The reading includes a brief open mic followed by two featured poets. Pre-registration is free and recommended.
May’s featured poets will be Nadia Alexis and Keith S. Wilson. Information about the series, including upcoming features and the history of the series, can be obtained here.
ACCESSIBILITY: ASL Interpreted, Wheelchair Accessible
Accessible Juneteenth 2024
Tuesday, June 18th, 2024
4pm to 7:30pm
Welcome and Announcements at 4:30pm
Open Mic & Showcase at 5:30pm
Place: the UIC Quad (behind UIC Student Center East); 750 S. Halsted St., Chicago, IL. See the map at https://go.uic.edu/2024_AccessibleJuneteenth_Map for more details on where the Quad is located, which public transportation stops and garages are nearby, and where paratransit and rideshare can pick/drop you off.
Date and Time: Tuesday, June 18th, 2024 from 4pm to 7:30pm
Come and celebrate our fourth Juneteenth, when we celebrate the black disability community and the victories we accomplished! We want to make Juneteenth a fun and essential accessible experience for all, including disabled people in the African Diaspora. The theme for the 4th Annual Accessible Juneteenth celebration is Black National Anthems.
This year, we will have a DJ who will bless us with music fit for our Accessible Juneteenth celebration. We will kick the evening of performances off with Domo Moons’ rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” We will host an open mic where you can share your talents in singing, spoken word, playing instruments, and more! Sign up for the open mic at go.uic.edu/OpenMicJuneteenth or at the event in-person. But hurry, because spots are limited! Don’t miss feature performances from RISE, DomoMoon, Victoria Boateng, Cherlnell Lane, Complex Theory and MORE Special Guests.
There will be food, giveaways, and resources given out by vendors, including those from Black-owned and disability-owned/friendly organizations and businesses.
ASL and captioning will be provided for the open mic and showcase portion. In care of immunocompromised people in our community, masking is required for our indoor spaces. We’ll have extras on hand!
If you cannot attend the celebration in person, that is okay! Watch the live stream on Chicagoland DPOCC’s Facebook page (@ChiDPOCC) on June 18th.
This event is brought to you by:
Chicagoland Disabled People of Color Coalition
The Institute on Disability and Human Development
UIC Disability Cultural Center
UIC Black Studies
UIC Black Cultural Center
Access Living
NIDILRR : National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research
DCAL : The Disability Culture Activism Lab
Shirley Ryan Ability Lab
UIC Black Cultural Center
Raising Cane’s
IPlayGames
Cook It Mama
MORE Sponsors and Vendors to be announced, stay tuned!
This salon-style gathering invites attendees to share and discuss artwork, short performances/readings, clips, scenes, and anything else they might be working on. Sharing a project is optional. For those who wish to share, projects in any medium are welcome: time-based work (video, dance, song, spoken word, etc) should be limited to five minutes and any fine art should not require installation.
The event will begin with a short welcome and introduction to the Art/Access Lab series presented by HCL and UDF. The rest of the event will consist of short showings interspersed with time to mingle with fellow artists with disabilities.
Virtual attendees will have the option of attending the showings and discussions in the main zoom space or breaking off into smaller groups through break out rooms.
The event is intended to be relaxed, with attendees invited to come, go, and participate in whatever way feels best for them. The event will wrap with a short announcement of upcoming Arts/Access Labs and information about how to participate in future gatherings, including paid opportunities to show works-in-progress.
We encourage those who would like to share to sign up through the registration form. When possible, we will also accommodate day-of sign ups.
A few more logistics about sharing projects:
Digital files can be submitted in advance to info@highconceptlabs.org or brought to the event on a USB drive.
A projector, mixing board, microphone, and speakers will be available for use.
Small items (visual art, crafts, etc.) may be passed around among attendees.
Other visual art may be free standing or leaned against a wall.
Text-based work may be read aloud by the artist, or another attendee.
HCL and UDF staff are happy to provide additional support as needed.
Who Should Attend
Art/Access Labs are centered around artists with a lived experience of disability including Deaf, disabled, sick, neurodivergent, and Mad artists, and those working through their relationship to these categories, working in all mediums, with anyone who is invested in fostering a vibrant creative ecosystem inclusive of artists with disabilities.
RSVP
Advanced registration is appreciated but not required.
https://highconceptlabs.org/events/art-access-lab-welcome-salon
In partnership with former Technical Director Glenn B. Rust’s Graduate Thesis Project, Keep it Going presents an afternoon of new works that you can watch in the theatre or from the comfort of your own home!
Beginning the afternoon we will have Interrobang by Resident Playwright Arlene Malinowski followed by the final performance of Access Fellow Deb Stein’s HAND, Foot, HAND. Following the performances there will be a thirty-minute talkback and an afterparty!
Keep it Going is designed to highlight technologies and practices that allow for more accessible theatre.
-You can join us at the Russ Tutterow Theatre to see the performances in person or virtually at https://www.youtube.com/@chicagodramatists6747
-Live captions will be provided for both in-person and virtual audiences.
-Additional seating will be available both in the house and on the stage including wheelchair accessible seating.
-The event will be a relaxed performance. House lights will remain at half. Audience members are welcome to exit and reenter the space at any point for any reason. We will asked phones be silenced, but texting is allowed. Audience reaction is also encouraged. If something stirs a response out of you, or if you need to ask a question of the folks you’ve come with, feel free!
-Scent & Allergen Free Space
-Masking Recommended
The in-person performance is Pay What You Will with all payments made going to support the Access Fellowship. The Chicago Dramatists Access Fellowship for Deaf & Disabled Artists is in honor of Charles and Dorothy Malinowski, who were revered storytellers in the Deaf Community. Fellows receive two free classes, one free Script Lab, and more!
The virtual performance is completely free!
Whether you’ll be joining us at the Russ Tutterow Theatre or logging in on our YouTube channel to join the talkback in the chat, we cannot wait to see you there!
Accessibility: All-Gender Restrooms, Captioning, Sensory Friendly, and Wheelchair Accessible.
https://chicagodramatists.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/chicagodramatists/event.jsp?event=2064&
Experience Red: A Crayon’s Story like you never have before! This storybook video features Deaf American Sign Language master signer Crom Saunders signing the words to the animated book, with music and sound effects bringing the story to life. Then we’ll watch and play along with fun interactive games conducted by students and teachers from the Indiana School for the Deaf.
Crom will visit in person and play theater games with the kids after the video. This event will have a live interpreter.
Best for kids in preschool and elementary school and their family and friends.
More information at https://oakpark.librarycalendar.com/event/asl-storybook-red-crayons-story
Celebrate a decade of access.
Join Us!
Monday, October 30, 2023
5-7pm
Plante Moran
1st Floor Lobby
10 South Riverside Plaza
Chicago IL
Entrance on the corner of Monroe and Canal
$50 per attendee
Cultural Access Collab removes barriers to make Illinois’ arts and culture more accessible to people with disabilities by providing education, promotional tools, accessible equipment and a supportive community. Join us in celebrating the past ten years of our work, and help us make Illinois even more inclusive in the year to come!
Enjoy music performed by the Tommy Carroll Trio, light refreshments and drinks, all while helping to sustain our cultural accessibility efforts in Illinois. If you’re able, make an additional donation to further support the Collab’s efforts.
About Tommy Carroll Trio
The Tommy Carroll Trio is an ensemble offering highly rhythmic interpretations of jazz compositions old and new. Composed of drums, bass and guitar, the group’s adventurous spirit provides listeners a fresh experience at every performance
Your $50 Ticket Includes
Light appetizers and two beverage tickets (beer, wine, or non-alcoholic) are provided per ticket. Dress code is business casual.
Covid Safety
As COVID-19 continues to impact our communities — and because there will be immunocompromised and medically vulnerable people in attendance — we need your help to create and maintain a safer environment for all. It is our collective responsibility to follow this guidance and we appreciate your cooperation in advance.
Masking is highly recommended when not actively eating or drinking. Clear masks will be available if needed. Weather permitting, there is outdoor access at the venue. We will monitor Covid rates in our area, and may revise our policy if appropriate.
If you test positive for COVID-19 within 4 days following the event, please notify info@CulturalAccessCollab.org and let us know. We will inform all attendees.
Accessibility Information
Everyone is welcome!
Registration
Please fill out the required registration form. In case of technical difficulties, please email info@CulturalAccessCollab.org for assistance.
Thanks to Plante Moran and our other in-kind sponsors of this event.
Cultural Access Collab removes barriers to make Illinois’ arts and culture more accessible to people with disabilities by providing education, promotion tools, equipment and a supportive community.
Your donation in any amount makes accessibility in the arts in Illinois possible!
https://culturalaccesscollaborative.org/collab-events/cultural-access-collaboratives-10th-anniversary-celebration-and-fundraiser/