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These Are the Biggest Disability-Related Events in Each State

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Below are many of 2015’s conferences, advocacy events, fundraisers and sporting events geared toward people with disabilities. There’s a lot going on, and we’d love to hear from you if you attend any of these this year. And if you or someone you love plan to attend an event not mentioned on this map, please include any information about it in the comment section below.

Scroll down for the biggest disability-related events in each state.

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Alabama

Alabama Assistive Technology Expo and Conference
Auburn, Alabama
October 20-21, 2015

Alaska

The Arc Dreamweaver Luncheon
Anchorage, Alaska
May 28, 2015

Arizona

Arizona Special Olympics Summer Games
Glendale, Arizona
May 7-9, 2015

Americans With Disabilities Act 25th Anniversary Gala + Awards Ceremony
Tempe, Arizona
July 18, 2015

Arkansas

Developmental Disabilities Provider Association 9th Annual Spring Conference
Little Rock, Arkansas
May 18-20, 2015

Arkansas Special Olympics Summer Games
Searcy, Arkansas
May 21-23, 2015

California

Special Olympics World Games
Los Angeles, California
July 25-August 2, 2015

Superfest Film Festival
San Francisco, California
November 14-15, 2015

Colorado

15th Annual Coleman Institute Conference on Cognitive Disability and Technology
Broomfield, Colorado
October 15, 2015

Connecticut

St. Vincent Special Needs and Kristin Nicole Appleberg Golf Tournament
Trumbull, Connecticut
June 1, 2015

*18th Annual Arc Quinebaug Valley Rubber Duckie Race Fundraiser
Danielson, Connecticut
August 9, 2015

Delaware

Run, Walk & Roll 2015
Wyoming, Delaware
May 2, 2015

Florida

DisAbilities Expo
Davie, Florida
October 3, 2015

Georgia

Premier Conference on the Americans With Disabilities Act
Atlanta, Georgia
May 10-13, 2015

*Summer Institute on Theology and Disability
Atlanta, Georgia
May 26-29, 2015

Hawaii

Pacific Rim Conference on Disability and Diversity
Honolulu, Hawaii
May 18-19, 2015

Idaho

Sprout Disability Film Festival
Boise, Idaho
April 30-May 2, 2015

Illinois

*Abilities Expo
Chicago, Illinois
June 12-14, 2015

*12th Annual Disability Pride Parade
Chicago, Illinois
July 18, 2015

ReelAbilities Film Festival
Chicago, Illinois
September 10-13, 2015

7th Annual disABILITY Resource Expo
Champlain, Illinois
October 18, 2015

Indiana

*National Disability Rights Network Annual Conference
Indianapolis, Indiana
June 1-4, 2015

Sprout Disability Film Festival
Indianapolis, Indiana
October 3, 2015

The Arc National Convention
Indianapolis, Indiana
October 3-5, 2015

Iowa

Iowa Special Olympics Summer Games
Ames, Iowa
May 21-23, 2015

Kansas

The Arc Annual Art Show
Wichita, Kansas
July 29-August 2, 2015

Kansas Department of Education Annual Conference
Wichita, Kansas
October 27-28, 2015

Kentucky

*National Sibling Leadership Conference
Louisville, Kentucky
May 30-31, 2015

American Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Louisville, Kentucky
June 1-4, 2015

Louisiana

2015 Disability Rights Day
Covington, Louisiana
April 29, 2015

Maine

Maine Special Olympics Summer Games
Orono, Maine
May 5-7, 2015

Maryland

*World of Possibilities Expo
Timonium, Maryland
May 2, 2015

Sprout Disability Film Festival
Columbia, Maryland
June 21, 2015

Massachusetts

Abilities Expo
Boston, Massachusetts
September 18-20, 2015  

Michigan

2015 Learning Disabilities Association Conference
East Lansing, Michigan
May 1, 2015

Michigan Association on Higher Education and Disability
East Lansing, Michigan
May 15, 2015 

Minnesota

ReelAbilities Film Festival
Minneapolis, Minnesota
June 11-14, 2015

*Association on Higher Education and Disability Conference
Minneapolis, Minnesota
July 13-18, 2015

Mississippi

Mississippi disAbility MegaConference
Jackson, Mississippi
June 18-19, 2015

Missouri

The Arc Annual Golf Tournament
St. Louis, Missouri
May 18, 2015

Montana

Montana Special Olympics 2015 Big Sky Area Games
Bozeman, Montana
April 29, 2015

Nebraska

Disability Rights Nebraska Social Role Valorization Workshop
Lincoln, Nebraska
May 19, 2015

Nevada

National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities
Sparks, Nevada
July 21-22, 2015

37th Annual Conference on Learning Disabilities
Las Vegas, Nevada
October 1-2, 2015

New Hampshire

New Hampshire Special Olympics Summer Games
Durham, New Hampshire
June 5-7, 2015

New Mexico

2015 Southwest Conference on Disability
Albuquerque, New Mexico
October 6-9, 2015 

New Jersey

Abilities Expo,
Edison, New Jersey
May 1-3, 2015

New York

*Young Adult Institute International Conference on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
New York, New York
May 4-7, 2015

*Sprout Disability Film Festival
New York, New York
May 5, 2015

*27th Annual Developmental Disabilities Awareness Day Conference
Niagara Falls, New York
May 28, 2015

Disability Mentoring Day
Syracuse, New York
October 21, 2015

North Carolina

Diversity Matters National Conference
Charlotte, North Carolina
October 21-24, 2015

North Dakota

The Arc Inter-Agency Picnic
Grand Forks
June (date TBA), 2015

Ohio

Tech II: Technology Toward Employment Conference
Columbus, Ohio
May 13-15, 2015

Oklahoma

The Arc’s 20th Annual Shot in the Dark Golf Tournament
Tulsa, Oklahoma
May 8, 2015

Oklahoma Special Olympics Summer Games
Stillwater, Oklahoma
May 13-15, 2015

Oregon

Sprout Disability Film Festival
*Eugene, Oregon
May 6, 2015
*Bend, Oregon
May 8, 2015
Corvallis, Oregon
May11, 2015

Behavior Management Strategies for Students With Disabilities
Portland, Oregon
October 8-9, 2015

*2015 The Association for the Severely Handicapped (TASH) Conference
Portland, Oregon
December 2-4, 2015

Pennsylvania

Sprout Disability Film Festival
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
April 25, 2015

World Conference on Special Needs Education
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
August 17-20, 2015

Rhode Island

Rhode Island Special Olympics Summer Games
Kingston, Rhode Island
May 29-31, 2015

*The Arc Quinebaug Valley Golf Tournament
Foster, Rhode Island
July 10, 2015

South Carolina

South Carolina Special Olympics Summer Games
Columbia, South Carolina
May 1-3, 2015

South Dakota

South Dakota Special Olympics Summer Games
Chamberlain, South Dakota
May 28-30, 2015

Tennessee

Disability MegaConference
Nashville, Tennessee
May 21-22, 2015

Texas

Abilities Expo
Houston, Texas
July 31-August 2, 2015

*Cinema Touching Disabilities Festival
Austin, Texas
November 6-7, 2015

Utah

Utah Special Olympics Track and Field Competition
Logan, Utah
April 25, 2015

Vermont

Summer Olympics Summer 2015 Games
Burlington, Vermont
May 29-31, 2015

Virginia

Sprout Disability Film Festival
Arlington, Virginia
May 4, 2015

The Arc of Virginia’s State Convention
Virginia Beach, Virginia
August 10-12, 2015

Washington

Behavior Management Strategies for Students With Disabilities
Seattle, Washington
May 7-8, 2015

*Seattle Commission for People With disAbilities
Seattle, Washington
3rd Thursday of every month

Washington, DC

*ReelAbilities Film Festival
Washington, DC
April 26-May 3, 2015

*M-Enabling Summit
Washington, DC
June 1-2, 2015

*Annual Conference on Independent Living
Washington, DC
July 27-30, 2015

Abilities Expo
Washington, DC
December 4-6, 2015

West Virginia

Walk/Run for Independence
Huntington, West Virginia
July 4, 2015

Wisconsin

Disability Pride Festival
Madison, Wisconsin
July 25, 2015

Wyoming

Wyoming Special Olympics Summer Games
Statewide
May 7-9, 2015 

The Arc Oktoberfest Fundraiser
Cheyenne, Wyoming
September 26, 2015

*This event is not represented on the map above.

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Originally published: April 23, 2015
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