Poet Leroy Moore Jr. will be the keynote speaker when Cal State San Bernardino presents the 5th Annual Ability Awareness Fair beginning at noon on Wednesday, May 20, on Zoom.

The annual event will take place in support of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, and will feature virtual interactive sessions after Moore’s presentation.

Students, faculty and staff can participate on Zoom at https://csusb.zoom.us/j/95893939543.

Moore will share his work and explore themes of disability and race, deepening discussions of intersectionality. “Born in 1967 with cerebral palsy in (New York City), Leroy Moore, Jr. was blessed to have a conscious, activist father and mother who instilled a strong sense of identity as a Black and disabled youngster,” his website says.

He is the founder of the Krip-Hop Nation (a movement that addresses ableism, or discrimination against disabled artists, especially Black musicians marginalized because of racism AND ableism internationally) and the cofounder of Sins Invalid. Moore is an activist, writer, poet, rapper, feminist and radio programmer. Moore wrote for I.D.E.A.L. Magazine, and since the 1990s, has written the column “Illin-N-Chillin” for POOR Magazine.

As a youth, Moore discovered that most people had little knowledge of the historical impact of disabled African Americans. This led him to begin research, initially in the music industry, and to promote artists with disabilities for broader inclusion. Moore is a leading activist on issues of wrongful incarceration and police brutality against people with disabilities.

Following Moore’s presentation, the virtual interactive stations will take place from 1:30-3:30 p.m. and will include:

  • Assistive Communication,
  • Learning Disability,
  • Mental Health,
  • Vision Impairment,
  • SmartPen,
  • Accessible Technology,
  • Adaptive Yoga,
  • Alternate Media, and
  • History of Disability.

For more information, contact the Services to Students with Disabilities Office at SSD@CSUSB.EDU.

Ability Awareness Fair flier