TURNERS FALLS — The United Arc, an organization that provides services for people with disabilities in Franklin County, is hosting an open house and gallery as part of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.
The open house runs from 4 to 8 p.m. on Thursday at the United Arc office on Avenue A in Turners Falls.
Refreshments will be provided.
The event is free and open to the public and includes an art show where the artwork was created by United Arc clients with disabilities.
Development member and events coordinator Saera Hanlon said the event is an opportunity for people to come to the headquarters and get to know neighbors and fellow community members with disabilities that they may not interact with on a day-to-day basis.
“It’s a chance to come meet people, to get to know people a little better,” she said.
Hanlon said the event is also about breaking down stereotypes people may have about the intellectually and developmentally disabled community. She said that people sometimes think that if someone has a disability, they don’t live a full rich life, something that isn’t true.
The art show was born out of that idea.
“It’s showcasing people’s achievements,” she said.
The United Arc has been providing services to Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden, and Worcester County residents with disabilities since 1951 and serves 3,000 individuals every year, according to the press release by the organization.
Reach Miranda Davis
at 413-772-0261, ext. 280 or mdavis@recorder.com.