Chesterfield school launches disability resource fair

CHESTERFIELD, Va. — Families of children with disabilities have a new way to connect with local resources.

OB Gates Elementary School in Chesterfield County is hosting a disability resource and community fair Tuesday night.

OB Gates is the largest special education catchment school in Chesterfield with over 25% of its student body facing some sort of disability.

Nyesha Nicholas says her daughter Joy has high support needs, and she knows how challenging it can be to find that support.

"I know coming up for our journey, it was really hard to feel connected and find resources," Nicholas shared. "I felt like I was always online googling, searching, and this is such a unique opportunity to bring over 30 organizations into one space. You don't often see that, so we're just thankful for the opportunity to be a part of the community in this capacity."

At Tuesday night's fair, families will get the chance to meet with more than 30 organizations including Chesterfield Parks & Recreation, Chesterfield County Public Library, Chesterfield Early Intervention Services, Jacob’s Chance and Goldfish Swim School.

The fair is open to anyone in Central Virginia, and teachers have volunteered to offer childcare so parents can truly engage with the resources available.

"It's hard for kids that have differing needs to sometimes feel accepted, and I strongly feel that God created everybody just the way that he wanted them to be," said Nicholas. "And she (Joy) is there just shining her light the way that he she's supposed to, so my goal is to just continue to foster that light so others understand that as well."

The disability fair will take place inside the school's gym and cafeteria from 6 to 8 p.m.

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