Written by: Amy Han, FCSN Voices Youth Reporter

As the Fremont community filed into the Fremont Downtown Event Center, lively sounds of music and laughter echoed into the street. From 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on September 21, 2025, FCSN hosted the fourth annual Disability Resource Fair, which was organized in collaboration with the City of Fremont Human Relations Commission (HRC).  The fair aims to raise awareness and provide resources for individuals with special needs in the form of an uplifting gathering of togetherness. 

In 2000, Ms. Feda Almaliti, a Fremont Human Relations Commissioner, an autism rights activist, and a community hero, passed away with her special needs son in a preventable house fire. Anna Wang, FCSN Vice President and former Fremont Human Resources Commissioner, initiated this heartfelt tradition when she saw the lack of inclusion that people with special needs face. The gut-wrenching incident brought attention to the need to connect first responders and  the special needs community. At the Disability Resource Fair, this mission becomes reality as individuals with special needs are familiarized with the uniforms and gear of police officers and firefighters. The fair builds community trust by nurturing recognition and understanding. If an emergency ever happens, first responders will know how to interact with those with special needs.

Upon arrival, the Dream Achievers Band’s cheery music greeted participants the moment they set foot on fair grounds and fair volunteers guided them to the check-in station. To the right of the check-in station were more than 10 activity tents with face painting, beading, darts, and fishing games. Booths featured programs that ranged anywhere from therapeutics to care programs, including Ability Now, an organization which empowers disabled adults through education and wellness programs, and the State Department of Rehabilitation, which helps those with disabilities find and maintain jobs. “The mission is to make the world a better place for adults with developmental disabilities, to help them to be able to set and achieve their goals, to give them options, and … to ask them, ‘What do you want to do? What do you want to be in your life?’” Ability Now Marketing and Development Program Manager Devin Jacobsen said. 

At the heart of this celebration stood student volunteers, 40 Bay Area teenagers who gathered hours before participants gathered around booths to set up activity booths, organize the check-in stations, decorate the surrounding area with streamers and balloons, and organize pizza, water, hot dogs, and assorted snacks in the kitchen. “I think it’s really opened my eyes and shown me people from a lot of different backgrounds … and it’s … really nice to meet lots of different people,” FCSN Volunteer Erin Johnson said.

Over the years, the Disability Resource Fair has grown substantially. This year marks the largest fair yet, hosting 45 vendors and more than 800 registered attendants, united by inclusion and belonging. “This year, we had the most vendors signed up, we had the most attendees signed up and we had the most staff and volunteers involved,” Director of Outreach and  the Social Recreation Program Kelly Ko said. Through the Disability Resource Fair, FCSN’s mission of inclusivity has reached as far as to include local government with city officials such as Assembly Member Alex Lee and Fremont Mayor Raj Salwan inspiring real change. “This is a great fair for everyone because it brings our community together to celebrate inclusion and belonging, and it restores the dignity of each individual,” Fremont Mayor Raj Salwan said.

Beyond the festivities and growing impact that day, the Disability Resource Fair is a reminder of Fremont’s much-needed movement towards inclusion and accessibility for those with special needs. It successfully creates an environment where individuals with disabilities and their families feel genuinely supported and valued, and it continues to fight for a world where belonging is embedded in daily lives, not just during special events.