CCC hosts Accessible All-Stars, Nothing But Net(working) event

OREGON CITY - Thanks to an Inclusive Career Advancement Program grant, Clackamas Community College is celebrating the diversity of the disability community at its inaugural Accessible All-Stars, Nothing But Net(working) event on April 5.

This free event will showcase the local professional adult wheelchair basketball team, the Portland Wheelblazers, where they will demonstrate their skills on the court and share the sport with the community. After the basketball scrimmage, there will be the Nothing But Net(working) resource fair to connect with disability-related affinity groups, support systems, clubs and businesses found across the area.

The Inclusive Career Advancement Program grant includes funding to benefit the disability community, and CCC Grant Coordinator and Career Coach Shanna Schacher wanted to do something engaging for the community as a whole. She came up with the event after seeing the Wheelblazers play a scrimmage before a Trail Blazers game.

"I'm looking forward to the opportunity to connect over a really cool sport and introduce people to wheelchair basketball if they've never seen it before," she said.

The networking resource fair idea came next as a way to connect students and community members with resources. Schacher said the college has heard students reporting feeling lonely, isolated and disconnected, and she wanted a way to introduce individuals to the various resources available in the Portland metro area.

"I thought, 'What if we make the draw be the game, but also have a networking event and invite groups that have support services so community members can know what's going on in the community'," Schacher said.

Accessible All-Stars, Nothing But (Net)working will start with the Wheelblazers scrimmage at 6 p.m. in the Randall Hall gym and the resource fair will run from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Gregory Forum. ASL interpreters will be at the event.

Participating organizations include:

• Adaptive Sports NW
• Autism Society of Oregon
• Oregon Commission for the Blind
• Ride Connection
• Adaptive and Inclusive Recreation
• Community Vision AT Lab
• Hoop Camp
• TOP Soccer
• United Access
• Vocational Rehabilitation
• Clackamas County Disability services
• Relay Resources
• CCC Multicultural Center
• CCC Admissions
• CCC Career Center
• Club EMU
• Office of WorkForce Investments Oregon Youth Works Dep
• Higher Education Coordinating Commission
• CCC Disability Resource Center

The college plans to make the Accessible All-Stars an annual event. "There is a need in our community and we are seeing lots of good response and excitement," Schacher said. "I'm excited there's been such a positive response from people in the community. They have been very grateful that Clackamas has been willing to host this event. It will highlight that Clackamas is an inclusive college and that we want students of all backgrounds to attend school here, and that Clackamas is really putting in an effort to reach out to a community that isn't always thought of."

The Clackamas Community College Oregon City campus is located at 19600 Molalla Ave. Parking is free, and no registration is required to attend the event. To learn more about the Portland Wheelblazers, visit https://wheelblazers.com. To learn more about Clackamas Community College, visit www.clackamas.edu.

For questions, contact Schacher at shanna.schacher@clackamas.edu.