Phi Kappa Psi and Gamma Phi Beta Greek chapters help raise money to replace stolen wheelchairs

For three hours on Sunday, these courts were reserved for a wheelchair basketball tournament, “Hoops on Wheels,” as part of Syracuse University’s OrangeAbility.

The event was hosted by Syracuse’s Phi Kappa Psi and Gamma Phi Beta chapters in partnership with Move Along Inc., an organization that promotes opportunities for both disabled people and allies to participate in adaptive sports.

OrangeAbility marks the start of Syracuse’s 2nd annual Disability Pride Week, and it’s the first time that Carrie Ingersoll-Wood, Syracuse University’s new director of the Disability Cultural Center, will oversee it.

“The purpose is to bring together the Syracuse community to help understand disabilities and to celebrate disability identity and culture. We want them to see that there’s a culture that has a rich and very long history,” Ingersoll-Wood said.

It’s the first time OrangeAbility will be in person since the Covid-19 pandemic began. For Ingersoll-Wood, making sure these events are visible and prominent is as important as ever.

“If we don’t have events like this, no one will ever understand that they exist, and students will never understand how rich disability culture is in their own community,” Ingersoll-Wood said.

Reprinted With Permission from thenewshouse.com