On March 26, 2026, Rachel Garmon-Williams and Sim Rivers, Bridge 9's Director of Disability Programming, led a two-hour improv workshop at Virginia Tech for adults in the Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired's Blind Design Program. This was Bridge 9's second year partnering with the program. We had an imaginary green ball going around the room. Players passed it back and forth, saying each other's names. Then one of us threw it as green slime. What would green slime feel...

Rachel Garmon-Williams has been teaching improv and leading workshops for those along the Autism Spectrum for a number of years and developed the first Sensory Improv Show. They speak to the ability of Improv to build flexibility, read emotion, and build social skills. Improv- improvising- we do it every day. From every coffee order with a different barista, to meeting someone new, to adjusting if someone we care about is having a bad day. For those who have Autism - these adjustments are...

Image by Tom Topinka Our area is filled with wonderful organizations and artists, many of whom are already working with disabled individuals. Building a community where everyone can engage in art creates a vibrant community. As Sheri Byrne-Haber says "Accessibility is not a problem to solve, accessibility is a community to build." For some talking about accessibility and disability can feel overwhelming - so our Executive Director Rachel broke down their recent talk into three key points. ●...