Families and Individuals with Special Needs Gather for Resource Fair at Cumming Library

Parents and caregivers of children, teens, and adults with special needs are invited to connect with local support resources at the Special Needs Resource Fair on Saturday, September 9 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Cumming Library.

The event is free and advance registration is not required.

Several groups dedicated to helping those with special needs will be available to share information with parents and caregivers, including:

• Fusion Gymnastics
• Special Olympics Forsyth County 
• Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability
• Forsyth County Schools Special Education
• Parent to Parent of Georgia
• Creative Enterprises
• Building Bridges Therapy
• Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office Special Needs Awareness of Public Safety (S.N.A.P.S.)
• Cumming Forsyth County Miracle League

Library staff will also showcase a range of its own services to assist patrons with disabilities or other special needs, such as large print books, audiobooks, and a Mailbox Books service for homebound patrons. There are ADA-compliant computer stations in each branch, along with other devices for patrons with visual impairments.

“If someone needs a specific accommodation, we invite that patron to contact us and we will make every effort possible to accommodate that need,” says Jennifer Forbes, Information Services Supervisor at the Cumming Library.

While caregivers are learning about resources available to address special needs, patrons with special needs are welcome to participate in a sensory storytime and other creative activities led by library staff in a similar format to the Hampton Park Library’s ongoing Sensory Storytime program.

“As parent of a child with special needs, we rely heavily on word-of-mouth to get referrals to the services we need in piecemeal fashion. The Cumming Library’s Special Needs Resource Fair is designed to connect individuals with special needs and their families or caregivers with multiple resources all at once,” explains Forbes.

For more information on the Special Needs Resource Fair or library resources, please visit www.forsythpl.org.