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Here’s how Ohio county fairs are becoming more inclusive

By: Erin Gottsacker | The Ohio Newsroom
Posted on: Thursday, October 3, 2024

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COSHOCTON, Ohio (The Ohio Newsroom) — Kenton Wilson loves animals, so the county fair is right up the 12-year-old’s alley. But in past fairs, he hasn’t been able to show chickens or goats like his peers.

That’s because Kenton has autism and is nonverbal. He communicates differently than other kids his age, so interacting with strangers requires additional understanding.

“It’s hard for kids like him to be included in 4-H,” said his mom, Ashley Wilson.

This year, that changed.

Coshocton County hosts one of the final county fairs of the season in Ohio. The event is filled with typical fair festivities: rides with flashy lights, livestock auctions, tractor pulls and a quilt show.

But this year the fair introduced something new: a livestock show designed to include kids with disabilities.

“We’ve had the Coshocton County Fair for more than 100 years,” said Gail Gallwitz, one of the founders of the Ag for All Abilities event. “So why are we just now, in 2024, trying to make showing in the show ring accessible for everyone? It’s time that we need to do that.”

The Ag for All Abilities Livestock Show aims to educate participants and create an inclusive space for more people to get excited about agriculture. It pairs kids with developmental disabilities, like Kenton, with teenage mentors who are comfortable showing animals at the fair — like Kelsie Donaldson.

Together, the pairs walked well-groomed goats and cows around the show ring and presented rabbits and chickens to a judge.

When Kelsie exhibited her goat later on at the fair, she showed off its best qualities and explained how she cares for it.

But during this event, she’s less focused on the animal.

“You just got to focus more on the person and making sure that they’re having fun,” she said. “And you’re having fun, too.”

There are inclusive livestock shows around Ohio

Livestock shows like this are cropping up at county fairs all over the state — from Darke County in the west to Jefferson County in the east.

Laura Akgerman, the disability services coordinator for Ohio AgrAbility and Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, knows of more than 30 counties now hosting similar programs.

“And that’s what we want,” she said. “That’s the ultimate goal — to completely integrate everybody in so that there is no difference. There is no us or them. It’s all us.”

Kylie Ramirez has been working toward that goal too. She started what she believes to be one of the first inclusive livestock shows in the state when she was a high schooler in Holmes County back in 2019.

“I have a brother with developmental disabilities,” she said. “I was heavily involved in agriculture and the livestock industry and just found a lot of joy in it.”

But she noticed her brother didn’t have similar opportunities to participate. So she recruited participants for the county’s inaugural Be You Livestock Show.

Much like Coshocton County’s inclusive event, kids with disabilities team up with experienced mentors to learn about farm animals and show them off.

“My mission is to build confidence and independence in the show ring,” Ramirez said. “So, I don’t take them to farms and teach them about agriculture necessarily. I bring agriculture to them and let them grow.”

She has since worked with the Ohio Pork Council as it developed a similar program for the Ohio State Fair. The Breaking Boundaries Pig Show launched there last year.

This year, Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities, the state agency dedicated to disabled Ohioans, claimed the state fair was the most inclusive yet — equipped with more sign language interpreters, wheelchair charging stations, universal changing tables and a sensory-friendly morning.

The impact of inclusive events is not lost on children

For kids with disabilities like Kenton, adaptations like this make a huge difference. He was thrilled to step into Coshocton County’s show ring beside a cow way bigger than he is.

“Just seeing him actually interact with other kids outside of his norm, and be able to do something like this, it’s something I never really thought he would be able to do,” his mom said.

When a judge asked questions about the cow, Kenton used an iPad to answer.

“Is your animal soft?” the judge asked.

“Yes, he is furry,” Kenton replied, with the device.

Marybeth Slater, the other founder of the Ag for All Abilities Livestock Show, said participation like this is exactly why the event is important.

“Not everybody is the same,” she said. “And that should be normalized.”

That’s why she plans to help put on the show again at future fairs. Kenton hopes to be back.

“I want to try again next year,” he said with his iPad. “It was fun.”