Chaffey Disability Awareness Fair Highlights Inclusion, Support Services

Emma Gonzalez has been taking American Sign Language classes since she was in high school so she can better communicate with her cousin. After six years engaging with the deaf community, she’s gained not only language skills but a better understanding of cultural norms.

“If you’re speaking with a deaf person who has an interpreter, it’s important to speak directly to the deaf person,” she said. “There’s a bunch of intercultural differences for people to know,” she said.

Gonzalez’s commitment to advocacy brought her to Chaffey College’s annual Disability Awareness Fair at the Rancho Cucamonga campus April 2. Additional fairs were scheduled for Chaffey’s Fontana and Chino campuses.

The Disability Programs and Services event brought together more than 500 people from the campus and surrounding community for a day of learning about disabilities and support services available to disabled students. About 40 vendors, including on-campus, nonprofit and county programs offered resources, information and prizes.

DPS Director Jacob Peck says that Chaffey’s work to support disabled students begins when they’re still in high school. Staff conduct outreach in Chaffey’s feeder schools, and this year alone they got nearly 500 disabled students to apply, attend orientation, register and sign up for DPS services for summer and fall 2026 classes.

“We’re the only college that does this,” he said.

On-campus resources range from assistive technology to specialized counseling, while community organizations can give students rides to school and even accompany them around campus.

Peck is proud that more than 200 DPS students will be graduating with the class of 2026.

Students got a chance to have some fun in addition to learning about services, interacting with 10 dogs from Paws to Share and miniature horses Frodo and Arrow from Healing With Hooves. The group Burning Desire treated attendees to a “flow arts” performance with dance, props and music.

Psychology major Loretta Orobator says she came to the fair to support disabled Panthers. She hopes to become a psychologist.

“I don’t think there’s enough awareness about people with disabilities and the services available to them,” she said.

Gilbert Cisneros, a graphic design major and DPS student, spoke at the event and shared his story of staying the course at Chaffey despite living with cerebral palsy.

He will attempt his first online class in the fall after taking face-to-face classes for several years. Cisneros plans to take advantage of DPS workshops designed to help students prepare for virtual learning.

“Sometimes disabled students struggle with their classes and quit,” he said. “I encourage them to keep moving forward.”