Inclusion Festival

Max Higbee Center is contributing to the Inclusion Festival by partnering with Dana to host a lively and welcoming silent disco, creating an accessible, sensory-friendly space where participants can move, dance, and connect in their own way. In addition, they are supporting the festival’s cornhole games, helping ensure that this classic, low‑barrier activity is inclusive, fun, and accessible for all our attendees!

About Max Higbee Center

Max Higbee Center is a nonprofit in Bellingham, WA that provides community-based recreation programs for teens and adults with developmental disabilities, supporting social connection, personal growth, independence, and joy through inclusive leisure activities.

Founded by educators and families advocating for meaningful recreation opportunities, the organization offers weekday and weekend programs, community outings, arts, sports, cooking, and more, all designed to foster friendship, skill-building, and greater community engagement. [maxhigbeecenter.org]

Cascade Connections will bring their energetic Hamster Walk‑N‑Rollathon to the Inclusion Festival, inviting participants to join in movement, fun, and community spirit. Their presence helps highlight accessibility, empowerment, and shared celebration through a playful, activity‑centered experience.

About Cascade Connections

Cascade Connections is a nonprofit organization in Whatcom County that has supported people with disabilities for more than 40 years, offering residential, vocational, home care, supported living, and training services designed to promote independence, inclusion, and quality of life.

The organization began by serving a small group of adults with developmental disabilities and has since grown to assist hundreds of individuals through specially designed programs, including supported living, group home care, vocational services, and employment support.

Rooted in the mission to empower people with disabilities to enhance their quality of life, Cascade Connections partners with community businesses, provides job training, facilitates supported employment, and helps individuals thrive in inclusive community settings. [cascadecon...ctions.org]

Summit Assistance Dogs is enriching the Inclusion Festival by bringing their highly trained assistance dogs and expert handlers for an engaging, educational demonstration that highlights the power of partnership between people and service animals. Attendees will have the chance to watch the dogs perform real‑world skills, learn how assistance dogs support greater independence for people with disabilities, and interact with Summit’s team at their booth for Q&A opportunities, and hands‑on accessibility tools. Their presence adds both warmth and awareness to the festival, inviting attendees to better understand the role of service animals in building inclusive communities.

About Summit Assistance Dogs

Summit Assistance Dogs is a nonprofit organization in Washington State dedicated to creating life‑changing partnerships by providing highly skilled mobility service dogs for people living with disabilities. They focus on increasing independence, confidence, and quality of life through carefully trained dogs that assist with tasks such as retrieving items, opening doors, providing balance support, and more.

Founded on the belief that everyone deserves access to greater autonomy, Summit pairs individuals with dogs trained for over two years in advanced obedience, task work, and public access skills. In addition to empowering clients, Summit also invests in community education, volunteer puppy raising, and outreach programs that strengthen awareness around disability inclusion and service dog etiquette.

Habitat for Humanity in Whatcom County is bringing creativity, collaboration, and hands‑on fun to the Inclusion Festival with an interactive LEGO and DUPLO building booth. Attendees of all ages and abilities are invited to explore accessible building stations where they can design tiny homes, dream‑up inclusive neighborhoods, and experiment with colorful structures. Habitat’s team will be onsite to facilitate play, answer questions about affordable housing, and share how community involvement helps build strength, stability, and a sense of belonging for local families. Their booth offers a low‑pressure, high‑imagination activity that encourages problem‑solving, teamwork, and joyful participation.

About Habitat for Humanity Whatcom County

Habitat for Humanity in Whatcom County is a nonprofit housing organization working to build and preserve affordable homes for families across the region. Through volunteer labor, community partnerships, and sustainable building practices, Habitat creates opportunities for homeownership for individuals and families who are working toward stability and self‑reliance.

The organization supports its mission through homebuilding, critical home repairs, financial education, and its Bellingham Habitat Store, which funds local projects while reducing waste through donated goods. With an emphasis on inclusion and community empowerment, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, relationships, and brighter futures.

Make.Shift is bringing creative energy and authentic community storytelling to the Inclusion Festival through live radio broadcasting powered by KZAX 94.9 FM, their freeform community radio station. Attendees can stop by their booth to learn how local radio is made, meet volunteer DJs and creatives, and catch live interviews, festival highlights, and on‑the‑ground audio moments as they happen. Make.Shift will also offer an additional hands‑on activity (TBD), adding even more opportunities for artistic engagement and playful exploration throughout the day. Their presence brings a uniquely Bellingham blend of DIY spirit, creativity, and inclusivity to the festival atmosphere.

About Make.Shift

Make.Shift Art Space is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Bellingham dedicated to empowering, supporting, and creating opportunities for local artists and musicians. They operate an all‑ages art gallery and music venue, offer affordable art studios and band practice spaces, and run KZAX 94.9 FM, a low‑power community radio station that broadcasts local bands, independent music, and diverse community‑created content.

Founded with the goal of building a supportive network for local musicians, Make.Shift now serves communities across Whatcom and Skagit Counties by prioritizing emerging, marginalized, and underrepresented creatives. Through workshops, exhibitions, performances, and radio programming, Make.Shift cultivates accessible spaces where creativity thrives and everyone, especially the wonderfully weird, is welcome.

NW Foam Factory brings high-energy foam parties to community events, schools, and celebrations across Whatcom and Skagit County. Our cannons create giant piles of foam shooting up to 30 feet, delivering unforgettable fun for all ages. Our foam is non-toxic, biodegradable, and hypoallergenic, and as a certified autism resource, we’re committed to creating inclusive, sensory-friendly experiences for everyone.

Huckleberry Health and Development transforms access to affirming, holistic care for neurodivergent individuals, disabled children, and under-resourced families by dismantling systemic barriers and supporting the communication, regulation, and daily living skills they need to thrive — by providing holistic, inclusive, and culturally responsive care that honors each person’s autonomy and definition of success.

Huckleberry Health and Development will host an interactive activity inviting participants to explore different ways people communicate, including alternative communication tools like AAC devices and core word boards. This hands‑on experience highlights the many valid ways we share ideas, express ourselves, and connect with others.

NeuroBloom is a community-centered space designed to support neurodivergent individuals and their families through access, exploration, connection, and neuro-affirming tools. Built by neurodivergent people and caregivers for the community, NeuroBloom combines a sensory-informed gym, lending library, café, training center, and professional collaboration hub under one roof.

What you will find at our booth:

The NeuroBloom Center will be hosting an activity at our booth that brings some of our center’s best attractions to you! You can find a small set up of our sensory gym, along with specialized workout equipment made for disabled individuals. You will get to meet some of the amazing individuals who have made this resource possible, sign up for center memberships at a special event rate, and learn more about what NeuroBloom has to offer for you and your families.

Bonus Booth Content:

Want more than sensory equipment? No problem! Other things that can be found at the booth are brought to you by McCarty Therapy Solutions and it’s founder Calial McCarty. There will be resources for mental health needs, neuro-affirming assessments, and more! You can also find her book Naturally Divergent and meet the author.