Laughability: Comedic relief fundraiser for Dartmouth Adult Service Centre

Laughability: Comic relief for DASC Dartmouth Adult Services Centre, or DASC, hosted “Laughability” – an event featuring comedians living with disabilities.

Dartmouth Adult Service Centre (DASC) hosted a Laughability event Thursday night in Halifax featuring barrier-busting comedy.

Newfoundland comedian Josh Menchions was one of the performers at the event. He says he uses his platform to inform others about what it’s like to live with a disability, but in a fun way.

“I started doing comedy about six or so years ago, and I’m not going to lie, I never really imagined it would take off like this,” says Menchions. “Laughter really can be the best medicine sometimes. If you really can’t have a laugh, then you’re not going to get far in life.”

The inaugural Laughability event is a fundraiser for DASC, a non-profit social enterprise supporting the being, belonging, and becoming of persons with intellectual disabilities.

“We help them find work and employment in the community. We have skill building programs, social and life skills programs, recreation and active lifestyle programs, and a youth program,” says Henk Van Leeuwen, Dartmouth Adult Service Centre executive director. “We thought the event would be a fun way to show our program participants with disabilities, performers on stage with different abilities doing comedy and improv as part of our Laughability fundraiser.”

Some of the program participants had the opportunity to open the show.

The night’s headliner was The Improvaneers from Ohio, the world’s first all Down syndrome improvisation troupe.

Funds raised from the event will be used to reduce waitlist times for program participants.

“If we can grow our programing and find other spaces to host other programs, that a priority for us,” says Van Leeuwen. “Educate yourself on organizations like ours that support persons with disabilities, and helping them reach their full potential, and being included in the work and life of their communities.

Menchions says this is something he strives to do every time he takes the stage.

“At the end of the day, all I really want to do is inform people and have fun with it."