TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — A new nightclub in Tucson for ages 18 and older encourages anyone with special needs or a disability to join them for a dance party.
Club Zeus only has one requirement for all attendees.
“Everybody leaves feeling like a rockstar,” said Club Zeus creator, Crisann Black.
Black created the once-a-month dance party for young adults with special needs to enjoy food and drinks in a fun and safe environment.
“They come in full glam and they look gorgeous and it’s just incredible to see them and their confidence and it just all shines,” said Black.
Crisann Black is a mother of five kids. She created Club Zeus naming it after her youngest son with autism.
Even though he’s only 4-years-old, she said she thinks about his future often and the need for inclusive spaces for those with a developmental disability.
“He’s my baby and I try to remember that he’s growing and he’s not always going to be a baby,” said Black. “In thinking about his future in regards of therapies or activities that he's involved in, I want to see more activities take place,” she added.
Black said she feels like parents with kids who have special needs often have to explain their behavior to other people.
“I do have to speak on his behalf and explain to people, hey he has a disability, he doesn’t mean any harm. And sometimes we get really great responses where families are like oh you know what that makes total sense lets let them continue to play and then other times families will remove their child and then he’s kind of left alone to deal with it,” said Black.
Club Zeus will hold a dance party on the second Saturday of every month.
Their next event is on October 8th at the Upper Level Events Center.
“Being his advocate is one of the greatest things that I can be. Being his mom is amazing, but being there to really defend and support him is probably the best thing,” said Black.
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Faith Abercrombie is a reporter for KGUN 9. Before coming to KGUN, Faith worked as a videographer for the Phoenix Children's Hospital Foundation and as a reporter and producer on the youth suicide documentary, "Life is..." on Arizona PBS.
Share your story ideas with Faith by emailing faith.abercrombie@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, or Twitter.
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