Event Details
Location
Alys Stephens Center
1200 10th Avenue South
Birmingham, AL 35205
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Every Body Blooms

Every Body Blooms: A Disability-Centered Fashion Experience
Every Body Blooms is a fashion show designed to celebrate self-expression, individuality, and creativity among people with disabilities. The show will feature individuals with physical disabilities and mobility limitations as artists, models and collaborators.
The event will feature four different โscenesโ with looks including floral, streetwear, athleisure, and formal styles of clothes.
Daniel Grier will be the director and curator for the show. He will be joined by show assistant Grace Varney and a fantastic creative team of artists, tailors, and stylists.
Each year the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD), hosts an annual art exhibit addressing and exploring the intersection of disability and society. NCHPAD is proud to welcome UAB Arts in Medicine as a co-sponsor for this yearโs event.
For the previous art events, visit the UAB CEDHARS website for past exhibits.
Event Details
When: April 2, 2026.
- Doors open at 5:00 PM
- Seating starts at 5:30 PM
- Event time: 6:00 PM-7:30 PM
Where: The event will take place at the Alys Stephens Center (1200 10th Avenue South, Birmingham, Alabama, 35294) on the campus of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).
Cost: Free and open to the public (registration required due to limited capacity).
How to RSVP: To register for the event, visit our form on our partner website linked in the button below.
Parking: Accessible parking, valet, and free parking will be available.
Food/Drink: Heavy hors dโoeuvres will be available along with a cash bar with cocktails.

Event Team

Daniel Grier | Event Director and Curator
Daniel Grier is the Founder and Managing Partner of Magic City Fashion Week, a platform dedicated to elevating emerging designers and expanding the fashion ecosystem in Birmingham, Alabama. Since launching in 2017, he has led initiatives that merge fashion, education, and economic development, positioning Birmingham as a growing force in the Southern fashion landscape. An artist and designer for nearly 13 years and the creative force behind the fashion label, Splashed by DKG, Daniel is recognized for producing high-impact fashion showcases and cultivating platforms that amplify diverse talent while bridging art, community, and industry.

Grace Varney | Show Assistant
Grace Varney is a Fashion Creative and a woman in STEM, leading an all-female team of technologists. In 2024, her lifelong love of fashion led her to launch her own personal styling company, VISIBLE by G. Elizabeth. She earned her Image Architect certification from Law Roachโs School of Style, was mentored by celebrity stylist J. Bolin, and assisted legendary Birmingham stylist LaDonna Allen. Grace was featured in The Curvy Fashionista for her focus on plus-size styling. Her mission with VISIBLE is to bring confidence through clothes to all who seek it. For Grace, confidence is existing in your body without caveats or apologies โ saying what you mean, wearing what you want, and taking up space LOUDLY.
Speakers

Diamond Garrett
Diamond Garrett is a wheelchair dancer, disability advocate, speech therapist, author, and content creator who inspires others to live boldly and unapologetically. After surviving being shot nine times at 18 and becoming paralyzed from the waist down, she transformed her pain into purpose. A graduate of the University of Central Florida with a degree in Communication Sciences and Speech Disorders, she now works as a speech therapist helping children build confidence in their communication. Through her large social media following, as well as her work as a model, dancer, speaker, and author of The Stage Is Hers, Diamond champions disability representation, resilience, and self-confidence, encouraging others to embrace their uniqueness and pursue their dreams.

Jessica Elaine Blinkhorn
Jessica Elaine Blinkhorn is an Atlanta-based interdisciplinary artist, educator, and disability activist whose work uses performance, drawing, and public intervention to challenge societal perceptions of the disabled body. A John Simon Guggenheim Fellow, she creates participatory work that centers visibility, empathy, and agency for disabled individuals while advocating for accessibility and representation, encouraging audiences to reconsider how bodies move, exist, and are valued in public space.

Joe Delagrave
Joe Delagrave is a two-time Paralympic medalist and respected leader in wheelchair rugby, with over 18 years on the USA National Team, including 8 as captain and now in his fifth season as head coach. His journey reflects resilience and determination, turning lifeโs challenges into opportunities and inspiring others to embrace their strength and competitive spirit.
As a keynote speaker, Joe shares his powerful message of โPush with Purposeโ, helping leaders and organizations develop strategies for achieving their own growth in life and work. When heโs not coaching or speaking, Joe is a proud husband to April and father to Braxton, Brayden and Brynley.

Megan DeJarnett
Megan DeJarnett is an author, speaker, and creative entrepreneur dedicated to empowering families and advocating for greater visibility within the disability community. Born with a physical disability, she brings a lifetime of lived experience that fuels her passion for advocacy and representation. As a mother of three, she combines her personal perspective with her work as a writer, speaker, and creative leader to challenge perceptions and celebrate individuality, using her childrenโs books, public speaking, and creative initiatives to help families feel seen, supported, and inspired.

Noah Galloway
Noah Galloway is a U.S. Army veteran, Purple Heart recipient, author, and motivational speaker from Birmingham, Alabama. While serving with the 101st Airborne Division during Operation Iraqi Freedom, he was severely wounded in an IED attack, resulting in the loss of his left arm above the elbow and left leg above the knee. After returning home, Noah rebuilt his life through fitness and resilience, becoming the first veteran and amputee featured on the cover of Menโs Health as the 2014 โUltimate Guy,โ and later gaining national attention as a finalist on Dancing with the Stars. Today, he travels the country sharing his story to inspire others to challenge their limits and redefine what is possible.
Models

Ammie Morgan

Joe Delagrave

Mary White

Noah Galloway

Reed Johnson

Zach Woolley

Diamond Garrett

Megan DeJarnett

Bob Lujano

Hasaan Hawthorne

Ingrid Pfau

Christen Mendonca

Jerry Presley

Jessica Blinkhorn

Jereme Wilroy

Lauren Luckie

Aaron Scheidies

Karon Mendel Bullock

CatLynn

Doctorre McDade

WD Foster

Monique Griffin

Karneshia Patton

McCartney Hagar

Joon Reid
Our work with UAB
To learn more about NCHPADโs connection to UAB, visit our NCHPAD and The UAB School of Health Professions page.
Sponsors
