MINOT, N.D. (KXNET) — On Thursday, to honor Developmental Disability Awareness month, the North Dakota Center for Persons with Disabilities, or NDCPD, held an event in the Beaver Dam on Minot State’s campus.

The Conversation and Beyond started with a comedy routine by Kyle Erickson, where he joked about his own experience living with a disability.

Then, a panel discussion was held where audience members could ask panelists about living with disabilities and the accommodations that can be made.

Erickson says the goal is to help take the stigma away from speaking about disabilities.

“I hope they’re entertained first of all, but then I also hope that not to use the word again, but there’s less of a stigma against disability. And people realize those with disabilities, we’re your coworkers, we’re your neighbors, we’re people just like you. And we are contributing members of society,” said Erickson.

Erickson says he has been a comedian for two years now.