#AdvocacyMatters: Elevating Pride

July 19, 2024 / #AdvocacyMatters

Empowering and elevating the voices and lived experiences of people with disabilities all across Ohio is at the very center of our work. Governed by a Board of Directors with their own disability experiences and made up of a diverse team, our organization strives to keep advocates front and center in this march towards a truly equitable society.

July is Disability Pride month, creating a great opportunity to celebrate the victories and recognize the challenges that remain. July was chosen to coincide with the passing of the historic Americans with Disabilities Act, which was signed into law on July 26th, 1990. The first formal recognition of Disability Pride Month came in 2015 in celebration of the ADA's 25th anniversary.

Disability Pride is often represented by a unique flag, originally created and later refined by Ann Magill. Magill is a writer who has cerebral palsy. She initially created the flag out of frustration after attending a Disability Pride event that had been set up in the basement of an independent living center, rather than a public place. The flag features diagonal bands of different colors set against a dark gray background. Each color of stripe represents a different type of disability:

Red: Physical Disabilities
Gold: Neurodiversity
White: "Invisible" disabilities or those not yet diagnosed
Blue: Emotional and Psychiatric Disabilities
Green: Sensory Disabilities

Combined these stripes show the diversity within the disability community, providing a graphical representation of the 1 in 4 people in America who have a disability.

We invite all of our allies and supporters to recognize and celebrate Disability Pride month in ways that work for them. Our partners at The Arc have a handy blog post of tips and ideas available here (https://thearc.org/blog/why-and-how-to-celebrate-disability-pride-month/). Elevating and empowering is the core of what we do. This month - and every month - we ask you to join us.

#AdvocacyMatters