INHERENT DIGNITY & INALIENABLE RIGHTS

JULY IS DISABILITY PRIDE MONTH!

Though not yet a national holiday, Disability Pride has been celebrated in the United States with festivals, marches, and parades in cities like Chicago, New Orleans, New York, and Los Angeles.

The celebrations around the country honor the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) passed on July 26, 1990. The ADA prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in employment, transportation, communication, and access to public buildings. If you’ve seen ramps and sidewalks that allow access for wheelchair users and other folks who can’t use stairs or are impeded by curbs, you’ve seen the ADA at work.

According to Human Rights Watch, “July is an occasion to celebrate people with disabilities, honor their inherent dignity and inalienable rights, promote their visibility, and applaud their achievements.”

Like LGBTQ+ Pride, Disability Pride has its own flag, designed by Ann Magill. She updated it in 2021, muting its colors for folks with visually-triggered disabilities. The colors of the stripes represent different disability experiences and are: physical (red), cognitive/intellectual (yellow), invisible/undiagnosed (white), psychiatric/psychosocial (blue), and sensory (green). The charcoal background commemorates people with disabilities who have died struggling against societal stigma.

While the NMBLC couldn’t find updates on DPM events in Albuquerque by press time, please inform us of any goings-on here or anywhere in the state and we’ll blast out the info via our social media. You can also contact The Arc New Mexico below for support and resources. We can still celebrate Disability Pride every day by honoring the dignity of folks with disabilities, celebrating their achievements, and urging our elected officials to keep advancing their cause.