The Colors of Disability Pride
Disability Pride Month is observed each July and commemorates the signing of the landmark civil rights law, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which turns 35 this year! It is a time to honor the rich and diverse history, experiences, and achievements of people with disabilities here in Illinois and across the country. One way to show your pride is to fly or display the Disability Pride flag!
How was the Disability Pride Flag created? Ann Magill, a writer with cerebral palsy, designed the flag in 2019, then recreated it in in 2021. She wanted the flag to represent the dynamic community of all people with disabilities with each color symbolizing a part of the disability experience:
- Faded charcoal background represents the struggle faced by people with disabilities.
- Red stripe represents people with physical disabilities
- Gold stripe represents neurodiversity and people with developmental and/or intellectual disabilities.
- White stripe represents invisible disabilities and disabilities that haven’t yet been diagnosed.
- Blue stripe represents emotional and psychiatric disabilities, including mental illness, anxiety, and depression.
- Green stripe represents sensory disabilities, such as deafness, blindness, and all other sensory disabilities.
Together, the colored diagonal stripes unite and cut like a light through the muted background to symbolize cutting through of the challenges and isolation that some people with disabilities may feel.
IL ABLE will join the community to celebrate Disability Pride Month at the Chicago Disability Pride Parade, July 26. Stop by our table to say hello and learn how IL ABLE can be an important resource to help empower people with disabilities to build strong financial futures.
Learn more about IL ABLE at illinoisable.com and read the Plan Disclosure Booklet.