The Disability Pride Flag flying in front of City Hall. Photo courtesy of the City of Dallas – City Hall via Facebook.
On July 15, the City of Dallas joined the Office of Housing and Community Empowerment, the Commission on Disabilities, and local advocates and residents for a flag-raising ceremony at City Hall, honoring people with disabilities.
This is the first time the City of Dallas has approved flying the disability flag to celebrate Disability Pride Month, which takes place each July. According to the U.S. Census, 8.9% of the city’s population has a disability. This year, the flag will be raised from July 15 through the end of the month. Every following year will see the flag flying from July 1 to July 31.
The Disability Pride Flag was redesigned in 2021 by Ann Magill. It features five colored stripes cutting diagonally across a dark gray background, representing cutting through barriers. Each color represents a different aspect of disability. The pink represents physical disabilities, gold for cognitive and intellectual disabilities, white for invisible or undiagnosed disabilities, blue for psychiatric disabilities, and green for sensory disabilities. The charcoal background was chosen to honor the lives of disabled people that have been lost.
Advocates gathered at City Hall to raise the Disability Pride Flag. Photo Courtesy of the District 13 Newsletter.
“The Disability Pride Flag is a powerful symbol of pride, resilience, inclusion, and the diverse experiences of people living with disabilities,” Gay Donnel Willis stated in a District 13 newsletter. “Its raising reflects Dallas’ commitment to building a city where accessibility is not an afterthought, but a fundamental part of how we serve our residents.”
The newsletter also encouraged readers to reach out to the North Texas Disability Chamber to help them advance accessibility and inclusion. Founded in December 2020, their three pillars are “Community Building, Community Education, and Interactive Engagement between People with Disabilities (PWDs) and People without Disabilities (PWOD).”
Disability Pride Month continues to be a way to raise awareness for the progress being made to ensure all residents can fully participate in their civic life, to highlight the contributions made by the disability community, and remind us of the continuing work that needs to be done.
