Mayor Declares July “Disability Pride Month” to Celebrate 25 Years of ADA

Mayor Bill de Blasio has declared the month of July as Disability Pride month.

It is a month for all to look at the abilities and not at the disabilities of those with disabilities. In honor of the 25th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act, Mayor de Blasio is declaring July as “Disability Pride Month” by hosting a parade to commemorate the landmark legislation.

The month long commemoration and parade will be annual occurrences on the city calendar, the mayor’s press office said in a press release. “The Americans with Disabilities Act is one of the most important civil rights laws in history,” said de Blasio. United States Senator Tom Harkin, the Iowa Democrat who authored the ADA, will be the July 12th parade’s grand marshal.

An old poster about discrimination against job applicants.

An old poster about discrimination against job applicants.

This Saturday the United States will celebrate 239 years of independence. On July 26 our country will mark another historic moment: the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, a law passed on July 26, 1990, that guarantees certain rights — and increased independence — to our compatriots with physical and intellectual disabilities.

The highlight of this celebration of disabilities will be The Disability Pride Parade on July 12. Other activities the city is hosting to celebrate the ADA milestone include awards for New Yorkers who have helped advance accessibility, a Brooklyn Historical Society exhibit on the disability rights movement, and a CUNY educational lecture series.

“I am grateful to Mayor de Blasio for making New Yorkers with disabilities a priority, and taking unprecedented strides toward supporting and celebrating the community,” said Victor Calise, commissioner of the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities.

As a person with a disability, I applaud not only the Mayor’s proclaiming July as Disability Pride Month but his commitment to make new York City hospitable to all with disability. I am also grateful to Assemblyman Marcos Crespo for his commitment both as a legislator and as a political leader to the disabled community. I will proudly be matching with BDCC on July 12 and all Bronxites are invited to attend this march on July 12.

Come show your pride!

paradeflyer (Medium)

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