July is Disability Pride Month and was created to celebrate the passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act on July 29, 1990. The Americans with Disabilities Act “prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, state and local government, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation, and telecommunications.” You can see the full act here: https://www.ada.gov/
Disability Pride means acknowledging and celebrating differences and accepting them as a natural part of human development, not as something to be shamed for, made fun of, or discriminated against because of the disability. The flag for Disability Pride Month is a light black square with diagonal stripes of red, yellow, white, light blue and green. It was conceptualized and designed by Ann Magill, a writer who also has cerebral palsy. She designed the flag to represent all individuals with disabilities and their struggle to be recognized and accepted. To read more about the flag itself and the meanings behind the color and design and other resources, please visit the Ameridisability website: https://www.ameridisability.com/heres-what-the-disability-pride-flag-represents/
During July especially, non-disabled individuals are encouraged to seek out new information about disabilities, access rights, and other issues that harm disabled individuals. It should not be the responsibility solely of disabled individuals to educate others on their rights and accommodations. Disability rights are important because there are still many barriers and stigmas that keep disabled individuals from accessing stores, entertainment venues, medical care, and living situations. One important thing to note about disabilities, is that individuals can be born with an intellectual, developmental, physical or mental health disability, or they can develop a disability through an injury such as a traumatic brain injury, sudden change in physical or mental health, or a traumatic bodily injury.
While we’d like to think that accessibility has gotten better over the years, there are still lots of limitations that need to be addressed. These limitations can be on the physical side, the mental health side, or lack of access to needed items for daily living.
Some physical barriers:
Cracked or broken walkways
Inappropriate ramps- too steep, broken, etc
Not enough support items- handrails, seating, or automatic door openers
Lack of Braille writing, sign language, or alternative communication
Lack of appropriate bathroom equipment in public spaces
Older buildings not being properly updated with disability friendly equipment and fixtures
Lack of accessible playgrounds or spaces for families
Barriers that can affect mental health:
Accessibility issues for entertainment venues
Lack of understanding for disabled individuals
Intrusive and unhelpful questions from the general public
Stigma associated with being disabled
Difficulty accessing mental health services
Faux service animals- can cause trained service animals to be refused, can cause trauma to trained service animals from attacks by faux service animals
There are also barriers to receiving benefits, such as:
Increased difficulty accessing healthcare because providers do not accept it
Inability to find stable, safe, and affordable housing
Being forced to liquidate stable assets like a car or home before they can qualify for benefits
Not being able to marry for fear of losing their benefits
Delayed benefits due to an overworked system and case management/staff turnover
Difficulty accessing trained staff to assist with covered in home benefits
Lack of understanding and knowledge in general about benefits
Lack of coverage for needed medical equipment
Finding ways to assist in removing these barriers could be as simple as educating yourself by reading a lived experience article or book, teaching children about disabilities and how to speak to disabled people, getting involved in a local disability rights organization, or writing your representatives to advocate for disability rights and accommodations. Increasing awareness of and trying to remove these barriers for disabled individuals should be everyone’s concern. All people deserve to live their lives to the fullest and when all areas of life are more accessible, it helps everyone!
There are several organizations in Michigan and nationwide that can be helpful for everyone, regardless of disability status. While this list is not exhaustive, hopefully it can provide some guidance on where to start.
Please feel free to reach out to any of these resources for more information on their services and how they can help.
National Resources:
As mentioned above, the Americans with Disabilities website is the following: https://www.ada.gov
Ameridisability has a lot of information as well: https://www.ameridisability.com/
Happy Mind has inclusive training for businesses as well as a ton of free resources on accessibility, digital self care, and mental health. Their website is here: https://happymind.co/
The Dani Plan: Provides a centralized place to record medical plan details, insurance, future planning, and any other information needed to help keep consistent care for disabled individuals and others. You can share it with other caregivers, doctors, or anyone else. https://daniplan.com/
Wonders Within Reach: Book list on disability inclusion for all ages, as well as traveling resources and accessibility information for families. https://wonderswithinreach.com/2024/01/best-books-for-disability-inclusion/
Michigan Resources:
State of Michigan has some events going on this month, including an art exhibit, festival, and nominations for self-advocates in the disability community. The link is here:
MI Bridges: This is the state website to assist in applying for benefits such as food assistance, energy assistance, childcare, and state medical insurance benefits. https://newmibridges.michigan.gov/s/isd-landing-page?language=en_US
MIAble: This savings plan for people with disabilities assists by allowing them to save money directly for their housing, healthcare, and other needs relating to the disability. https://savewithable.com/mi/home.html
Michigan Disability Rights Coalition works to promote equality and assist disabled individuals with their needs and to help protect rights. They have several activities and committees that people can be involved with. Their website is here: https://mymdrc.org/
MORC/Easter Seals: MORC has a lot of resources throughout the Tri County area and can offer connections with those resources. https://www.morcinc.org/
Michigan Rehabilitation Services: MRS can help with job searching, assessing and teaching job skills, and offers some job shadowing. They also have Veteran’s services. https://www.michigan.gov/leo/bureaus-agencies/mrs
On My Own: On My Own helps individuals with independent living transitions and skill building. https://onmyownofmi.org/
Community Living Services: CLS assists clients in developing goals, increasing independence, and planning to reach their goals. They offer supports coordination to assist with these identified needs. https://www.comlivserv.com/oakland-county
Disability Network Eastern Michigan: Offers independent living services, inclusion promotion, and peer support to assist individuals with disabilities in living their full lives. https://www.dnemichigan.org/
The ARC Michigan: The Arc provides services for individuals with an intellectual or developmental disability, such as assisting with future planning, guardianship, service planning, and providing support and resources. https://arcmi.org/
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