July is Disability Pride Month
July celebrates Disability Pride Month, which honors the history, achievements, and experiences of people with disabilities.
HFC is a Welcoming College. The College welcomes everyone, including all students, faculty, and staff who identify as part of the disability community.
People with disabilities comprise approximately 15% of the world’s population, representing all ages, races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, religions, and socio-economic backgrounds. In the United States alone, people with disabilities comprise approximately 27% of the population, making it the largest and most diverse minority in the U.S., based on a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This means that an estimated 70 million Americans face daily challenges pertaining to hearing, vision, mobility, cognition, self-care, or independent living. They are a significant part of every community and population.
Disability Pride Month is a response and counteraction against ableism* and social stigma that aims to promote visibility and awareness of the disability community. It is a time for the disability community to come together and be heard. Disability Pride has been described by AmeriDisability, an online publication dedicated to the disability community, as “accepting and honoring each person’s uniqueness and seeing it as a natural and beautiful part of human diversity.”
“Disability Pride Month is about dignity and also about courage,” said HFC humanities instructor Dr. Adam R. Hazlett. “It takes courage to say, ‘This system is not working for me,’ and to ask for help, accommodations, or support. No student, worker, or community member should have to struggle in silence to prove they belong.”
History of Disability Pride Month
On March 12, 1990, more than 1,000 people marched from the White House to the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C., demanding that Congress pass the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Once they arrived at the Capitol, approximately 60 activists demonstrated the inaccessibility of public spaces by either getting out of their wheelchairs or putting aside their mobility aids to crawl up the 83 stone steps of the Capitol. This later became known as the “Capitol Crawl”, one of the critical events leading to the passage of the ADA. On July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the ADA into law.
On October 6, 1990, Boston hosted the first Disability Pride Day. The first official celebration of Disability Pride Month occurred in July 2015, which also marked the 25th anniversary of the ADA. Since then, other major cities across the nation have celebrated Disability Pride Month with parades and other festivities.
On July 1, 2022, Governor Gretchen Whitmer officially declared July as Disability Pride Month in Michigan. This marked the first time the state government formally recognized the commemoration. Whitmer has continued issuing these proclamations each year.
Disability advocates and activists strive to create an inclusive and accessible society that enables individuals with disabilities to live fulfilling lives and participate fully in their communities. Activities during Disability Pride Month are aimed at inspiring citizens to celebrate the contributions of people with disabilities, promote inclusivity, and foster greater respect and understanding.
Hazlett is a vocal advocate for people with disabilities. He was diagnosed with autism in 2020 and is a member of the Board of Directors for the Self-Advocates of Michigan (SAM), a division of the Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council.
“Disability Pride Month is a reminder that disabled people are not a problem to be solved, a burden to be managed, or an afterthought,” said Hazlett. “We have always been here, and we are not going anywhere. Disability Pride Month is about visibility, dignity, access, and the right to live fully in a world that too often asks disabled people to shrink themselves to fit into systems that were never built with us in mind.”
A better world is inclusive
The 2026 theme of Disability Pride month is “The World Works Better with Us.”
Detroit Disability Power will host Disability Pride 2026: Loud & Proud! on Saturday, July 11, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the LOVE Building, 4731 Grand River Ave. in Detroit. Accessibility features will include:
- ASL interpretation
- Wheelchair accessibility
- Low-scent space
- Low-stimulation room
- Flexible timing (come and go as you wish)
- Masks (organizers encourage you to wear a face mask)
This is a free, family-friendly talent showcase celebrating disabled creators and the joy, power, and important perspective the disabled community brings to the world. In the spirit of taking up space, expressing truths, and inspiring more disabled art, Loud & Proud! will bring together performers, audiences, and community for an afternoon of music, movement, creativity, and celebration.
DDP works to leverage and build the organizing and political power of the disability community to ensure the inclusion of people with disabilities in Metro Detroit. For questions or more information, contact info@DetroitDisabilityPower.org.
Second annual Michigan Disability Empowerment Conference
HFC its planning its second annual Michigan Disability Empowerment Conference (MDEC), which will take place during the Fall 2026 semester.
The MDEC is a statewide gathering that brings together disabled leaders, families, advocates, and allies. Through keynotes, workshops, and storytelling, its purpose is to build the next generation of empowered voices, connecting communities, sparking policy change, and creating a future where disabled people don’t just have a seat at the table – they help design it.
Disability Pride Flag
In 2019, Ann Magill, a writer with cerebral palsy, created the original Disability Pride flag. She had attended an event for the 20th anniversary of the ADA and expressed her disappointment that it was confined to the grounds of an independent living center instead of being out in public. This inspired her to create a flag.
Originally, the flag featured brightly colored zigzagging stripes with a black background. The zigzagging stripes represented how people with disabilities have to maneuver around the barriers they face. Unfortunately, this design caused symptoms in people with visually triggered disabilities, such as seizures.
With input from the disability community, Magill refined the flag’s look in 2021. In this new version of the flag, the stripes are straight lines and have been reordered to accommodate people with red-green colorblindness. The colors have also been muted to be visually safe and inclusive. Magill even waived the copyright to her design, which is now in the public domain.
The colored stripes are placed diagonally across the flag to show how people with disabilities have to cut across barriers in society. All six “standard” flag colors represent how disabilities span borders between states and nations.
- Black background: Represents mourning for victims of ableist violence and abuse.
- Red stripe: Represents people with physical disabilities.
- Gold stripe: Represents neurodivergence, referring to a person whose brain processes information in a way that is not typical of many people.
- White stripe: Represents people with invisible and undiagnosed disabilities.
- Blue stripe: Represents people with psychiatric disabilities.
- Green stripe: Represents people with sensory disabilities.
“The Disability Pride flag matters because it gives visual form to a community that is incredibly diverse, often misunderstood, and frequently made invisible,” said Hazlett. “The colors and design remind us that disability is not one experience. It is a broad, powerful, intersectional community with its own history, culture, creativity, and future.”
HFC Internal Resources
Resources are available at HFC to help members of the disability community.
Assisted Learning Services provides accessible resources to students with disabilities. Contact ALS at 313-845-9617 or als@hfcc.edu.
Campus Safety provides assistance, safety, and crime prevention services to the community. Call Campus Safety at 313-845-9630 from an outside phone or 9630 from a campus phone. You may also contact Campus Safety for non-emergency questions at campussafety@hfcc.edu.
Counseling Center: Counselors can help you improve your ability to make healthy decisions, provide an objective viewpoint for whatever you’re experiencing, and offer coping mechanisms. Contact Dr. Brenda Hildreth at 313-845-9611 or bjhildreth@hfcc.edu.
Office of Student Conduct and Title IX: The Title IX team supports our community in creating and sustaining an environment that is free from all forms of sexual misconduct and discrimination. Contact:
- HFC Title IX Coordinator Munira Kassim at 313-845-6301 or mmkassim@hfcc.edu
- HFC Employee Deputy Title IX Coordinator Raya York at 313-845-9698 or rdyork@hfcc.edu
- HFC Student Deputy Title IX Coordinator Amani Musaibli at 313-845-6315 or aamusaibli24128@hfcc.edu
If you need assistance you do not see here, please reach out to Assisted Learning Services above, and they will be able to direct you.
“Disability Pride Month reminds us that asking for help is not a weakness; it is self-advocacy. Whether someone is a college student, an employee, a parent, or a community member, they have the right to ask for the accommodations, support, and understanding they need to participate fully,” said Hazlett. “Too often, disabled people are taught to endure barriers quietly. Disability Pride Month pushes back against that idea. Needing support does not make someone less capable or less worthy. It means our communities, classrooms, and workplaces have a responsibility to make room for people as they are.”
*"Ableism" is a term for bias or discrimination in favor of people who do not experience disabilities.