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Lansing officially recognizes July as Disability Pride Month, flies flag in recognition

City officials and disability rights advocates stand at the base of Lansing city hall flag pole as Mayor Schor raises the disability pride flag.
Jenna Braford
/
WKAR

City officials and disability rights advocates gathered outside Lansing city hall plaza Wednesday morning to raise the disability pride flag.

Mayor Andy Schor, City Councilmember Tamera Carter and activists briefly spoke on the significance of inclusion and representation for Lansing’s disabled community.

The symbolic gesture comes two-days before the 34-year anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The legislation provides civil rights protections to people living with physical and mental disabilities.

Luna Willow Brown, the disability rights advocate responsible for drafting Lansing’s resolution, said seeing the city’s acknowledgment of Pride and Juneteenth inspired her to push for equal representation.

“The disability pride flag in particular doesn’t have the recognition that a lot of the other flags we’ve seen going up have,” Brown said. “And I think that is an important factor in my decision to push for it so hard. Most of these state lawmakers, who are literally across the street in either of these buildings, a lot have never even seen the disability pride flag before.”

Brown said Lansing’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion officials were immediately receptive to her ideas when she advocated for it in public comment.

Brown said representation and increased visibility for the disabled community can often be a catalyst for change. She said Lansing officials can go further to end the stigma around having disabilities by collaborating with disability rights organizations.

“This is a group that is often highly supported when people talk about disability rights,” Brown said. “But when it comes to actual actions, we don’t see a lot.”

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