"Strength, Courage & Wisdom”
Sulaiman R. Khan (سلیمان راشد خان)
Multiple Award-Winning Disabled AF: Founder, Speaker, and Activist | Daringly integrating Disability | Disabled Oracle | The Anti-Ableist and Disability Liberation Maestro | Adventurer and Continual Work-In-Progress
“I will no longer be others' crowdsourced, ableist fantasy. So, 100%! Yes, my disability DOES define me, but it DOESN’T confine me. And yes, I’m fully okay with that.” — Me.
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28 July 2020.
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⚡️HAPPY DISABILITY PRIDE MONTH!⚡️
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Like me (for the longest of time), you may not know it even existed! Disability Pride celebrations haven’t been around (or visible, or supported) for very long. But here’s some history:
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The first Disability Pride Day took place in 1990 in Boston, MA. This was the same year that the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed into law. The first Disability Pride Parade took place in 2004 in Chicago, IL. In 2015, the mayor of NYC declared July Disability Pride Month.
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I need to find research into where the UK fits in as well, but sadly Disability Rights here have gone backwards so much the last ten years to devastating impact for disabled people.
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As a BIPOC Disabled AF wheelchair user (who lived 10+ years in the US, more on that here), I often feel unvalued by society’s hostile and dangerous actions towards me (and my disabled Sisters and Brothers across the world) especially in this current environment (more on that later as well), but the older I get I’m starting to fully value and respect my holistic wellbeing & my whole #BIPOC #Disabled AF self.
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And THIS is a Disability Pride Flag!!! I ADORE IT!
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Big shoutout to @carson_tueller for highlighting this awesome flag a few weeks ago. And I agree with his thoughts he shared:
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“For the longest time, we have used the accessible symbol to indicate disability (♿️). While this symbol is easily recognised, it’s problematic as a symbol for the disabled community, since using a wheelchair only captures one very narrow dimension of disability. It can also have an inherently medical, ableist, and male connotation. This #DisabilityPrideFlag is BRIMMING with symbolism and inclusivity and was created by Ann Magill, a disabled woman (doesn’t have social accounts), after several years of feedback and deliberation with disabled folx. I have wanted a symbol that is recognisable, symbolic, and widely used to communicate Disabled Pride, and this flag achieves that.”
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The flag has such “rich” symbolism too:
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The Black Field: Mourning for those who've suffered and died from Ableist violence, and also rebellion.
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The Zigzag Band: How disabled people must move around and past barriers, and our creativity in doing so.
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The Five Colours: the variety of Disability, our needs and experiences (Mental Illness, Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Invisible and Undiagnosed Disabilities, Physical Disability, and Sensory Disabilities)
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The Parallel Stripes: Solidarity within the Disability Community, despite our differences.
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Join me this year (and every day) in sharing your support of Disabled Pride and our ongoing fight for justice to have our humanity and our rights regarded as equitable. Join us in solidarity as an accomplice. 🖤💙💛🤍❤️💚
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Though relating to the #BlackLivesMatter movement (but can apply to the #DisabilityJustice movement as well), after seeing a Tweet last month by Mikki Kendall (@karnythia) I now believe, whether in work or society, we (disabled people) need accomplices instead:
“We don't need allies, we need accomplices. Fighting oppression isn't a spectator sport. Allies cheer you on, accomplices wade in to fight too.” — Mikki Kendall
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#ONWARDSandUPWARDS. 👊🏿👊🏿👊🏽👊🏼👊🏻
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#DisabilityPrideMonth #DisabledPride #DisabilitySolidarity#DisabilityRights #DisabledAF #CripAF #CripTheVote #CripTheVoteUK#AdaptTheFeed #iWeigh #ThisAbility #creativity #disability #equity#RadicalSelfCare #RadicalAcceptance #MuscularDystrophy#BeBoldBeWildBeFearless #FistBumpsOnlyPLEASE #adventure#AdventureIsCalling #IAmNOTAnInspirationIAmJUSTLivingMyLife
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[IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A black flag crossed diagonally from top left to bottom right by a "lightning bolt" band divided into parallel stripes of five colours: light blue, yellow, white, red, and green. There are narrow bands of black between the colours. DESCRIPTION ENDS.]