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Disability flag

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Disability Pride Flag
Disability Flag
UseSymbol of the Disability community and the Disability Pride Movement
Adopted2021
DesignA charcoal grey flag bisected diagonally from the top left corner to the lower right corner by five parallel stripes in red, pale gold, pale grey, light blue, and green. Designed to be visually safe and inclusive.
Designed byAnn Magill

The Disability Flag, Disability Pride Flag or Flag of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is a flag that represents people with any kind of disabilities. It was created by the disabled activist Ann Magill and then presented to the United Nations. The flag is meant for general use, particularly at disability-centered events as well as part of the Christopher Street Day. It is part of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities and movements for disability rights around the world.

Design and meaning

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The Disability Pride Flag is a charcoal grey flag bisected diagonally from the top left corner to the lower right corner by five parallel stripes in red, pale gold, pale grey, light blue, and green. The Flag comprises several different elements, each symbolizing various aspects of the disability experience. The Flag is a powerful symbol representing the diversity, struggle, and pride of the disabled community. It was originally designed by Ann Magill, a disabled activist, and later revised to improve visual accessibility. The flag is intended to represent people with disabilities, their struggle and fight for rights. Related concepts are including the disability pride movement and the LGBTQIA+ movement.

Meaning of the colors and design:

  • The diagonal bands signify: "Cutting across" the walls and barriers that separate the disabled from society.
  • Black Field: Mourning for ableist violence, abuse victims, people who commited suicide and everyone who died due to the disability. Hexadecimal and RGB: #585858 RGB(80, 80, 80)
  • Red Stripe: Physical Disabilities. Hexadecimal and RGB color: #CF7280 RGB(207, 114, 123)
  • Gold Stripe: Neurodivergence. Hexadecimal and RGB color: #EEDF77 RGB(238, 223, 119)
  • Blue Stripe: Psychiatric diseases. Hexadecimal and RGB color: #7AC1E0 RGB(122, 193, 224)
  • Green Stripe: Sensory disabilities. Hexadecimal and RGB color: #3AAF7D RGB(58, 175, 125)
  • White Stripe: Undiagnosed and Invisible disabilities. Hexadecimal and RGB color: #E9E9E9 RGB(233, 233, 233)

Gold-Silver-Bronze flag

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The Gold-Silver-Bronze Flag was one of the first attempts to unify the community

There were several attempts to create a flag that represented all disabilities. The Gold-Silver-Bronze Disability Flag aimed mainly to highlight the achievements and value of disabled individuals in society. The flag was designed with a metallic color scheme inspired by the medals awarded in sports and competitions, espacially the paralympics. The idea behind this design was to emphasize the worthiness, accomplishments, and contributions of disabled people, countering societal narratives that often focused on limitations rather than strengths. On December 3, 2017, at the United Nations' International Day of Persons with Disabilities, parliamentarians from Latin American countries gathered in a plenary assembly in Peru.[1] By acclamation, they declared the flag to be the symbol of all people with disabilities. On the same day, the flag was handed over to the European headquarters of the United Nations.[2][3] Many Spanish cities and municipalities display the flag on the International Day of People with Disabilities. In 2018, the flag was shown in the city of Santa Cruz de La Palma on the Canary Island of La Palma.[4] On December 3, 2018, the flag was adopted by the "Foment d'Esportistes amb Reptes" (FER), an Olympic and Paralympic sports organization in Spain.[5][6]

Influence of "Disability Pride"

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The Disability Pride flag represents the Disability Pride Movement. Its origin is in English-speaking countries, where the movement's presence is greater. The original Disability Pride flag was created in 2019 by Ann Magill,[7][8] a disabled woman, and featured a zig-zag or lightning bolt design but after receiving input from people with visually triggering disabilities,[9] the flag was changed in 2021 to have muted colors and straight diagonal stripes.[10][11][12][13] Certain events and celebrations include Disability Pride Month, Disability Pride Week, and the parades for both events.

The movement has its roots in pride awareness events for other minority communities. The concept and design of the Disability Pride Flag were also inspired and influenced by social movements such as LGBT pride and Black pride.

The first Disability Pride Parade in the United States was held in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1990. Since then, disability pride parades have spread throughout the country.[14] Parades have also occurred in Norway, the United Kingdom, South Korea, and Germany.

The Chicago Disability Pride Parade outlines these goals in its statement:

  • Change the way people think and define "disability".
  • Break and end internalized shame among people with disabilities.
  • Promote the idea in society that disability is a natural and fundamental part of human diversity that people living with disabilities can be proud of.[15]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "I Encuentro Latinoamericano de Discapacidad, Cultura y Responsabilidad Social". Puntos de Cultura (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  2. ^ "La bandera de las personas con discapacidad". ABC Blogs (in Spanish). 17 December 2017. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  3. ^ "Las bandera de la discapacidad". rehatrans.com (in European Spanish). Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  4. ^ Rodriguez Gonzalez, Roman (2009), "Ayuntamiento de Deza", Reformar la Administracion Territorial. Municipios eficientes y viables, Netbiblo, pp. 201–230, doi:10.4272/978-84-9745-271-7.ch10, ISBN 978-84-9745-271-7, retrieved 31 March 2021
  5. ^ R. D. (3 December 2018). "El Proyecto FER apadrina la bandera de la discapacidad". Las Provincias (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  6. ^ "Qué es". Proyecto FER (in European Spanish). Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  7. ^ "Observing Disability Pride Month this July". Human Rights Watch. 2022-07-22. Retrieved 2022-07-28.
  8. ^ "Disability Pride Month 2022". Bracknell Forest Council. 29 June 2022. Retrieved 2022-07-28.
  9. ^ "Disability Pride Month". Inclusive Employers. Retrieved 2022-07-28.
  10. ^ R. Bogart, Kathleen (2021-07-01). "Disability Pride Month: Disability Is Broader Than You Think". Psychology Today Canada. Retrieved 2022-07-28.
  11. ^ "Disability Pride Flag: everything you need to know". URevolution. 2 July 2018. Retrieved 2022-07-28.
  12. ^ Italy, U. S. Mission (2022-07-25). "Disability Pride Month celebrates Americans with Disabilities Act anniversary". U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Italy. Retrieved 2022-07-28.
  13. ^ "July Is Disability Pride Month". SBU News. 2022-07-06. Retrieved 2022-07-28.
  14. ^ "What is Disability Pride... And How to Display It". www.ameridisability.com. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  15. ^ Goering, Sara (11 April 2015). "Rethinking disability: the social model of disability and chronic disease". Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine. 8 (2): 134–138. doi:10.1007/s12178-015-9273-z. ISSN 1935-973X. PMC 4596173. PMID 25862485.