Disability Pride Month takes place each July to celebrate the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law in 1990, designating disabled people as a protected class in the United States. This landmark decision informed Canadian legislation such as the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), which was not passed until 2005. There are many barriers such as stigma, shame, inaccessibility and negligence that prevent disabled people from proudly identifying as disabled.
This updated 2021 Disability Pride flag was created by Ann Magill. The original 2019 flag designed by Magill featured parallel zig zagged designs. The colours were softened and stripes were modified to a diagonal stripe for improved accessibility for neurological disorders including seizures and migraines.
The parallel stripes joined together are a visual representation of intra communal solidarity amongst disabled people. The black background mourns disabled people who have died due to negligence, suicide, rebellion, illness and eugenics. Each stripe colour represents the various categories of disability:
Red - Physical disabilities.
Gold/Yellow - Cognitive and intellectual disabilities.
White - Non visible and undiagnosed disabilities.
Blue - Psychiatric disabilities.
Green - Sensory disabilities.