BMS Backstage
BMS Backstage is a series that takes our community behind the scenes and on a journey through BMS, the history, the community and by celebrating historical and contemporary aspects of music and the performing arts . Anika Rahman the brilliant marketing intern explores contemporary and historical subjects through the lens of the building, programming, events and our local and global community connections.
“Disability Pride Month celebrates disabled persons embracing their disabilities as integral parts of who they are, reclaiming visibility in public and interacting fully with their disabilities out in the open, and rejecting shame and internalized ableism.”
Disability Pride initially started as a celebration of the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act, a law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. Functioning as a symbol of honor and visibility, the Disability Pride Flag was created to promote a positive and empowering representation of all forms of disabilities. This month for Disability Pride Month we are looking at the origin and history of the flag.
The original Disability Pride flag was created in 2019 by Ann Magill, a visual artist, and devoted disability rights advocate. This flag featured vibrant zigzagging stripes set against a black background, symbolizing the creative ways in which disabled individuals navigate barriers. However, the zigzag design posed some issues as the pattern inadvertently led to a flickering effect on screens, potentially worsening symptoms for those prone to seizures and migraines. Magill responded by reaching out to photosensitive individuals and members of the disability community, resulting in a more user-friendly and updated version that was released in 2021.
Magill redesigned the flag with these ideas in mind. The new design straightened the flag’s stripes and muted the colors. It also strategically rearranged the stripes to accommodate individuals with red-green colorblindness. The new design was considered a community effort, with Magill saying that it represents the community because it was a community that came together and solved a problem.
The new design of the flag was skillfully curated to incorporate all six internationally recognized flag colors, symbolizing the wide-reaching nature of the disability community. In addition to changing the motif to straight lines, Magill muted and rearranged the colors.
Each color holds significance…
Green signifies sensory disabilities
Blue represents emotional and psychiatric disabilities
White denotes non-visible and undiagnosed disabilities
Gold stands for neurodiversity
Red symbolizes physical disabilities
The stripes are shown across a washed-out black background that is meant to commemorate and mourn the disabled people who’ve died due to ableism, violence, negligence, suicide, rebellion, illness, and eugenics. The dark background also channels a sense of protest and fury against the mistreatment faced by the disabled community.
In this flag, Ann Magill was able to encapsulate so much history as well as the celebration of such a diverse and vibrant community. In its entirety, the Disability Pride Flag serves as a reminder of the importance of acknowledging and celebrating the experiences and contributions of people with disabilities, while also advocating for a more inclusive and equitable society.