Happy Disability Pride Month!
July is disability pride month. We have a unique opportunity to reflect, whether we have disabled loved ones and friends or we are disabled ourselves. According to the CDC, 1 in 4 Americans have a disability. I am one of them! Although my disability is not as very visible and recognizable, it has always affected the way I see myself. I was very lucky to have a supportive family and therapeutic team, and with their help I have made it to this point in my life. The nature of my disability can make it difficult to play instruments like the guitar and piano, but I have been able to find the balance that works for me, and become a music therapist who plays those instruments all the time!
On July 26, 1990, the Americans With Disabilities Act was signed into law. The entire month was officially celebrated in July 2015, and has been ever since. The creator of the disability pride flag, Ann Magill, created the flag to heighten awareness of disabilities and also are "a symbol of solidarity, pride and acceptance" (History of the Disability Pride Flag, 2023). Here is the meaning of the flag, as described by the Weinberg Family Cerebral Palsy Center:
"Each color stripe has a meaning:
Red - physical disabilities
Gold - neurodiversity
White - invisible disabilities and disabilities that haven't yet been diagnosed
Blue - emotional and psychiatric disabilities, including mental illness, anxiety, and depression
Green - for sensory disabilities, including deafness, blindness, lack of smell, lack of taste, audio processing disorder, and all other sensory disabilities
The faded black background mourning and rage for victims of ableist violence and abuse. The diagonal band cuts across the walls and barriers that separate the disabled from society, also representing light and creativity cutting through the darkness."
As a music therapist, I get to work with so many wonderful people with various disabilities. My main priority has always been to get to know them as people: their interests, their hobbies, their opinions, anything that matters to them, anything they would like to share. I would want the same for myself. Music bridges people of all abilities, and creates connections we may not have been able to form otherwise. All of my clients, whether verbal or non-verbal, and of many varying states of mobility or alertness, have always expressed themselves in unique ways throughout our musical interactions. I have realized that all it takes is willingness and openness to engage in meaningful interactions with others, of any and all abilities. It is our duty as community members and people to educate ourselves on disabilities so that we can cultivate a more fair, equitable, and supportive society. To my disabled friends out there, you are seen. Here at Healing Waves, you will always be supported and uplifted.
Once again, Happy Disability Pride Month!
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