Disability Pride Parade

As a CIL intern and a woman activist I identify myself with a disability, I really enjoyed being a part of the 2nd annual west coast disability pride parade.  This parade celebrated the 21st birthday anniversary of the American with Disabilities Act and collaborated as one disability unit to fight the consistent and ongoing budget cuts and issues facing our community at large. 

Hundreds of participants walked and rolled down a mile-long stretch of North First Street in San Jose on Saturday morning, July 23rd chanting together during the Disability Pride Parade and a Festival following the parade festival held at Silicon Valley Independent Living Center headquarters.  During the festival, there were performances, poetry readings, speeches made by the three grand marshals and other disabled activists, and information booths that consists of different disability oriented organizations.

During the route of the parade, we said the following: "We're here, we're loud, we're disabled and we're proud," marchers chanted as they celebrated the 21st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act's signing. For participants of all ages and disabilities, the parade was a chance to share a sense of community and raise awareness especially in these storming economic times where the disabled; people need to know we're a large group of people that are horribly affected by budget cuts here in California and across the country.  Many disabled people and their friends, marched for disability rights, and many walked by the banner for Communities United in Defense of Olmstead, pushing for continued adherence to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 1999 that said people with disabilities have the right to live in a community instead of being relegated to nursing homes.

"We're fighting for equal access 95 percent of the time," said Sarah Triano, executive director of the Silicon Valley Independent Living Center. "This is our 5 percent time to celebrate."  As a disabled activist myself, I feel like that I am always fighting for my rights daily.  It was nice to just sit back, be myself, and do nothing for once with my extended disabled family.  The highlight of that day was that I got featured as a photograph in the San Jose Mercury News along with other disability activists as well as being visibly recognized on several nightly televised news channels.