:Disability flag
{{Short description|Flag representing people with disabilities}}
{{Infobox flag
| Name = Disability Pride Flag
| Image = Visually Safe Disability Pride Flag.svg
| Nickname = Disability Flag
| Use = Symbol of the Disability community and the Disability Pride Movement
| Adoption = 2021
| Design = 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. Designed to be visually safe and inclusive.
| Designer = Ann 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.
Disability Pride flag
The Disability Pride flag represents the Disability Pride Movement. The original Disability Pride flag was created in 2019 by Ann Magill,{{Cite web |date=2022-07-22 |title=Observing Disability Pride Month this July |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/07/22/observing-disability-pride-month-july |access-date=2022-07-28 |website=Human Rights Watch |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=29 June 2022 |title=Disability Pride Month 2022 |url=https://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/news/2022/06/disability-pride-month-2022 |access-date=2022-07-28 |website=Bracknell Forest Council |language=en}} a disabled woman, and featured a zig-zag or lightning bolt design.{{Cite web |title=Disability Pride Month |url=https://www.inclusiveemployers.co.uk/awareness-day/disability-pride-month/ |access-date=2022-07-28 |website=Inclusive Employers |language=en-GB}} After receiving input from people with visually triggering disabilities, the flag was changed in 2021 to have muted colors and straight diagonal stripes.{{Cite web |last=R. Bogart |first=Kathleen |date=2021-07-01 |title=Disability Pride Month: Disability Is Broader Than You Think |url=https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/disability-is-diversity/202107/disability-pride-month-disability-is-broader-you-think |access-date=2022-07-28 |website=Psychology Today Canada |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Disability Pride Flag: everything you need to know |url=https://www.urevolution.com/blogs/magazine/disability-pride-flag |access-date=2022-07-28 |website=URevolution |date=2 July 2018 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Italy |first=U. S. Mission |date=2022-07-25 |title=Disability Pride Month celebrates Americans with Disabilities Act anniversary |url=https://it.usembassy.gov/disability-pride-month-celebrates-americans-with-disabilities-act-anniversary/ |access-date=2022-07-28 |website=U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Italy |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2022-07-06 |title=July Is Disability Pride Month |url=https://news.stonybrook.edu/university/july-is-disability-pride-month/ |access-date=2022-07-28 |website=SBU News |language=en-US}} The concept and design of the Disability Pride Flag were inspired and influenced by social movements such as LGBT pride and Black pride.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}
The flag has been used at various events in the United States, Canada, and Australia.{{cite news |last1=Wright |first1=Elizabeth |last2=Edmonds |first2=Celina |title='We're different, not less': Meet these Australians flying the flag for Disability Pride |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-03/disability-pride-movement-in-australia/101679820 |work=ABC News |date=2 December 2022 |language=en-AU}}{{cite news |last1=Gabir |first1=Fatima |title=San Diego Unified Hosts First Disability Awareness Flag-Raising Event |work=Times of San Diego |date=6 March 2025 |url=https://timesofsandiego.com/education/2025/03/05/san-diego-unified-hosts-first-disability-awareness-flag-raising-event/}}{{cite news |last1=Dobruck |first1=Jeremiah |title=Long Beach will fly the Disability Pride flag during the month of July |url=https://lbpost.com/news/long-beach-will-fly-the-disability-pride-flag-during-the-month-of-july/ |work=Long Beach Post News |date=19 June 2024}} In 2024, a crosswalk in Alberta, Canada was painted with the colors of the flag.{{cite news |last1=Keaton |first1=Barry |title=Beyond Local: Northern Alberta town home to Canada’s first Disability Pride crosswalk |url=https://www.westernwheel.ca/beyond-local/northern-alberta-town-home-to-canadas-first-disability-pride-crosswalk-9190394 |work=Western Wheel |date=8 July 2024 |language=en}}
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.{{cite web |last1=Méndez |first1=Lola |title=Understanding the Design of the Disability Pride Flag |url=https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/a43876914/disability-pride-flag/ |website=Good Housekeeping |date=17 February 2025}}{{cite web |last1=Langtree |first1=Ian C. |title=Disability Pride Flag: Meaning, Symbolism, and Community Significance {{!}} DW |url=https://www.disabled-world.com/disability/awareness/pride-flag.php |website=www.disabled-world.com |access-date=5 May 2025 |date=19 April 2025}} The diagonal bands are intended to signify "cutting across barriers that disabled people face."
Meaning of the colors:{{cite web |title=History of the Disability Pride Flag |url=https://www.weinberg.cuimc.columbia.edu/news/history-disability-pride-flag |website=Weinberg Family Cerebral Palsy Center |language=en |date=3 July 2023}}
- Charcoal Grey: Mourning for ableist violence, abuse victims, people who committed suicide and everyone who died due to the disability
- Red Stripe: Physical disabilities
- Gold Stripe: Neurodiversity
- Blue Stripe: Emotional and psychiatric disabilities
- Green Stripe: Sensory disabilities
- White Stripe: Undiagnosed and invisible disabilities
Gold-Silver-Bronze flag
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.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}} The flag was designed with a metallic color scheme inspired by the medals awarded in sports and competitions, especially 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.{{Cite web |title=I Encuentro Latinoamericano de Discapacidad, Cultura y Responsabilidad Social |url=https://www.puntosdecultura.pe/noticias/i-encuentro-latinoamericano-de-discapacidad-cultura-y-responsabilidad-social |access-date=31 March 2021 |website=Puntos de Cultura |language=es}} 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.{{Cite web |date=17 December 2017 |title=La bandera de las personas con discapacidad |url=https://abcblogs.abc.es/protocolo-etiqueta/2017/12/17/la-bandera-de-las-personas-con-discapacidad |access-date=8 March 2021 |website=ABC Blogs |language=es}}{{Cite web |title=Las bandera de la discapacidad |url=https://rehatrans.com/2018/01/24/las-bandera-de-la-discapacidad/ |access-date=31 March 2021 |website=rehatrans.com |language=es-ES}} 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.{{Citation |last=Rodriguez Gonzalez |first=Roman |title=Ayuntamiento de Deza |work=Reformar la Administracion Territorial. Municipios eficientes y viables |pages=201–230 |year=2009 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.4272/978-84-9745-271-7.ch10 |access-date=31 March 2021 |publisher=Netbiblo |doi=10.4272/978-84-9745-271-7.ch10 |isbn=978-84-9745-271-7}} On December 3, 2018, the flag was adopted by the "Foment d'Esportistes amb Reptes" (FER), an Olympic and Paralympic sports organization in Spain.{{Cite web |author=R. D. |date=3 December 2018 |title=El Proyecto FER apadrina la bandera de la discapacidad |url=https://www.lasprovincias.es/deportes/mas-deportes/proyecto-apadrina-bandera-20181204004942-ntvo.html |access-date=8 March 2021 |website=Las Provincias |language=es}}{{Cite web |title=Qué es |url=https://www.proyectofer.es/que-es/ |access-date=31 March 2021 |website=Proyecto FER |language=es-ES}}
See also
{{Portal|Civil Rights Movement|Heraldry|Arts
}}
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- {{Annotated link |Disability}}
- {{Annotated link |Disability Pride Month}}
- {{Annotated link |Disability rights movement}}
- {{Annotated link |Disability studies|Disability Studies}}
- {{Annotated link |Disability in the arts}}
- {{Annotated link |Functional diversity (disability)|Functional diversity}}
- {{Annotated link |Mad Pride}}
- {{Annotated link |People-first language}}
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