Celebrating Disability Pride Month: Embracing Inclusion in Ypsilanti
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At Hinton Real Estate, our Cause & Culture series each month highlights values that matter to our team, our clients, and our neighbors. For July, we honor Disability Pride Month, a time to celebrate the diversity and contributions of people with disabilities — and to reflect on the hard-fought advocacy that led to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), signed into law on July 26, 1990.
Why Disability Pride Matters
Disability Pride Month began in 1990, the same year the ADA was signed, with the first celebration held in Boston. Since then, it has grown into a global movement that challenges stigma, celebrates disability as a vital part of human diversity, and advocates for equality and accessibility for all.
The Disability Pride flag — with its vibrant diagonal stripes over a charcoal background — reminds us of both the barriers faced and the creativity and resilience of the disability community. Each color represents a different type of disability, and the diagonal stripe symbolizes cutting across barriers toward inclusion.
The ADA: A Landmark of Advocacy and Change
Before the ADA, people with disabilities routinely faced discrimination in housing, employment, education, and public spaces. Everyday activities — like entering a building, getting a job, or riding public transit — were often impossible due to physical and social barriers.
Grassroots activists, many of them people with disabilities, organized, marched, and demanded change throughout the 1970s and 1980s. A key moment in history came on March 12, 1990, during the “Capitol Crawl,” when over 1,000 activists gathered in Washington, D.C. After speeches and demonstrations, dozens of people left their wheelchairs and crawled up the 78 steps of the U.S. Capitol to dramatize the inaccessibility they endured every day.
This powerful act — alongside decades of advocacy — led Congress to pass, and President George H.W. Bush to sign, the Americans with Disabilities Act on July 26, 1990. The ADA prohibits discrimination in employment, public accommodations, transportation, and more, making the U.S. more accessible and equitable for millions.
How You Can Celebrate and Advocate Locally
Here in Ypsilanti and Washtenaw County, you can honor Disability Pride Month and the ADA by learning, advocating, and participating.
Educate Yourself & Share Stories
Learn about the history of the ADA, watch documentaries like Crip Camp, and listen to stories of local advocates.
Attend Events
Nearby cities like Ann Arbor and Detroit host events and workshops. The Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living (CIL) regularly offers ADA-related programs:
Practice Inclusive Communication
Use respectful, person-first language and focus on abilities, not limitations.
Together, We Can Build a More Inclusive Ypsilanti
At Hinton Real Estate, we believe everyone deserves a home and a community that supports them fully. If you or someone you know is seeking accessible housing or guidance on navigating the process, we’re here to help.
This Disability Pride Month — and every month — let’s honor the advocates who crawled up those Capitol steps, the neighbors making their communities better, and the individuals living boldly and proudly as they are.
Happy Disability Pride Month & ADA Anniversary, Ypsilanti!
Local Resources at a Glance:
For more about Disability Pride Month and how you can contribute, check out this thoughtful guide by The Arc:
➡️ Why and How to Celebrate Disability Pride Month
At Hinton Real Estate, we’re proud to support a more inclusive future — one home, one neighbor, and one community at a time.
