The San Diego Unified School District hoisted its first-ever Disability Pride Flag on Tuesday in a student-led event.
The flag-raising event, which took place for Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, brought students from across the district to express themselves through speeches, songs, and dance performances before raising the flag.
Students, such as senior Ashlee Rosas from Clairemont High School, expressed gratitude for special education.
“Special education has been life-changing for me, not just academically but in discovering my strengths and seeing challenges not as obstacles but as opportunities,” she said.
Fourth-grader Juliet Soady from Bay Park Elementary School, who is visually impaired, talked about the importance of inclusion and ways to include visually impaired and disabled children.
“Please try not to ask the question of ‘how many fingers I am holding up’ because if they can see it, it might be rude, and if they see well, then that’s bullying,” she said.
Approximately 16,100 students with disabilities are enrolled in the San Diego Unified School District, representing 16.9% of its student population.
“This event marks a symbolic and meaningful moment to honor the contributions and achievements of these students,” said Dr. Angelia “Niecy” Watkins, Executive Director of Special Education for the San Diego Unified School District.
“It’s an important step toward fostering an inclusive and supportive environment in our schools, and I think it’s a great way to celebrate diversity in all its forms. It’s a moment to be proud of for both the students and their families.”
The Disability Pride flag was created in 2019 by writer and activist Ann Magill, who has cerebral palsy. It features five multi-colored stripes that lay diagonally across a faded black background.
Each colored stripe of the Disability Pride Flag represents a different type of disability: physical (red), cognitive and intellectual (yellow), invisible and undiagnosed (white), psychosocial (blue), and sensory (green).
The faded black background represents grief and anger for victims of ableist violence and abuse. The diagonal band is placed in a way that represents cutting through the walls and barriers that separate the disabled from non-disabled society. It also represents light and creativity cutting through darkness.
