'We haven't stopped': The city of Detroit celebrates disability pride

City leaders in Detroit gathered to raise the Disability Pride Flag downtown to honor the anniversary of the historic Americans with Disabilities Act.

The legislation, known as ADA, was passed 34 years ago and provides civil rights protections for people with disabilities.

Lisa Franklin, who became partially paralyzed after a car crash, advocates for equity for people with disabilities through her nonprofit, Warriors on Wheels.

"We're fighting for justice, independence, respect for people with disabilities," Franklin said. "It has become a fight because we're doing a lot of the same things over and over again."

She says she's proud of the overall progress and celebrates accomplishments. Yet, she feels there is still a long way to go in achieving full equality for people with disabilities.

Some of those issues include:

• Para-transportation prices
• Accessible building and housing
• Court resources
• Caretaker shortages
• Training for law enforcement

"Because we've been out here and we haven't stopped. I think our voices are becoming stronger," Franklin said.

Council member Fred Durhal III, who chairs the Disability Task Force, says the city is committed to working through the community's concerns.

Christopher Samp, director of the Office of Disability Affairs, says in the first three years the office was created, they have collaborated, advocated, participated in and assisted various departments with addressing concerns.

In 2023, the Department of Public Works fixed over 800 sidewalk repair requests and launched a social media campaign. They also assisted with an accessibility of the affordable housing portfolio.

Over the next four years, the office's goals are to:

• Increase accessible housing availability
• Improve access to digital content
• Increase city engagement and partnerships with the disability community
• Expand awareness training and community education