Lansing celebrates disability pride as ADA turns 34

LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — July is Disability Pride Month, coinciding with the creation of the Americans With Disabilities Act that protects the rights of those with disabilities. To commemorate this milestone, events are being held all across Michigan, including in Lansing, where the Disability Network Capitol Area held its own celebration on Thursday.

“The beautiful part about this is that we celebrate the law that’s been put forward,” said Mark Pierce, executive director of Disability Network Capital Area, a division of the Disability Network, a nonprofit that provides people the support to live like everyone else. “One of the things events like this do is it creates a sense of disability pride, where you can say I’m not a person with a disability, I’m a person with a different type of ability.”

The American Disabilities Act was signed on July 26, 1990, and it prohibits discrimination against people with physical and mental disabilities. This includes employment, transportation, public accommodations, and more.

“It was a result of a lot of people fighting for their rights. And in this country, we are taught to fight for our rights no matter who we are, no matter what we look like,” said Teri Langley, executive director of Disability Network Michigan.

According to the CDC, this impacts more than a quarter of the country.

“The American Disabilities Act created law and legislature for there to be curb cuts, captions, Braille, and for people with disabilities to be included in every aspect of the human condition,” said Pierce.

“I feel really honored to be a part of it,” says Jace Keith, who used to receive Disability Network services. “It has impacted me because it has shown what skills I might need to be independent at home and stuff.”

Keith is now a member of the board due to the Network’s assistance, and thanks to the ADA.

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