July is Disability Pride Month
July is Disability Pride Month, and it is a time to recognize and celebrate the history, achievements, and struggles of people with disabilities. Disability is a natural and valuable part of human diversity. Over 70 million people in the Unites States have a disability, and as an organization that serves people with disabilities we are committed to empowerment and eliminating barriers to success and inclusion.
Disability Pride Month coincides with the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which was signed on July 26, 1990. The ADA protects people with disabilities from discrimination and requires that employers offer equal opportunities to those with disabilities and provides them with reasonable accommodations to perform their roles.
An important symbol of Disability Pride Month is the Disability Pride flag, it holds deep meaning and each color represents a different disability. It was designed with inclusion and accessibility in mind. Created by Ann Magill, the flag features five diagonal stripes that represent solidarity in the community and cutting across barriers. Every color represents the diversity of disabilities and are muted to lessen the nausea trigger for those who suffer from migraines and the green and red are separated for those with color blindness.
Color meanings:
- Red: Physical disabilities
- Yellow: Cognitive and intellectual disabilities
- White: Invisible and undiagnosed disabilities
- Blue: Mental illness
- Green: Sensory disabilities
- Black: Mourning for those who have died because of their disabilities, ableist violence, or suicide.
References:
Reeve-Parker, N. (July 1, 2024). Learn and Engage this Disability Pride Month. University of Washington Combined Fund Drive.
Retrieved from https://hr.uw.edu/cfd/2024/07/01/learn-and-engage-this-disability-pride-month/
The Arc. (May 19, 2025). Why and How to Celebrate Disability Pride Month. The Arc.
Retrieved from https://thearc.org/blog/why-and-how-to-celebrate-disability-pride-month/
VerHalen Team Visit at Curative Connections East
Thank you to VerHalen, Inc. for their continued support of Curative Connections. During Give Big Green Bay the organization matched their employees’ gifts and contributed more than $13,000 to our campaign! Last week, a group of eleven VerHalen team members visited Curative Connections East. They toured the space, met some of our members, and learned about their impact firsthand. They also generously sponsored a Pizza Party for members and staff, which everyone truly enjoyed. Thank you again to VerHalen for continuing to show up for our members and for taking the time to learn a little bit more about Curative Connections.
DEIB Book Club
Curative Connections’ Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Committee hosted its first book club. The group read the book, Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive by Stephanie Land. It is a memoir about the author’s life as a single mother working as a maid to support herself and her daughter. The book details her experiences with poverty, housing insecurity, and an abusive relationship. After reading the book, the group got together to discuss and share what they learned, favorite quotes, and feelings that were evoked in the reading. It was a great opportunity for everyone to expand their horizons and dive into a good book. Thank you to the DEIB committee for coordinating and hosting!
Happy Fourth of July
Reminder, we will be closed tomorrow. No transportation services will be available. We hope everyone has a safe and fun holiday weekend. We will be open Monday, July 7 for regularly scheduled programming.
Upcoming Events & Announcements
July is Disability Pride Month
Dementia Care Champion Courses- 7/8
Pizza Ranch Community Impact Fundraiser- 8/18
Garden Gala- 9/9
Kickoff for Curative- 9/21
