The Dane County Board of Supervisors recognized Disability Pride Month and BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month at last night’s Board meeting.
Disability Pride Month was first celebrated on July 26, the day when the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was first signed into law in 1990. In 2015, Disability Pride Month was established more officially when New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio declared July Disability Pride Month.
Disability Pride Month serves to celebrate the many contributions people with disabilities have made to the world, as well as to dismantle stigmas against disability and to establish disability as a natural facet of human diversity that should be treated with pride and respect. “Disability Pride Month is a uniting time for people across all kinds of cultural divides, with disability being an identity shared regardless of gender or sexuality, race or ethnicity, age or citizenship,” said Supervisor Michele Doolan (District 28) in a statement. “This month allows us to appreciate the many ways people with disabilities make the world a better, more accessible place for us all.”
The County Board also recognized July 2024 as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Mental Health Awareness Month with a resolution indicating that the County Board commits to supporting efforts that promote mental health awareness, education, and culturally competent care within BIPOC communities who often face systemic barriers to mental health care, including stigma, discrimination, cultural misunderstandings, and lack of access to quality services.
