July is Disability Pride Month, a time to celebrate persons who experience disability, their identities and culture, and their positive contributions to society. Disability Pride Month aims to change the way people think about disability, while promoting all types of disability as a natural part of human diversity. 

Disability Pride Month has been celebrated in the United States since July 1990 when the Americans with Disabilities Act came into law. Today, it is celebrated around the world, including in Canada, where 22 per cent or 6.2 million Canadians live with a disability.

The month of July – and beyond – is a time to build awareness of barriers that people with disabilities still face and continue advocating for change and equity.

Disability Pride Flag

In 2019, the Disability Flag designed by Ann Magill began to circulate during Disability Pride Month. The flag was revised in 2021 to this current design: 

Learn more about the meaning behind each design element: 

• All six flag colours: Disability spans borders between nations 
• Black background: Mourning for victims of ableist violence and abuse 
• Diagonal Band: Cutting across the walls and barriers that separate disabled people from society 
• Red Stripe: Physical disabilities 
• Gold Stripe: Neurodivergence 
• White Stripe: Invisible and undiagnosed disabilities 
• Blue Stripe: Psychiatric disabilities 
• Green Stripe: Sensory disabilities

For more information and resources, please click here.

Accessibility at RRC Polytech

While the ADA is an American Act, it is an important piece of Human Rights legislation that has influenced other accessibility acts worldwide. In Manitoba, we have the Accessibility for Manitobans Act (AMA), which became law in December 2013. The goal of the act is to identify, remove, and prevent barriers to accessibility for all.

RRC Polytech is committed to developing a culture of equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility (EDIA) for our community. We believe in equal access to education and employment, and as one of the province’s leading post-secondary institutions, we are committed to fostering an environment that is welcoming, supportive and respectful of the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities. Please learn more by accessing RRC Polytech’s Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (EDIA) Institutional Plan here.

Student Accessibility Services plays a key role in this commitment by arranging accommodations and supports for students with disabilities. Learn more about Student Accessibility Services at rrc.ca/accessibility.

The Supportive Employment Program provides workplace accommodations to ensure employees with disabilities receive appropriate support to continue working or return to productive employment as soon as medically feasible. Read RRC Polytech’s Accessibility Plan, which addresses the Province of Manitoba’s Accessibility for Manitoban’s Act.