Erie and Washington, Pennsylvania, experience the magic of disability pride

At our Disability Pride Erie celebration, two boys rode through Perry Square on their bicycles, accompanied by their grandfather. One of the brothers stopped to take in the scene—lots of vendors, a DJ, a food truck, face-painting and glitter tattoos. After hearing what we were all there for, he smiled and they took off.

For the rest of the day, the two of them hung around, and the next time I saw them, they were sporting face paint.

That’s the magic of Disability Pride Pennsylvania. What makes our events special is that they celebrate disability and joy and face paint and dancing and everything else you want to see in a summertime fest. Plus, of course, plenty of disability resources for attendees to discover.

Don’t Give Up the Ship!

This young man and his brother biked through the festival and hung around for much of the day, enjoying the music and activities.

We had time the night before the event to go sightseeing.

The temperature was perfect, and we drove around Presque Isle, marveling at the birds and flowers. Given our Outdoors Adventures program in Philly, we always have an eye out for accessible venues in nature.

“I’m taking a selfie to show Connie I’m in nature,” laughed Disability Pride Executive Director Vicki Landers, a true Philadelphian.

I was sorry we did not have time to hit the beach, as I have fond memories of hanging out with friends at Beach 8, with its Mobi mats and beach wheelchair rentals.

You can’t see across Erie on the lakeside of Presque Isle, and the sunsets rival those on seas that are not land-locked.

Back at the bay, my partner and I rode to the top of Bicentennial Tower for the view, and it came with a bit of War of 1812 history. Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry beat the British under a flag bearing the dying words of his friend Captain James Lawrence: Don’t Give Up the Ship. That seemed apt for a group that has the audacity to celebrate disability in a time when so much of what we take for granted feels under attack.

Disability Pride is Life-Changing

We had two celebrations spaced a week apart, one in Erie and the other in Washington, Pa. We partnered with Voices for Independence in both locations. The VFI crew operated like that proverbial well-oiled machine, from the basics of putting up and breaking down tables to getting great media coverage and connecting disabled participants to resources and services.

When Erie Mayor Daria S. Devlin took the stage, she talked about her commitment to access, noting that Shona Eakin, VFI’s CEO, had pointed out some issues with curb cuts right before she took the stage. Advocacy comes first, after all.

At one point, while giving a speech about the importance of pride at our Erie celebration, Shona teared up and her voice wavered. Later that afternoon, I asked what happened.

“I started thinking of all those who never got to experience pride,” she said. She recounted those she couldn’t help, as they haunt her more than the joy of those she’s helped to live independently. And it reminded me of a woman who stopped by our booth, telling us how her husband died of suicide, believing his disabled life was not worth living. How she wished he could have been there that day, to experience the possibility of pride.

From the joy of little boys on bikes to the sorrow of those who never got there, disability pride is precarious and precious and worth celebrating.

Pittsburgh Pirates Interlude

Ms. Wheelchair Pennsylvania celebrates after tossing the first pitch at a winning Pirates Game.

Between the Erie and Washington celebrations, we attended the Pittsburgh Pirates Disability Pride game, where our good friend Ms. Wheelchair Pennsylvania Jamie Clendening tossed out the first pitch. We won against the Milwaukee Brewers 14-5, and every time a ball got knocked out of the park, fireworks went off! There were a lot of fireworks.

It’s thrilling to see disability celebrated by a Major League Baseball team, especially on a day we utterly demolished the other team.

PNC Park is located on Pittsburgh’s North Shore and it looks like it’s nestled between skyscrapers and our city’s iconic Roberto Clemente Bridge. What a setting! What a game!

Also in Pittsburgh, Vicki and I took a ride out to Schenley Park Plaza, where Disability Pride Pittsburgh will be held on September 26th.

She walked the circumference, examined the width of the streets, and whirled around at one point, conjuring up her vision of the festival. This is where the DJ will be, and maybe the sensory space will be here. Oh! We can place the tables facing each other here, and that will make it more fun, more inviting. And we’re outgrowing the space, so maybe we can just …

And so on. My jaw dropped as I was swept up in the vision.

Using Your Voice Makes You a Patriot

Down in Washington, Pa., we had dinner with Shona and some members of her team the night before the celebration. She and I go way back to a time when as part of Pennsylvania ADAPT, we had a sit-in that turned into a sleepover in the governor’s office. It was part of a sustained push to get more personal assistance in our state, from ending the Act 150 waiting list to implementing our state’s first Medicaid Waiver for adults with physical disabilities.

Shona talked about how sheltered she was as a child with a disability, and how her predecessor and mentor, Kathleen Kleinmann, kept giving her major life experiences. In this case, as green as Shona was at the time – we GenXers were still in our early 20s – Kathleen insisted she attend the meeting we won with then-Gov. Tom Ridge.

“What do I say to him?” Shona asked.

“Tell him your story,” replied Kathleen.

“What’s my story?” Turns out, it took her five hours to prepare for work every day as she did not have attendant care, and when she told that to Gov. Ridge, he looked her in the eye and called her a patriot.

Kathleen renamed their CIL Tricounty Patriots for Independent Living soon after. When Kathleen retired a few years back, she talked Shona into taking over, saying the CIL would likely die if Shona didn’t do so. That left Shona with two CILs that are now merged into one: Voices for Independence.

Ferociously Hot Weather Did Not Deter

The Disability Pride celebration took place in town, about a block or so away from VFI’s office. There was a great variety of vendors, including some selling art and jewelry. I was especially pleased to see many nonprofits come to share their resources, including ones that were not disability-centric. Mayor JoJo Burgess also made an appearance, speaking on the importance of everyone in the community being included.

The weather was ferociously hot, surpassing 90 degrees on a sunny day. Even under the pavilion, we sweltered. Yet, that did not deter the vendors or the crowd from coming out to celebrate disability pride and community.

The Washington VFI office was once a YMCA. It is sprawling, with a tower built just to house the elevator, which has footplates with floor numbers that can easily be tapped with a wheelchair caster or crutch. The floors are color-coded to make it easy for visitors to find their way. “And we have probably a million different types of toilets,” says Shona. Well, maybe not a million.

Tom Olin’s iconic photos of disabled activists adorn the walls, and it’s always a pleasure seeing a photo of Justin Dart, the father of the ADA. Every floor had gathering places that were being used, and the gym especially was packed.

Also impressive was the huge room with rows of desks staffed by bustling employees setting up people’s personal assistance. They barely looked up to greet us as they were busy getting about the business of freeing our people and keeping them free, living in their own communities.

Kyle Glozier and Shona Eakin hanging out at the VFI table.

Next Up, Pittsburgh

Our celebrations in Erie and Washington surpassed our expectations! VFI staff are already plotting how to make them more fun and larger, maybe even taking over both sides of Perry Square in Erie.

Next up is Pittsburgh, our second-largest Disability Pride celebration after Philadelphia. This year is special as it’s our fifth anniversary in the Steel City.

Come join us on Sept. 26 at Schenley Park Plaza. It promises to be an exciting day filled with laughter, music, fun activities and, above all else, pride.