“The World Works Better With Us”
Disability Pride Month is an annual observance in July that celebrates people with disabilities, commemorates the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and promotes disability culture and visibility. The ADA protects the civil rights of people with disabilities and was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush on July 26, 1990.
Keep an eye out around the library branches for our Disability Pride flags! Ann Magill, a writer with cerebral palsy, originally designed the flag in 2016. They unveiled an updated, more accessible design in 2021 based on feedback from members and allies of the disability community. You can learn more about the design considerations and what the flag represents online from
Events
July 14th: Brown Bag Book Club: Disability Pride Month
July 18th: Family Storytime: Celebrate Disability Pride Month!
Book Recommendations
(Remember to log these for your summer reading!)
- Disability Pride Month Picture Books
- Celebrate Minds of All Kinds (middle-grade readers and teens)
- Disability Visibility: For Teens
- Disability Visibility: True Stories
- Navigating Your Child's ADHD Diagnosis
- Disability Pride Month (all ages)
- Disability & Accessibility Awareness eBooks (from Hoopla)
Additional Library Resources
🧠 Borrow a Memory Care Kit from the Library of Things. These kits come with materials and activities to assist with anyone experiencing Alzheimer's Disease/dementia and other memory care diagnoses.
🚗 Palo Alto residents facing challenges with visiting the library due to health or mobility issues are welcome to apply for Words on Wheels Home Delivery.
🎧 We offer a variety of material formats, including large print, read alongs (including our Vox and Wonderbooks), and braille books.
🧏♂️ Visit Mango Languages to learn how to start conversations in American Sign Language with basic greetings, introductory phrases, and important cultural insights. The lessons provide modeling by native ASL signers with a variety of ASL accents.
🎞️ Visit Kanopy’s Disability Pride Month page to enjoy the films they are highlighting this month, including the acclaimed documentary celebrating Dr. Temple Grandin, An Open Door: Temple Grandin. As a bonus, all streaming videos on Kanopy have subtitles/closed captions.
Other Resources and Activities
- Read The Arc's blogpost Why and How to Celebrate Disability Pride Month
- Listen to Ann Magill's interview about the creation of the disability pride flag on The Accessible Stall podcast
- Learn about local Disability Services with this list by the City of Palo Alto’s Office of Human Services
- Attend First Sundays at Magical Bridge Playground @ Mitchell Park for Community Partner Days
- Visit Ada's Cafe outside the Mitchell Park Library for a tasty treat and a cool drink!
- Voice your support for the continued funding of the Braille and Talking Book Library from the CA State Library
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