By Parker Garlough

The City of Somerville’s Commission for Persons with Disabilities spent their recent meeting discussing ideas for how to celebrate Disability Pride Month in July. No events have yet been confirmed, but their suggestions included arts shows, film screenings, and book panels.

Many of the proposed events were focused around art. Commissioner Laurie Brandt proposed a pair of arts shows featuring work by people with disabilities. One would contain art centered around the experience of being disabled, while the other would be open to any subject material as long as the creator was disabled. This, she said, would make space for artists with disabilities who were not ready to experience the vulnerability and shame that can be attached to speaking about disability publicly, but also help break down the stigma around doing so.

“I’m going to be very honest. I think there’s a cultural repulsion towards people with disabilities … even I have it,” Brandt said, noting that she had been disabled for about 50 years, and her experience with disability had been characterized by shame. “We’re ashamed, and we’re trying to move it into pride.”

They should also feature art that is accessible to blind people, Commissioner Michael Shaps said, such as music or tactile art.

Arts and crafts could also be a tool for teaching children about disability pride, Commissioner Ingrid Schnieder suggested. They could set up a booth at Art Beat, or collaborate with art teachers in schools, so that kids could make bracelets with the disability pride flag colors and learn about what each one represents – red for physical disabilities, gold for neurodivergence, white for invisible or undiagnosed disabilities, blue for psychiatric disabilities, green for sensory disabilities, and a black background for lives lost due to ignorance.

“I just want the next generation to not be the last one as far as all this stuff [disability pride and advocacy] is concerned,” Schneider said. “If we can unravel the shame in advance, that’s outstanding. That’s the goal.”

Both children and adults could enjoy a film screening or series featuring characters with disabilities. To achieve this, the commission discussed collaborating with existing film series: SomerMovieFest, which takes place annually through July and August, or a potential (unconfirmed) upcoming film series through the Department of Social Justice. Alternatively, the commission is considering hosting its own film screening.

The commissioners have begun compiling a list of movies. So far, their ideas include Crip Camp, Sound of Metal, or a biopic about FDR’s life with polio.

Outreach to other organizations, Commissioner Murshid Buwembo emphasized, would be useful for generating publicity, especially among non-disabled people.

“We may have our specific project, but network with those people to provide us with the technical know-how,” Buwembo said. “It would be a way of promoting inclusion and making other professionals understand us.”

In July, the commission plans to host a book panel. Panelists will include Shaps, author of BUD and DHA Mindful Detectives: The Case of the Selfless Sting, and Laura Beretsky, author of Seizing Control, who also presented about her book at an event with the Commission for Persons with Disabilities in February.

Disability-centered books are an essential resource for people with disabilities and their loved ones, Schneider said.

“My son’s autistic,” Schneider said. “When he was diagnosed, I really felt at the mercy of Amazon to find books about it, and there’s a lot of garbage.”

The commission has an opportunity to help combat this issue, Schneider said, by collaborating with the West Branch Children’s Library to host an event featuring a large collection of recently-donated books about disability.

Ultimately, the commissioners seemed optimistic about the possibilities they had put forward.

“The things being shared are all interwoven,” Chairperson Holly Simione said. “They represent different things about ourselves but they work together really well.”

2024 Red Sox Disability Pride Celebration

Monday, May 13, 2024
Fenway Park
4 Jersey Street
Boston, MA 02215

The Boston Red Sox play the Tampa Bay Rays during their annual Disability Pride Celebration.

Residents who identify as disabled can reserve free tickets for themselves and one guest by RSVPing online, emailing ADA@somervillema.gov, or calling 617-625-6600 ext. 2059.

Refreshments and transportation to and from the game will be provided.

Fans requesting special accommodations should reach out to Fan Services at (617) 226-6381 in advance or speak to the Security Supervisor at their gate of entry.