Long Beach’s downtown was taken over by pride and community spirit on Friday afternoon.
The Long Beach Disability Pride Celebration hosted its third annual event on Friday, July 26, in honor of Disability Pride and Empowerment Month, which takes place in July.
The celebration also brought together members of the disability community, their families, and allies to recognize and celebrate the achievements and contributions of individuals with disabilities. It also marked the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The Americans with Disabilities Act, enacted in 1990, was a landmark piece of legislation that codified the rights of people with disabilities across all areas of public life, including guaranteeing employment and educational opportunities. The bill also ensured access to transportation, public and private spaces.
The family-friendly event, held at Harvey Milk Promenade Park, had more than 70 attendees and featured several speeches by advocates and leaders.
“Disability Pride is a relatively recent term, but its significance is profound and far reaching,” said First District Councilmember Mary Zendejas, the first City Council member to use a wheelchair. “It represents a shift in how we view disability not as a deficiency or a burden, but as an integral part of our identity and humanity.”
Other speakers included Mayor Rex Richardson; Deaka McClain, District 4 Commissioner for the Los Angeles County Commission on Disabilities; Sue Elhessen, board member of the Bellflower Unified School District; among others.
“It is only through education that will start to increase awareness and understanding of the spirit and the intention of the Americans with Disabilities Act,” Elhessen said. “This is how knowledge is power because once you know, you can never say I did not know or I was not aware. I am honored and privileged to be here with you in celebration of the 34th anniversary of the (ADA) Act and I hope next year we will have a new victory in equity and inclusion.”
There was also a special performance by Kaylee Bays, a featured dancer in a wheelchair on Season 18 of “So You Think You Can Dance.” Bays is a part time wheelchair user, who was featured in Disney California Adventure Theme Park’s “Roger: the Musical,” which ran at the Hyperion Theater last summer.
“There’s something just so beautiful about disabled joy at events like this, and disabled joy wasn’t a term that I knew until recently and it wasn’t a term I knew until I had to,” Bay said, who was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a degenerative condition, in 2018. “I fought for dance and I fight to be seen as a human and as an artist and I will continue to do so for my community.”
The crowd cheered and applauded as Bays performed dances to “Letter To My 13 Year Old Self,” by Laufey and “Never Gonna Not Dance Again,” by P!nk.
“We are thrilled to have Kaylee Bays at this year’s Long Beach Disability Pride Celebration,” Jennifer Kuimayama, Long Beach’s citywide accessibility coordinator and founder of Long Beach Disability Pride, said in a press release. “Her dedication to promoting disability inclusion, specifically in the entertainment industry is truly inspiring, and we are honored to have her perform during our celebration.”
Attendees also enjoyed music, free food, resource booths, and opportunities for networking and community building.
