Disability flag

The disability pride flag represents the Disability Pride Movement. The original disability pride flag was created in 2016^[1] by Ann Magill,^[2][3] an American woman with cerebral palsy,^[4] and featured a zig-zag or lightning bolt design.^[5] After receiving input from people with visually triggering disabilities, the flag was changed in 2021 to have muted colors and straight diagonal stripes.^[6][7][8][9] The concept and design of the Disability Pride Flag were inspired and influenced by social movements such as LGBTQ pride and Black pride.^{[citation needed]}

The flag has been used at various events in the United States, Canada, and Australia.^[10][11][12] In 2024, a crosswalk in Alberta, Canada was painted with the colors of the flag.^[13]

The Disability Pride Flag is a charcoal grey flag bisected diagonally from the top left corner to the lower right corner by five parallel stripes in red, pale gold, pale grey, light blue, and green.^[14][15] The diagonal bands are intended to signify "cutting across barriers that disabled people face."^[14]

Meaning of the colors:^[14][16]

• Charcoal Grey: Mourning for people who have died due to ableist violence, abuse, suicide, and illness
• Red Stripe: Physical disabilities
• Gold Stripe: Neurodiversity
• Blue Stripe: Emotional and psychiatric disabilities
• Green Stripe: Sensory disabilities
• White Stripe: Undiagnosed and invisible disabilities

In addition to the more popular disability flag called the disability pride flag there is the gold-silver-bronze disability flag, designed by Eros Recio from Valencia,^[17] which was aimed mainly to highlight the achievements and value of disabled individuals in society.^{[citation needed]} The flag was designed with a metallic color scheme inspired by the medals awarded in sports and competitions, especially the paralympics. The idea behind this design was to emphasize the worthiness, accomplishments, and contributions of disabled people, countering societal narratives that often focused on limitations rather than strengths. On December 3, 2017, during the United Nations' International Day of Persons with Disabilities, parliamentarians from Latin American countries gathered in a plenary assembly in Peru.^[18] By acclamation, they declared the flag to be the symbol of all people with disabilities. On the same day, the flag was handed over to the European headquarters of the United Nations.^[19][20] Many Spanish cities and municipalities display the flag on the International Day of People with Disabilities. In 2018, the flag was shown in the city of Santa Cruz de La Palma on the Canary Island of La Palma.^[21] On December 3, 2018, the flag was adopted by the "Foment d'Esportistes amb Reptes" (FER), an Olympic and Paralympic sports organization in Spain.^[22][23]