District 1 City Councilwoman Mary Zendejas is one of several disability rights advocates speaking out during the Long Beach Disability Pride Celebration at Harvey Milk Promenade downtown on Friday, July 26, 2024. (Photo by Howard Fleshman, Associate Photographer)
Pride and community spirit filled downtown Long Beach on Friday afternoon.
The Long Beach Disability Pride Celebration held its third annual event on Friday, July 26th in honor of July’s Disability Pride and Empowerment Month.
The event brought together members of the disability community, their families and advocates to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of people with disabilities and also marked the 34th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
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The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 was a landmark law that codified the rights of people with disabilities in all areas of public life, including guaranteed employment and educational opportunities. The act also guaranteed access to transportation and public and private spaces.
More than 70 people attended the family-friendly event, held at Harvey Milk Promenade Park, which featured several speeches from advocates and leaders.
“Disability pride is a relatively recent term, but its meaning is deep and far-reaching,” said 1st District Councilwoman Mary Zendejas, the first city council member who uses a wheelchair. “It represents a shift in our mindset to see disability not as a flaw or a burden, but as an integral part of our identity and humanity.”
Other speakers included Mayor Rex Richardson, Los Angeles County Commission on People with Disabilities District 4 Commissioner Diaka McClain and Bellflower Unified School District Trustee Sue Elhessen.
“Increasing awareness and understanding of the spirit and intent of the Americans with Disabilities Act can only begin through education,” said Elhessen. “Knowledge is power, and once you know, you can never say, ‘I didn’t know,’ or ‘I wasn’t aware.’ I’m honored to be here with you all to celebrate the 34th anniversary of the ADA, and I hope that next year we can achieve new victories in equity and inclusion.”
There was also a special performance by Kaylee Bays, a featured wheelchair dancer on season 18 of “So You Think You Can Dance.” Bays is a part-time wheelchair user who appeared in Disney California Adventure theme park’s “Roger: The Musical,” which opened at the Hyperion Theatre last summer.
“There’s something really beautiful about seeing disabled people share their joy at events like this. Disabled joy is a term I didn’t know until recently, and didn’t know until I had to,” said Bay, who was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a degenerative disease, in 2018. “I fought for dance, I fought to be seen as a human being, I fought to be seen as an artist, and I will continue to fight for my community.”
The crowd cheered and applauded as Bayes danced to Laufey’s “Letter To My 13 Year Old Self” and Pink’s “Never Gonna Not Dance Again.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Kaylee Bays to this year’s Long Beach Disability Pride celebration,” Jennifer Kuimayama, Long Beach citywide accessibility coordinator and founder of Long Beach Disability Pride, said in a press release. “Her dedication to promoting disability inclusion, especially in the entertainment industry, is truly inspiring and we are honored to have her perform at our celebration.”
Attendees also enjoyed music, free food, resource booths and opportunities for networking and community building.