The city of Buffalo held a flag-raising ceremony on Wednesday to celebrate the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Disability Pride Month, but disability leaders say they were so struck by the “insulting and disrespectful” decision to have a care agency speak at the ceremony that they left the event early.
With the exception of the city’s ADA advocate, who is deaf, no representatives of the disability community spoke until the end of the speeches at the event, with the nine speakers excluding the ADA advocate speaking first.
“At the start of the day’s event, Mayor Brown announced the formation of a Disability Advisory Council, and we were proud to finally be able to provide meaningful input and collaboration after more than a decade. Yet at that same ceremony, our role as people with disabilities was downplayed and belittled. This is not a good way to restart a relationship, and we deserve to be treated better,” Western New York Independent Living (WNYIL) chief policy officer Todd Verwork and CEO Douglas Yusiak wrote in a joint letter to other attendees of the flag-raising ceremony.
The letter, provided to WBFO on Wednesday night, details how advocates expressed to the city that they wanted the flag raising to focus on the accomplishments and work of people with disabilities, rather than the institutions that serve them. The advocates claim that after last year’s flag raising, they received comments that “the flag raising event was focused on the institutions that provide programs and services to people with disabilities, rather than recognizing the people with disabilities who work, play and engage every day in our community.”
The letter states that it is the Disability Pride committee’s understanding this year that the flag raising is not a focus for the agency’s activities, but the authors wrote that they were “disheartened to learn that the CEO of People Inc. has been invited to speak on behalf of people with disabilities at today’s ceremony.”
As seen in this Facebook video posted by Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, Brittney Montgomery, ADA Advocate for the City of Buffalo, who is deaf, spoke first and hosted the event. Then eight elected officials, their representatives, and county leaders spoke, followed by Ann McCaffrey, President and CEO of People Inc. The final speakers were three deaf people: Tom Madill from the Buffalo Club of the Deaf and two students from St. Mary’s School for the Deaf.
The order of speakers was Montgomery, Mayor Brown, Bonnie Kane Lockwood representing Gov. Kathy Hoekl, Buffalo City Council Speaker Christopher Scanlon, New York State Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes, Buffalo City Council Majority Leader Leah Halton-Pope, Erie County Deputy County Commissioner Lisa Kimera, Erie County Council Speaker April Baskin, Buffalo City Council Member Mitch Nowakowski, McCaffrey, Madill and students from St. Mary’s.
“Disability pride is not about disability or which agencies provide services to support them. Disability pride is about ensuring that the personal achievements and contributions of members of our community with disabilities are heard and recognized, that we can continue to provide this, and that we are committed to being accessible and inclusive so that we can do so,” Wahlwerk and Usiak wrote in the letter.
People Inc is a service provider for people with disabilities, providing group homes, day programs, support staff and other support services.
Western New York Independent Living is an Independent Living Center (ILC), which by law must be at least 51% staffed by people with disabilities. ILCs provide services and act as advocates for people with disabilities in the communities they serve.
The letter was sent to Buffalo City Council representatives, Mayor Brown, Montgomery, Chimera, Erie County Office of Disability Services Director Frank Cammarata, Peoples-Stokes and Bonnie Kane Lockwood, a representative for Gov. Kathy Hockal. WNYIL plans to release a statement on social media Thursday morning.
WBFO reached out to the City of Buffalo and People Inc. People Inc. initially declined to comment but responded an hour later with the following statement:
“People was thrilled to be invited to participate in the recent Disability Pride flag raising ceremony at City Hall. We support any efforts that celebrate the achievements of people with disabilities,” Liz Kahn, People’s vice president of marketing and communications, said in an email.
WBFO received a statement from Darren Saxon, the city of Buffalo’s chief diversity officer, on Friday, about two days after this story was first published.
“The City of Buffalo is aware of the concerns raised by disability activists and recognizes the importance of their voices in the community, and we regret any unintended misunderstandings that arose during this event,” Mayor Saxon said in a statement. “Mayor Brown is committed to honoring and uplifting all members of the disability community.”
Saxon also praised the creation of the city’s Disability Advisory Council and thanked disability activists for their “continued support and engagement.”
After this story was first published, WBFO also received a letter from BJ Stasio, Western Regional President of the New York State Association for Self-Reliance (SANYS), supporting WNYIL’s statement.
“This is not about politics, this is about people’s lives. This is about our lives – financial independence, relationships, and what we face every day as people with disabilities. When disability leaders say ‘no,’ it doesn’t mean ‘check with others.’ It means no. Before acting under political pressure, speak with the people who will be affected by doing so,” the letter reads in part. Of note, Stasio also serves on the board of directors of People, Inc., but this letter was not written in his capacity as a director. You can read the full letter at the end of this page.
Stasio was not among the group that left the event.
The full letter from WNYIL is below:
“July 24, 2024
to whom it may concern:
Like many of you, we came to Niagara Square today to join with local policymakers in celebrating the contributions of the disability community to the broader society of Western New York. However, something happened during the ceremony that caused us to leave as people with good consciences.
To be clear, WNYIL supports policymakers highlighting our contributions and is not discounting the City’s efforts, including the Disability Advisory Council. Following the 2023 ceremony, the Disability Pride Festival Committee received feedback that the flag-raising event is about institutions that provide programs and services to people with disabilities, and does not acknowledge the people with disabilities who work, play and engage every day in our community.
Last year’s ceremony focused on agencies that speak for people with disabilities, creating the impression that one agency was in charge of the ceremony. To change that perception, this year’s Disability Pride Committee decided that this year’s ceremony would highlight the value and contributions of people with disabilities as members of society, rather than the work of agencies that are paid to serve people with disabilities. Given that everyone on the planning committee agreed to a ceremony that would highlight the contributions of those who worked toward the passage of the ADA, it was disappointing to learn that the CEO of People Inc. had been asked to speak for people with disabilities at today’s ceremony.
We were treated to speeches about the contributions of traditional institutions to providing programs, services and housing to a specific subset of disabled people in our community, ignoring the repeated messages from Mayor, City Council members, County officials and Governor’s representatives today that people with disabilities have a right to be part of our community and expect “diversity, inclusion and equity.”
Disability pride is not about disability or the institutions that provide services to support that disability. Disability pride is about listening to and recognizing the personal achievements and contributions of members of the disability community, their ability to continue to provide this, and the efforts our community makes to be accessible and inclusive so that they can do so.
It is simply insulting and disrespectful that people with disabilities who have advocated for, worked hard to get the Americans with Disabilities Act passed and implemented have not been present at this flag-raising ceremony, and instead had representatives from care agencies speak on our behalf, especially considering that the event planners were aware of these concerns in advance.
“At the start of the day’s event, we were proud to hear Mayor Brown announce the formation of a Disability Advisory Council, and to finally be able to provide meaningful input and collaboration after more than a decade. Yet at that same ceremony, our role as people with disabilities was downplayed and belittled. It’s a poor way to rekindle that relationship, and we deserve better.”
Sincerely,
Todd G Vaarwerk Chief Policy Officer
Douglas J. Yusiak Chief Executive Officer
Below is the full letter from SANYS Western Region Director BJ Stasio.
“July 24, 2024
to whom it may concern;
We are writing this letter in support of the letter from WNYIL regarding the 2024 Disability Pride Flag Raising Ceremony.
We feel that disability pride does not just relate to people living with a disability in the community, it relates to the whole community, not just institutions.
Too often in life we are treated as if we belong to an institution rather than a community. We are seen for the support we need, not the talents and humanity we bring to the table. All of these are barriers to true inclusion, which is about the whole person, not just receiving services from an institution.
Today was a day to celebrate and take pride in who we are as disabled members of the Buffalo community. Today’s ceremony featured local leaders who have been longtime advocates for disability rights, who have faced discrimination and changed the system throughout their lives. We missed the opportunity to introduce them to our community and celebrate them and their work.
This is not about politics, this is about people’s lives. This is about our lives – about financial independence, relationships, and what we face every day as disabled people. When a leader with a disability says “no,” it doesn’t mean “check with others.” It means no. Before you act under political pressure, talk to the people who will be affected by doing so.
If we believe what our elected officials said today about inclusion, and we do, we know that you will help us be real change agents.
Everyone needs to be part of the solution. We welcome dialogue. We want to keep the conversation going.
Sincerely,
BJ Stasio
SANYS Western Region Representative