Not only can you download your flag, but I’m going to show you a way that you can craft your own flag! From paper!
Download your flag below or by clicking this Google Drive link!
If you’ve been following me, you know that I am pretty darn excited that July was officially proclaimed as Disability Pride Month! In honor of that, I wanted to share that I made my own Disability Pride Flag. This flag was designed by Ann Magill. Thanks to Ann’s kind heart, I was able to add Salisbury’s logo because she has waived all copyright; aka meaning that it’s open to download, add other logos (like SBY’s), print and even make it into crafts or real flags! Way cool! Here’s the original post of Ann’s.
These are what the colors of the Disability Pride flag represent:
The Black Field: Mourning for all those who’ve suffered abuse and violence, because of ableism, also the connection to the pirates’ Jolly Roger flag, and general rebellion.
The five colors: the wide variety of types of disability: Mental illness, Intellectual disability, Sensory disability, Physical Disability, and Invisible or Undiagnosed Disability (I’d originally chosen which color goes with which disability, but everyone’s color associations are different, so you do you).
The zigzag shape: how disabled people have to always navigate barriers in the normate world & and the creative problem solving we do every day.
The zigzags are parallel to represent Disability Solidarity, even though our individual needs and experiences are different.
Ann Magill, Artist / Creator of the Disability Pride Flag
Create Your Own #SBYDisabilityPrideMonthFlag
As most of my friends know, I pride myself on being a crafty lady too! Due to it being focused on Disability, I want to stress this as an adaptable craft. A lot of times, I know that we often don’t see accessibility or adaptability included. However, this crafty lady (in particular) is a big advocate of both accessibility as well as crafting.
Due to my passion for both, I have included multiple ways to do this craft! Let’s go into the multiple ways to do it, so it’s accessible to all! By accessibility, I’m thinking of multiple levels of accessibility which includes level of physical access, as well as financial/physical aspects too, because oftentimes craft supplies can require shopping trips and be pricey! That’s just not always a possibility for disabled people, especially during a pandemic.
Let’s Make a Flag (More Accessible Options)
- DOWNLOAD IT! Don’t feel pressure to craft it. Digital art is still art! We often push the narrative that digital art can’t be art, but it totally can! Draw on it, make a clip of yourself with it in the background, or even share it on social media! You can do so much. Don’t discount yourself if this is the only way that you can participate in crafting. I made the flag by digital crafting! It’s totally rad to digital craft. Don’t feel like you’re not a crafter if you can’t physically crafter. Seriously.
- PRINT IT! Bam! You have a FLAG! Easy peasy. It makes it really easy! You can tape it to a mobility device, put it in your lap, or simply hold it! It won’t be exhausting either! Give some out to friends and family too! There are so many things you can do – include print it big! When you print it out, you can tape it anywhere! Flags everywhere! The options are endless! You can do different sizes! There’s also often ways to pick “sizes” in your printer, too, so you can do “mini flags”! (Stickers anyone?) Love, love, love it! Crafting does not always need to require scissors!
Make a Flag (with a Disabled Crafter)
Step 1: Print The Flag!
Make sure you have downloaded the flag (linked above)!
Step 2: Cut Borders (if necessary – omit if dexterity if is an issue, so I print it to size) 0-p;;
Step 3: Attach ‘Flag Pole’
For this part, I used a lone and random bamboo knitting needle that I had gotten when I was first learning to adapt knitting. (That’s a crafty post for another day!)
This needle has been floating around. As your favorite crafty girl and advocate of sustainability (which is a disability issue too), I ask you with love to use something that is also floating around! Use a paint mixing stick, a few popsicle sticks, a ruler, etc! Anything! If you have an issue holding them, I have ideas below. Whatever you use, just use something that you have floating around. Too many crafters buy when our own homes are full of goodies! This is an example of inaccessibility because a lot disabled people are limited budgets, or can’t leave because of the pandemics, so let’s making crafting accessible!
I used double sided tape that I had laying around from mask making because my regular tape is missing. A great question to ask is: where does the tape go when you need it MOST? You could use glue as well. Tape is a great option is because it’s low dexterity and doesn’t require much work!
Step 5: How to Hold Your Flag? Ideas for Wheelchair Users or Those With Mobility Aids:
Make your own DIY flag pole holder by using a hair clip as seen above! I have a lot of hair (thanks Papino) — and always use my wheelchair handles as a good place to store a clip because hair in your eyes isn’t good for general purposes. It also makes for a great DIY flag pole holder! Just slip your stick in there! It works best for thinner sticks like knitting needles for example. This would work well on walkers too!
Other Ways to Show Off Your Flag
You can hole punch your flag – if you are feeling more excited about it! Let it hang on your house! Let it hang in your window (with tape)! Hang it on your doors! Whatever you do, just make sure that people know that it’s #SBYDisabilityPrideMonth!
If you make this craft, please make sure to tag me!
To finish off this post, please make sure to my Instagram for a photo of me with my flag! I can’t wait to share my flag with you all! What an amazing thing to be apart!
Love,
Dom
The Girl in The Pink Wheelchair 
