Deputy Mayor Bettison and Detroit’s Office of Disability Affairs host first Disability Pride celebration & flag raising

Detroit prides itself on being an inclusive city, with opportunities for all residents
Disability Pride flag to be raised for the first time in Detroit history
Detroit’s Office of Disability Affairs about to kick off second three-year plan

The Office of Disability Affairs (part of the Civil Rights, Inclusion & Opportunity (CRIO) Department) today partnered with the City’s Employee Engagement team to host the city’s first Disability Pride Celebration and Flag Raising. The theme of the event, “Connecting Communities and Strengthening Partnerships,” drew many people from the Disability Community including representatives from Detroit‘s Department of Transportation, Detroit Health Department and a host of community partners such as Adaptive MoGo, Arc Detroit, Association for Advancement of Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Detroit Black Deaf Advocates, Detroit Disability Power, Wayne Mobile Health Unit and many others.

Deputy Mayor Bettison was joined by city officials and representatives from the Disability Community to raise the Disability Pride flag, honoring the achievements, experiences and struggles of the Disability Community, advocating for disability rights and fostering greater understanding and acceptance. 

Disability Pride Celebration pic1 — Angelic Boyer, Council Member Fred Durhal, III, Deputy Mayor Todd Bettison, ODA Director Christopher Samp, CRIO Director Anthony Zander and Shanta' Favors, Ms. Wheelchair Michigan, after the raising of the Disability Pride flag.

“Detroit is a place where all residents should have access to the resources they need to grow and thrive,” said Mayor Mike Duggan. “I created the Office of Disability Affairs three years ago to make sure our Disability Community has a seat at the table and their voices are heard. Christopher Samp has done a wonderful job leading this work under the direction of CRIO Director Anthony Zander. I look forward to another three years of progress to improve the lives of our residents.”

Disability Pride – a movement that recognizes people with disabilities as positive contributors to our city and society overall. Disability Pride Month, observed every July, commemorates the anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), landmark legislation that dismantled barriers to access and inclusion in society. July 2024 marks the 34^th anniversary of the signing of the ADA. 

Christopher Samp, Director of the Office of Disability Affairs (ODA) and the Chair of the City’s Disability Awareness Employee Resource Group spoke about the importance of continuing the fight for access and equality for the Disability Community in the City of Detroit.

“There is a motto in the disability community: “Nothing About Us Without Us.” This motto reminds us that the disability community must be actively involved in creating solutions that affect their lives,” said Director Samp. “Our commitment to accessibility, representation, and inclusion of people with disabilities is a commitment to listening to, learning from, and advocating alongside those we serve. Through this genuine partnership between the City of Detroit and the disability community, we build a more welcoming, inclusive, and accessible city for everyone.”

Disability Pride Celebration pic2 — Christopher Samp, Detroit's first Director of the Office of Disability Affairs, has paved the way for inclusion across all levels of city government. He and his team are about to kick off the next strategic three-year plan to move this work forward.

Upon its creation and under the direction of Samp, the Office of Disability Affairs embarked on a strategic three-year plan to effect real change for and with the Disability Community in the City of Detroit.

Some highlights include:

2021 – Advocated for disabled residents and home health care providers to be added to the list of groups eligible for vaccinations. This included working closely with the Detroit Health Department and rolling out an accessible social media vaccine campaign for people with disabilities, featuring the “Get the Vax, Not Fiction” video series.
2022 – Collaborated with the Human Resources Department’s Employee Engagement Team to co-launch the City of Detroit’s Disability Awareness Employee Resource Group, which now has over 80 members.
2022 – Participated in the Centre for Public Impact’s Earning Trust for Healthy Societies program to address disability challenges and mental health. The cohort developed a comprehensive plan for the Office of Disability Affairs to work closely with the Detroit Health Department on a sensitivity training curriculum for healthcare professionals working with patients with disabilities.
2022 – Collaborated with the Housing and Revitalization Department on the development of an affordable and accessible housing locator website.
2023 – Assisted the Department of Public Works with its sidewalk repair program, facilitating over 800 sidewalk repair requests and launching a sidewalk campaign on social media.
2023 – Assisted the Housing and Revitalization Department with its accessibility audit of the affordable housing portfolio and the Accessible Housing Learning Series.

The first three years focused on capacity building and building relationships with city department and community partners.

The top four strategic objectives for the next three years are:

Increasing accessible housing availability
Improving access to digital content
Increasing city engagement and partnerships with the disability community
Expanding Disability Awareness training and community education, including mental health, disability employment, emergency preparedness, disability rights, and innovation for creating an accessible city

Disability Pride Celebration pic3 — City officials and community partners raise the Disability Pride Flag for the first time in Detroit's history.

The Disability Pride flag will wave in Spirit Plaza through the month of July to mark Disability Pride Month and remind Detroiters and visitors alike that though the City of Detroit has made great progress, this work is ongoing. Anthony Zander, Director of Civil Rights, Inclusion & Opportunity expressed the importance of the Office of Disability Affairs and its strategic mission. “The full name of our department (Civil Rights, Inclusion & Opportunity) drives every point of support we provide to ensure the ODA has the resources it needs to address the concerns of the Disability Community,” said Zander. “From upholding civil and human rights to access and job opportunities, the work continues.”

Detroit City Council Member Fred Durhal, III (D7) chairs the Disability Task Force and provides continued support for the Disability Community here in Detroit. “This event is a symbol of recognition and a powerful statement of our commitment to inclusivity and equality,” said Durhal. “By raising the Disability Pride flag, we celebrate the achievements and contributions of the disabled community while acknowledging that every individual should feel valued regardless of ability.”

The City of Detroit is proud to have several Employee Engagement and Employee Resource Groups, who actively work to ensure equity and equal access to opportunity for all the city’s employees. Angelic Boyer leads this work at the city and has a passion for protecting the rights of city employees who are members of the Disability Community. "The Disability Awareness ERG is one of the cornerstone ERGs that launched in 2022. I am so proud of the work and impact that the Disability Awareness ERG has done to raise awareness and educate employees here at the City of Detroit. "

Disability Pride Celebration pic4 — Ms. Wheelchair Michigan, Shanta' Favors, joined the celebration and thanked Detroit officials for their continued commitment to prioritizing inclusivity and opportunity for the Disability Community.

The Celebration also included an interactive panel discussion hosted by Ms. Wheelchair Michigan, Shanta’ Favors. Favors is a passionate advocate for disability rights. Ms. Wheelchair America is an advocacy-driven competition that selects one woman who uses a wheelchair to represent her state at the national level. Next month, Shanta' will vie for the title of Ms. Wheelchair America 2025.

Her advocacy platform focuses on bridging the gap between direct caretakers and the disability community. With her unique perspective as a former Director of Care and an individual with lived experience, Shanta' offers a comprehensive 360-degree view. She underscores the importance of inclusion, integrating the perspectives of both individuals with disabilities and their caretakers into her platform.

"Inclusion embodies the principle of recognizing and valuing the abilities and perspectives of every individual,” said Favors. “It ensures that each person, irrespective of their differences, has an equitable opportunity to participate and influence our shared future. It is the commitment to making decisions with us, not for us."

About CRIO

The Civil Rights, Inclusion & Opportunity Department is comprised of the following divisions: Civil Rights, Incentives Compliance, Construction Outreach, The Office of Disability Affairs, The Office of Marijuana Ventures & Entrepreneurship, Data & Policy, Detroit Business Opportunity Program, Construction Outreach and Communications & Engagement. CRIO’s purpose is to investigate alleged discrimination, secure equal protection of civil rights, promote inclusion and create opportunities and access to all citizens.