Hi everyone! Mary here. Today we recognize the International Day of People with Disabilities. To celebrate, we attended a flag-raising, award ceremony and reception Dec. 2nd, 2019 at HRM City Hall. We had many interesting conversations, including an important take on the history of Disability Rights and Inclusion from Gerianne. She reminded us that is wasn’t that long ago, only 1980, that restaurants had the right to kick her out for no reason other than existing with a disability and wanting to eat.
Gerianne’s lesson in history is valuable reminder as to how far we’ve come and how far we have left to go to ensure the full inclusion of people with disabilities in every aspect of life. It was a stark reminder to hear Gerianne’s experiences after we were let in the side door, because the front door of City Hall is not accessible. Yesterday, a group of people walked into City Hall to be recognized, a group that would not have received the same treatment 30 years ago. We have much left to do but today, we will celebrate inclusion, diversity and uniqueness.
