On Wednesday, the City of Buffalo held a flag raising to celebrate the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Disability Pride Month. However, a group of disabled leaders say they left the ceremony early after a "insulting and disrespectful" decision, they say, to have a care agency speak at the event.
Aside from the City's ADA Advocate, who is Deaf,representatives from the disability community did not speak until the very end of the speaking portion of the event. Nine people, not including the ADA Advocate, spoke first.
"At the start of the day’s event, we were proud of the Mayor Brown’s announcement of the disability advisory committee, finally being able to provide meaningful input and collaboration after more than ten years. Then, in the same ceremony, our role as people with disabilities was disrespected and devalued. It is not an auspicious way for the relationship to restart, and we deserve better," Todd Vaarwerk, the chief policy officer, and Douglas Usiak, the CEO, of Western New York Independent Living (WNYIL) wrote in a joint letter to the other attendees of the flag raising.
The letter, which was provided to WBFO Wednesday night, details how advocates expressed to the city their desire to see the flag raising focused on the accomplishments and work of disabled people, rather than the agencies that serve them. They claim after last year's flag raising, they received comments "about the flag raising event being more about the agencies that provide programs and services to people with disabilities, instead of recognition of the people with disabilities in our communities who are working, playing, and engaging every day."
The letter says that the understanding of the the Disability Pride Committee this year was that the flag raising would not focus on the work of agencies. However, the authors write they "were disappointed to find out that at today’s ceremony, they asked the CEO of People Inc. to speak for people with disabilities."
As seen in this Facebook video posted by Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, City of Buffalo ADA Advocate Brittney Montgomery, who is Deaf, spoke first and hosted the event. Then, eight elected officials, their representatives, and county leaders spoke. Then People Inc President and CEO Anne McCaffrey spoke. The last speakers were three Deaf individuals: Tom Madill from The Buffalo Club for the Deaf and two students from St. Mary's School for the Deaf.
The order of speakers was, in order: Montgomery, Mayor Brown, Bonnie Kane Lockwood representing Governor Kathy Hochul, Buffalo Common Council President Christopher Scanlon, NYS Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes, Buffalo Common Council Majority Leader Leah Halton-Pope, Erie County Deputy County Executive Lisa Chimera, Erie County Legislature Chairwoman April Baskin, Buffalo Common Councilmember Mitch Nowakowski, McCaffrey, Madill, and the students from St. Mary's.
"Disability Pride is not about impairments, and what agencies provide services to assist with them. Disability Pride is about being heard and seen for the individual accomplishments and contributions of members of our community with disabilities, our continuing ability to provide them, and the community’s commitment to being accessible and inclusive so that we can," Vaarwerk and Usiak wrote in the letter.
People Inc is a service provider agency for people with disabilities, providing supportive services like group homes, day programs and aide staff.
Western New York Independent Living is an Independent Living Center, or ILC, which by law must be run by at least 51 percent people with disabilities. ILCs provide services and act as an advocacy agency for disabled people in the regions they serve.
The letter was sent to representatives from the Buffalo Common Council, Mayor Brown, Montgomery, Chimera, Director of the Erie County Office for People With Disabilities Frank Cammarata, Peoples-Stokes, and Bonnie Kane Lockwood, a representative for Governor Kathy Hochul. 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 Inc. was pleased to be invited to participate in the recent Disability Pride Flag Raising Ceremony at City Hall. We support all efforts to celebrate the accomplishments of people with disabilities," Liz Kahn, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at People Inc said via email.
We have not heard back from the City of Buffalo as of the publication of this story. We will update the story when we hear back.
After this story was initially published, WBFO also obtained a letter from BJ Stasio, Western Region Representative for the Self-Advocacy Association of New York State (SANYS), in support of WNYIL's statement.
"It’s not about politics, it is about people’s lives. This is about our lives: about economic self-sufficiency, about relationships, and about what we face every day as people with disabilities. When a disabled leader says “no”, no does not mean “go check with someone else”. It means no. Before you act because of political pressure, please talk to the people it will affect if you do that," the letter reads, in part. Notably, Stasio also serves on People Inc.'s Board of Directors, however, the letter was not written in his capacity as a board member. You can read the full letter at the end of this page.
Stasio was not part of the group that left the event.
Here is the full text of the letter from WNYIL:
"July 24, 2024
To whom it may concern:
Like many of you, we came to Niagara Square today to celebrate with our local policymakers the contributions of the disability community in the broader fabric of Western New York. However, something occurred at the ceremony that caused us, as people of conscience, to leave the ceremony.
Let us be clear, WNYIL supports the policymakers in highlighting our contributions, and WNYIL means no disrespect to the work the city has taken, including the Disability Advisory Committee. After the ceremony in 2023, we received comments in our Disability Pride Festival Committee about the flag raising event being more about the agencies that provide programs and services to people with disabilities, instead of recognition of the people with disabilities in our communities who are working, playing, and engaging every day.
This focus on having agencies speak for people with disabilities made last year’s event was giving one agency the appearance that they were responsible for the event. The Disability Pride Committee this year decided to change that perception, by having this year’s ceremony highlight the value and contributions of the citizens with disabilities as part of our society, and not focus on the work of the agencies that are paid to serve them. Considering that all on the planning committee agreed to this event to highlight the contributions of the people who worked toward the passage of the ADA. However, we were disappointed to find out that at today’s ceremony, they asked the CEO of People Inc. to speak for people with disabilities.
We were treated to a speech of the contribution that a traditional agency makes in providing programs, services, and housing for a segmented part of the disability population of our community, ignoring the repeated message from the Mayor, Common Council members, County officials and the Governor’s representative that the message today was that people with disabilities have a right to be part of our community and expect “Diversity, inclusion, and equity.”
Disability Pride is not about impairments, and what agencies provide services to assist with them. Disability Pride is about being heard and seen for the individual accomplishments and contributions of members of our community with disabilities, our continuing ability to provide them, and the community’s commitment to being accessible and inclusive so that we can.
Not to have people with disabilities who have advocated, worked toward, and played a part of the passage and implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act not be part of this ceremonial flag rising and to instead have a care providing agency representative speak on our behalf, can only be considered is insulting and disrespectful, especially considering that the planners for the event knew of the concern beforehand.
At the start of the day’s event, we were proud of the Mayor Brown’s announcement of the disability advisory committee, finally being able to provide meaningful input and collaboration after more than ten years. Then, in the same ceremony, our role as people with disabilities was disrespected and devalued. It is not an auspicious way for the relationship to restart, and we deserve better.
Sincerely,
Todd G Vaarwerk Chief Policy Officer
Douglas J Usiak Chief Executive Officer"
Here is the full text of the letter from SANYS Western Region Representative BJ Stasio:
"July 24, 2024
To Whom It May Concern;
We are writing in support of the letter from WNYIL regarding the 2024 Disability Pride Flag Raising ceremony.
We feel that Disability Pride is about not only those who live with disabilities in the community, but the community as a whole, and not an agency.
Too often in our lives, we are treated as if we belong to an agency and not to a community. We are seen for the supports we need, rather than gifts we bring, and the humanity we have. All this is a barrier to true inclusion. True inclusion is about the whole person, not just that they receive services from an agency.
Today was about celebration and pride in who we are as disabled members of the Buffalo community. In attendance at today’s ceremony were long time local leaders in disability rights, who have faced discrimination and changed systems with their lives. We missed an opportunity to introduce the community to them, to honor them, and their work.
It’s not about politics, it is about people’s lives. This is about our lives: about economic self-sufficiency, about relationships, and about what we face every day as people with disabilities. When a disabled leader says “no”, no does not mean “go check with someone else”. It means no. Before you act because of political pressure, please talk to the people it will affect if you do that.
If we are to believe what our elected officials said today about inclusion, and we do, we know that you will help us in being true change makers.
Everyone needs to be part of the solution. We invite dialogue. We would love to continue the conversation.
Sincerely,
BJ Stasio
SANYS Western Region Representative"
