I decided to design an alternative/friend to the official Disability Pride flag because, even if there are good reasons to have done it that way, most people, if not all people I know, either doesn’t know the flag or mistakes it for one of the LGBTQiA2+ pride ones. I wanted a clear and easily recognizable symbol for us in alternative to the flag.

I used the wheelchair user symbol as a base which is a universal symbol of being disabled, so it’s easily recognizable. To made sure everyone felt included, I didn’t use the full wheelchair symbol but instead replaced the wheel by a peony. Peonies in Greek mythology represent healing. Healing of our relationship with our bodies and illnesses but also with society as a whole. It also symbolizes compassion, which we need, between us and from society.

I used the official colours of the Disability Pride flag, to include everyone and as a nod to the original. Black/charcoal symbolizes the people lost to ableist and systemic violence and our hardships. Red symbolizes physical disabilities, blue the psychiatric disabilities, white the invisible and undiagnosed disabilities and green the sensory disabilities.