Local organizations celebrate Disability Pride Month

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (WBNG) -- Disability Pride Month is a time of uplifting people of all abilities and their accomplishments. For local organizations like GiGi’s Playhouse, it’s about instilling confidence in those close to them.

“A lot of our friends are proud of who they are, and they wouldn’t be who they are without down syndrome or autism or other disabilities,” said Site Manager of GiGi’s Playhouse Southern Tier Katie Whaley. “To have a month where we can celebrate disability instead of it being this kind of ambiguous scary thing, I think it’s super important to have pride in who we are.”

Stephen Comency and Patty Casciotti, both legally blind, have been working at AVRE for many years. The company, which employs several people who are legally blind, promotes a supportive environment for those with disabilities.

“It helps a lot it helps you feel good about yourself,” Casciotti said. “Gets you up on that little high saying ‘you’re doing a good job, you’re appreciated.’ Everybody wants to feel that.”

Comency said it’s important to highlight the capabilities of those with conditions like his.

“We are very prideful people, but we don’t actually go around and say ‘hey, I’m blind, look at me,’” Comency said. “But we say, ‘we’re blind, look at what we can do.’”

This July will mark 35 years since the signing of the Americans with disabilities act. Achieve CEO Amy Howard said this key legislation has given people with disabilities better access to services like transportation and employment.

“It really over 35 years has enabled people of all abilities to be able to lead a more vibrant and richer lives,” Howard said. “And be able to be active and participating members of their community where they belong.”