The Newton Free Library, Understanding Our Differences (UOD), and the Newton Commission on Disability will celebrate Disability Pride Month by hosting a free, moderated panel and discussion centered around the question, “What does disability pride mean to you?” It will take place on Wednesday, July 17, at 7PM in the Newton Free Library’s Druker Auditorium.
The event commemorates July as Disability Pride Month and the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Jenni Acosta, one of the event organizers, said the event originated from a collective desire to raise awareness about how people experience disabilities differently, especially in Newton. She said the panel is “a way of creating a disability dialogue in the city of Newton and sharing different perspectives on the lived experiences of people with disabilities.”
The event is free, and in-person attendance requires no RVSP. It is also wheelchair accessible and includes ASL interpretation. Individuals may attend the event virtually via Zoom by registering here. For in-person attendees, doors will open at 6PM for informal conversation and information sharing.
Moderated by UOD co-president Gary Alpert, the discussion will feature five panelists (see Program Notes): Nyree Kibarian, Barbara Lischinsky, Jack Lovett, Nathan Persampieri, and Robert Solomon.
The panelists will answer six different prepared questions, all aligned with the theme of what disability pride means to them. They will be asked questions as a whole group before moving on to individual questions. If time permits, there will be a final question.
Ima Jonsdottir said the Newton community needs to normalize talking about disabilities and “embrace whatever discomfort” they may have when doing so.
“Ultimately, the goal is always to improve disability rights in our community, and we can’t really do that unless we are talking to each other,” said Jonsdottir.
Persampieri, a recent Merrimack College graduate, is on the Understanding Our Differences’s Advisory Board. Over the past three years, he has also been a speaker for UOD’s Physical Disabilities unit.
Through the evening’s questions and the subsequent discussions, Persampieri hopes to spread more awareness about disabilities and honor Disability Pride Month. The event is the first time the City of Newton has hosted an event like this regarding disability pride.
“If you embrace diversity but leave out disabilities, you’re doing it wrong,” said Persampieri.
Grace Yang is a Fig City News intern and rising sophomore at Newton South High School.
