John, this week is Phildephia’s tenth-annual Disability Pride Week, and I want to share with you what Disability Pride means to me.

Too often when we think about diversity, we don’t think about the full range of diversity, which includes physical and learning differences. Disability Pride is about making sure that everyone has the right to live the life they deserve, and that they can do so with pride and dignity.

Together, we need to make sure that regardless of your physical or learning differences, you have a right to the best quality of life in Philadelphia.

As a Philadelphia Councilmember, I’m deeply proud to be part of this ongoing work challenging the ableist mentality that exists throughout so much of this country and this world.

But my most important title is Father, and as the father of a son on the autism spectrum who is about to graduate high school, I’m committed to empowering young people in our City and making sure they see themselves represented in Philadelphia’s education system.

Too many people want to put limits on our children, our friends, our relatives — we need to make sure we’re pushing forward on legislation to make every member of Philadelphia’s disability community feel that they can be who they want to be.

In honor of Disability Pride Week and Pride Month, please join me in celebrating Philadelphia’s diversity and committing to pushing forward on legislation that provides the resources so that every member of our community can live the lives they want to.

— Derek