In 2015, Boyle Heights resident Hector Ochoa noticed there wasn’t a large-scale parade or march that celebrated or supported disabled people in the region. So Ochoa decided to help organize the first Disability Pride — which brought in nearly 1,000 attendees in its first year in 2016.
The 5th annual Disability Pride parade and festival in East Los Angeles is set for this Sunday, Oct. 8. The event recognizes and celebrates people with diverse physical and developmental disabilities — while advocating for more resources, accommodations and accessibility.
The event returns to L.A. for the first time since 2019. October is also Disability Pride Month in L.A. County — a motion authored by Supervisor Hilda Solis in 2017, organizers said. The second-ever Long Beach Disability Pride celebration was held in July, coinciding with the 3rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act being signed into law.
“We’re about promoting inclusivity, accessibility, overall equity and integration into the community,” Ochoa said before the event.
Ochoa is also the director of College Transition Services at the Southern California Resource Services for Independent Living, which organizes the annual parade and festival.
Sunday’s event begins at 10 a.m. The one-mile parade route starts at 10:30 a.m. at the East LA Civic Center to Cesar Chavez Ave and back.
Afterward, a community festival at the civic center will feature a pumpkin patch, petting zoo and more family-friendly activities. There will be free tacos and agua frescas to the first 1,000 attendees.
The Disability Pride parade and festival is supported by Solis’s office and other community partners. This year’s parade grand marshal is Nancy Bargmann, director of California’s Department of Developmental Services who, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, helped establish 21 regional centers where thousands of families and caregivers can receive home and community-based programming and support.
The parade and festival are free to all attendees, and everyone is welcome to participate. Signs are encouraged, and service animals will be allowed.
The East LA Civic Center is at 4801 E. Third St., Los Angeles. More information and accommodations are available at www.disabilitypridela.com.