This is a large mural painted on a surface that is twelve feet wide and eight feet tall. That surface is mounted on a brick wall on the Melrose YMCA at the corner of Main St. and East Foster St. At the very top, running across the length of the mural is a large white banner with black text that reads: “Americans With Disabilities Act”. Below the banner is a cake with two pink candles on top in the shape of the number 35. The top of the cake has green decretive frosting along the edge. There are five layers of this cake, each representing a different color of the Disability Pride flag (Green, Blue, White, Yellow and Red). These colors are representative of the multi facets of disabilities. Each of the layers has black text in the middle. The top layer which is green says “Sensory”. The second layer, which is blue says “Emotional/Psychiatric”. The third layer which is white says: “Invisible/ Undiagnosed”. The fourth layer which is yellow says “Neurodivergent”. The fifth layer which is red says: “Physical”. The cake is on a light grey plate. The background of this piece is black, also consistent with the Disability Pride Flag symbolizing “mourning for the victims of ableist violence and discrimination”
The mural is painted with exterior latex house paint and was commissioned by the Melrose Commission on Disability. It was designed by Emmi Kilgallen and was painted by Chiara Pieri , Emmi Kilgallen and Kris Rodolico from Follow Your Art Community Studios.
Happy Disability Pride Month July 2025!
This month we celebrate the 35th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act or as it commonly known the ADA.
The ADA was signed into law on July 26th 1990; this groundbreaking legislation created lawful protection of non-discrimination for disabled individuals in the United States of America. Arriving at this landmark civil rights legislation for people with disabilities has been a journey marked by other important statutes. The ADA was preceded by the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968, Section 5 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (later the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, IDEA, of 1990).
In the 35 years since the ADA’s signing, disabled individuals in the United States have been afforded the same opportunities to education, employment, government and transportation as everyone else. It has redefined the way we build our buildings and design our streets, reshaped the way we view inclusion, community and accessibility in every aspect of everyday life.
In Melrose, the Melrose Commission on Disability was formed in February of 2020. On July 13, 2023 the Melrose Commission on Disability and Institute for Human Centered Design presented an ADA self-assessment to the Melrose city council. The focus of the assessment was public schools, public buildings and public space. Working with the city obtaining grant funding from the Massachusetts Office on Disability, the Melrose Commission on Disability has already spearheaded many accessibility improvements around the city.
The Melrose Commission on Disability has been involved in ensuring voting accessibility, ADA policy, hosting awareness-raising programs ,working with the Melrose Special Education Parent Advisory Committee, and creating an accessibility guide for community events and organizations.
Thank you for celebrating Disability Pride Month!
Thank you to Kris Rodolico for giving art a voice.
Visual description written and developed by Garin Boyd