Suggestions have been made over how to improve a ‘pride’ event for marginalised people in Reading.
Back in July, Reading Borough Council held its first ‘Disability Pride Day’ which was set up to instil pride and acceptance in those with both physical and mental disabilities.
Ideas of how a possible follow-up event could be improved were recently discussed at a meeting of the council’s Access and Disabilities Working Group.
The event was described as ‘rained out’ by a member of the group called Rosa.
She said: “We were at the mercy of the elements outdoors, we could have an indoor event or something that can be moved inside if needed.”
Councillor Anne Thompson (Liberal Democrats, Tilehurst) said that any building that could be used for a future event would have to be wheelchair accessible.
A that point, fellow cllr Andrew Hornsby-Smith (Labour, Church) suggested that Disability Pride could be held in Market Place, where stalls could be relocated into St Laurence Church if the weather declines.
He said: “The only place I can think of is St Laurence Church.
“If the weather does turn inclement, there is space and it is still pretty much in the town centre.”
Another member of the group said that the council should have had a better stall with more information about the services it offers, such as disabled parking badges, council tax grants and disability grants for home adjustments.
It was also felt that the stall arrangement could be a more fluid mix of council stalls, performers and voluntary organisations such as Fab4All day care centre and Me2Club, which supports children and young people.
At the event this year, the performer tent, council services and volunteer stalls were all kept separate.
One member of the group said that the pressure of having it on one day ‘can be quite daunting’ and suggested that the event could be spread across more than one day and more than one venue.
There was debate about whether to do a parade.
While there were concerns that a march would be difficult for some, it was pointed out that celebratory marches are held at Brighton Disability Pride.
Ultimately there was consensus that a Disability Pride event should be held in 2024, as many of the people who attended thought it helped instill a sense of pride and helped raise their spirits.
Helen Bryant, the council’s access officer, said: “I find the feedback very moving when people said how much it meant to them, it was a very tiring and wet day but it was very moving, so roll on next year!”
Councillors agreed to plan a meeting in early autumn to go through the ideas raised and go ahead with planning the event for next year at the Access and Disabilities Working Group meeting on Thursday, September 7.
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