Webby Award-Winning "Disability Pride Celebrations with Lincoln Center"

Our video with Lincoln Center has won a Webby Award!

"Disability Pride, Disability Joy, Exists"

We're Webby Award Winners!

We're honored to be a Webby Award winner! Our work on the Disability Pride event at Lincoln Center won the 2023 People's Voice Award for Social Impact – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Rooted in our motto, Disability Pride, Disability Joy, Exist!, this recognition reinforces our commitment to inclusivity and impactful storytelling. Watch our 5-word Webby Speech and see the award-winning work linked here.

Original Post Summer for the City Summer 2022

Summer For The City is for everyone to Remember, Reclaim and Rejoice!

Our interest in visiting Lincoln Center developed years ago when Annie suggested it as a place to visit and bookmarked it. She talked about checking out the grounds with her day program and how much she enjoyed the welcoming outdoor spaces. Seeing the beauty and splendor of the interior from the outside and knowing its prominence in pop—and non-pop—culture created a strong desire to attend indoor events as well. That same desire is echoed by our family’s awareness of Lincoln Center’s reputation for stellar, year-round performing arts programming.

Our love story with Lincoln Center started last year with their Passports for the Arts program, which was both virtual and in-person. We had a ball experiencing Cinderella. We enjoyed Passport for the Arts so much that we signed up for their spring session, delighting in yet another in-person program with the New York City Ballet at Family Saturday: A Magical Midsummer Eve. We were impressed again by the well-organized program, the entertainment on stage and the overall welcome.

During this particular visit we spotted the giant 10-foot disco ball being built in Josie Plaza. By that time I had heard about their thoughtful and inclusive lineup for the #SummerForTheCity festivals. I had a positive, visceral reaction to the program's performance lineup, and was moved by the plethora of experiences depicted and how they encompassed a range of emotions from grieving (a rarity!) to joy, and incorporated artists from a multitude of cultures. The festival’s themes are Remember , Reclaim and Rejoice , with each element focusing on experiences that encourage people to show up as their full selves as we – hopefully - emerge from a time of so much loss, anxiety and social upheaval. I was intrigued by it all, especially the activities planned under the disco ball. We knew we wanted to be there in the midst of all the good vibes, emotions and energy.

And so our love story continued to build well into the summer with many memorable performances..

We kicked off summer with a Second Line Jazz Performance, a New Orleans tradition among African Americans that celebrates and mourns the lives of those who’ve passed on. It was particularly meaningful because it was the exact two year anniversary our granny died in the pandemic. We brought hers and our dad's kerchiefs to wave as we marched behind the band. We were happy to have an opportunity to Remember our granny and our dad with space both for grieving and for celebrating their lives. Also, if you’ve read the About Us story, you know we try to explore “much of the world’s culture in New York City” because Annie is unable to travel long distances without her wheelchair, so it was a gift to be able to experience one of the great New Orleans traditions while still at home.

On our visit that followed, we chose to enjoy the GATHER installations by artist Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya, whose artwork we’ve seen around the city in support of the Asian Community. Considering our ancestors are from India (our family’s migration to Guyana is part of the painful indentured laborer story), the visuals for this exhibit piqued our interest as it reminded us so much of our own traditional celebrations. We purposefully chose to experience the rituals because seeing a reflection of one’s own culture is a powerful experience that we don’t often see. The theme for this was Reclaim, and while performing the rituals and being immersed in the outdoor spaces, we felt connected to our past and the power of being in a time & space to Reclaim and celebrate our own heritage and identity. We ended this special ceremonial experience by tying our hopes onto the trees knowing they're in the faith of the universe.

Later that evening during the same visit, we had the opportunity to dance under the 10-foot-tall disco ball! Our “bust-a-move” moment is now certainly filed under stories to be talked about for our lifetime. We claimed that moment to Rejoice, and you can watch it all here and learn about our mission of spreading #DisabilityPride and #DisabilityJoy.

A final note on our full circle love story with Lincoln Center. Our sorrows live with our joys and our joys live with our sorrows and Lincoln Center's diverse, inclusive and accessible lineup purposefully created space for these human emotions to flow. The catharsis derived from these experiences prove that the arts can heal and and the arts can bring joy back. Thank you Lincoln Center!

Accessible Information:
- The facilities are accessible with accessible restrooms, concession stands (get the Orange Chocolate Gelato, it's everyone's fav!) and staffs are trained to welcome people with disabilities.
- We found the accessible restroom in Damrosch Park to be larger than the one on the Concourse level.
- All events are free and open for general admission. For guests unable to stand in line due to a disability, they can check in at the Welcome Tent on the Plaza near Columbus Avenue and 63rd Street a half hour before the venue opens for seating to gain access on a first come, first served basis. Lastly, we are offering a number of captioned and ASL-interpreted performances. For guests who are interested in captioning or ASL-interpretation, ticket requests can be ahead of time on their website.
- Full details on accessibility here.

Summer For The City: Lincoln Center has summer programs every year and includes many disability specific programs for various communities. Please visit their website here for up to date information.

Transparency: This content is not sponsored. We worked with their Press & Access Team for the filming of the Disability Pride video. The write up reflects our authentic experience.