‘Speak up and be proud of who you are’: Disability Pride Parade centers around empowerment

Disability advocates march proudly outside the Concord State House at the 2025 Disability Pride Parade.

Disability advocates march proudly outside the Concord State House at the 2025 Disability Pride Parade. Jane Miller / Monitor staff

Guide dog, Celeste, greets visitors at the Guiding Eyes for the Blind stand at the 2025 Disability Pride Parade.

Guide dog, Celeste, greets visitors at the Guiding Eyes for the Blind stand at the 2025 Disability Pride Parade. Jane Miller—Monitor staff

Kathy Bates delivers her speech while Tyler Mortimer nods his head in support at the 2025 Disability Pride Parade.

Kathy Bates delivers her speech while Tyler Mortimer nods his head in support at the 2025 Disability Pride Parade. Jane Miller—Monitor staff

 Disability advocates march proudly outside the Concord State House at the 2025 Disability Pride Parade.

Disability advocates march proudly outside the Concord State House at the 2025 Disability Pride Parade. Jane Miller—Monitor staff

By JANE MILLER

Monitor staff

Published: 07-28-2025 5:20 PM

Modified: 07-29-2025 3:39 PM


High school student Tyler Mortimer sat in front of the podium next to his friend, Kathy Bates. A speaker dangled from his iPad, which he uses to express himself.

“You might be able to beat me at football or baseball because of my CP, but I bet I can kick your butt at Xbox golf like a boss,” Mortimer said to the crowd of dozens who gathered in front of the State House on Saturday morning.

Both Mortimer and Bates have cerebral palsy. They were chosen as two of the speakers for this year’s Disability Pride Parade, designed to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Mortimer wore a black and gray tie-dye shirt emblazoned with the name of his hometown: “Merrimack, New Hampshire.” The disability pride flag, which he was entrusted to carry during the parade, hung from the back of his wheelchair.

“I use my voice to do big things, like speak to people like Chris Pappas and Jeanne Shaheen,” he said. “I use my voice for smaller things, like telling people how I feel. I even have a button on my device that tells people to stop asking me stupid questions that they already know the answer to. Even that is advocacy.”

Attendees flocked from various towns around Concord to show their support and pride for the disability community. Organizations such as the Northeast Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services and Guiding Eyes for the Blind set up stands around the State House lawn to spread information about their services. Gatherers marched from the State House to Bicentennial Square and back, holding signs that said “Equality hurts no one,” “Celebrate inclusion” and “Disability rights are human rights.”

The parade looked slightly different than it did last year, which had only a quarter of this year’s crowd.

Louis Esposito, executive director of the disability support organization Able NH, said the parade’s growth really all came down to the word “pride.” This is the organization’s fourth year running the event.

“We needed a day where we can celebrate,” said Esposito. “Last year, it was a justice parade. And you can’t have justice without pride. Pride is the spark, right? Like justice is the energy that comes from that spark. It’s the fire.”

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Esposito said that this year’s celebration prioritized input from younger voices.

“We need to start finding younger advocates to start speaking up ... and you can’t do that unless you start teaching them that it’s okay to have a disability, that disability is part of human diversity, and you could be yourself and be proud of it,” said Esposito.

Fourteen-year-old Sawyer Rubin addressed the crowd after the procession. He admitted that he had a lot of anxiety going into his speech and talked about the daily struggles he faces at school due to his autism. Rub described dancing as his happy place, an escape from any stigmas around his disability.

“They don’t see autism or disability,” he said of his fellow dancers at Broadway Bound, the studio he attends in Merrimack. “They just see me, Sawyer.”

Alicia Bennett, who described herself as a forequarter amputee, said people with disabilities are constantly reminded of what they can’t do.

“This can wear on us and discourage us,” Bennett told attendees. “Over the years, though, I have been encouraged by thinking about what I can do, and that has made all the difference. So, what can we do? We can advocate for our rights and policies that will help us.”

Bennett works at GraniteLeaf Cannabis, an organization that serves thousands of people in New Hampshire, many of whom have disabilities. She spoke about the importance of finding spaces like the Disability Pride Parade for people to share their stories and experiences.

“Together, we are stronger,” she said.

As the crowd cheered in solidarity, Mortimer said he hopes that people around him will remember to use their voices.

“It’s important to speak up, or someone else might try to speak for you, and that is not cool,” he said. “Nobody knows me better than me. That’s it. Speak up and be proud of who you are.”

Jane Miller can be contacted at jmiller@cmonitor.com