It’s Not You, It’s the Policy

The Town of Barrhead created a Decorative Crosswalk Policy that was approved May 14, 2024.
The purpose of this policy is to streamline a way for groups to apply to paint crosswalks around Barrhead. The statement of the policy says that these painted crosswalks are “meant to add colour and virbrancy to the Town’s streets.”

However, this week the Town of Barrhead released a statement regarding the painting of another crosswalk, one with the Disability Flag for Disablilty Pride Month.

And what is Disability Pride? It is a political movement. As one online source promoting Disability Pride describes it, “The concept of Disability Pride was born out of the Disability Rights movement and based on intersectional identity politics and social justice… The concept has roots in the same social theory that backs LGBTQ Pride and Black Pride. Disability Pride is a movement intended to celebrate the history of the Disability Rights movement and people with disabilities as positive contributors to society.”

No where in their announcement does the town indicate that this is for decorative purposes.
No where does the town indicate that this is for the purpose of adding colour and vibrancy to our street.
The Town states very clearly “the event aims to change the way people think about disability.”
That aim does not fit within the Town’s Decorative Crosswalk Policy.

What the town is doing is playing into identity politics, dividing people into groups. We have disabled, we have allies, and we have oppressors that need educating, that need to change the way they think about disability. The crosswalk aims to celebrate, raise awareness, and promote diversity, none of which is part of Town Council’s mandate or Crosswalk Policy.

The Decorative Crosswalk policy is not doing what it should. It’s flawed. It’s allowing politics to be painted on the street, it’s not being followed by those who approved it, and should be replaced with something much easier to maintain, a Neutrality Bylaw.
Keep crosswalks as crosswalks, a safety zone for pedestrians crossing the street.