It’s now July, which brings with it a celebration that many may not be aware of. July is Disability Pride Month, an event that began in America over 30 years ago and is celebrated in many other countries, including the UK. So how did it all start?
The origins of Disability Pride Month
Disability Pride Month began in the United States in 1990. It started just as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed, which makes it illegal to discriminate against disabled people. This is similar to the UK’s Disability Discrimination Act, passed in 1995, which has since been replaced with the Equality Act.
The first Disability Pride Day occurred in Boston, Massachusetts, on July 22 1990, four days before the ADA became law. What started as a single day has blossomed into a month-long celebration now celebrated worldwide, honouring the unique experiences and diversity of disabled people.
The Disability Pride flag
Designed by Ann Magill in 2019, the Disability Pride flag has become a symbol of the movement and has been used worldwide. The flag has a black background with five diagonal stripes in different colours. Every colour on the flag has a meaning behind it.
The black background represents the intolerance that many disabled people face, while the five coloured stripes each represent a different type of impairment:
- Red for physical impairments
- Yellow for cognitive and intellectual impairments
- White for invisible impairments
- Blue for mental illness
- Green for sensory impairments.
The diagonal design also has meaning. It symbolises how disabled people have to think creatively and approach challenges in unique ways.
The impact and importance of Disability Pride
For a lot of disabled people, the idea of having “pride” in your impairment can seem a bit strange. After all, living with a disability often involves challenges, struggles and a fair amount of discomfort. As I have become older and more accepting of myself and my impairment, I’ve come to see Disability Pride Month as a way to recognise the strength and resilience needed to just exist as a disabled person and a chance to take pride in the unique perspectives that I offer.
But, on a broader scale, Disability Pride serves several purposes:
It allows us to challenge stigma: By providing a platform where impairments can be discussed openly and celebrated, the stigma and misconceptions surrounding impairments can be broken down.
It promotes inclusion: It highlights how important it is to keep pushing for a more inclusive society that accommodates and values everyone.
It brings people together: It gives disabled people the chance to share experiences and connect with one another.
It raises awareness: It’s a chance to educate people about the importance of the issues affecting disabled people.
It empowers people: Through focussing on pride, Disability Pride Month helps empower disabled people to advocate for themselves and their needs.
How can you get involved?
There are a lot of ways you can celebrate and support Disability Pride Month:
Attend events: Many events are taking place around the country to celebrate Disability Pride Month. Search Eventbrite or Facebook to see if there is one near you.
Educate yourself: Take some time to learn about the UK’s history of disability and the challenges disabled people experience.
Reflect on language: Be mindful of your language when talking about disability or disabled people. If you’re unsure what language to use, take a few minutes to brush up on the preferred terminology.
It’s important to remember that as great as Disability Pride Month is, its message extends past one month. To create a truly inclusive society, its principles of equal opportunity, acceptance and understanding should be supported in our everyday lives throughout the year.
If you are a customer of Independent Lives, and want to make a difference for community access and raising disability awareness in your local community, you might like to join our free membership programme, Friends of Independent Lives.