Disability Pride Month: History, significance, and self-advocacy

Happy Disability Pride month!

People with disabilities represent the largest and most diverse minority group within the global population, encompassing all abilities, ages, races, ethnicities, religions, and socio-economic backgrounds.

As per the WHO, an estimated 1.3 billion people globally experience significant disability. This represents 16 per cent of the world's population.

With one in six of us having some type of disability, the disability pride movement is gaining momentum and expanding rapidly.

But what exactly is disability pride?

Understanding Disability Pride

Disability Pride Month is a celebration of disabled individuals embracing their disabilities as integral parts of their identity.

It involves reclaiming visibility in public, interacting fully with their disabilities out in the open, and rejecting shame and internalised ableism.

This month-long observance is a time for the disability community to unite, uplift, and amplify one another’s voices, ensuring they are heard. Disability pride is about “accepting and honouring each person’s uniqueness and seeing it as a natural and beautiful part of human diversity.”

The History of Disability Pride Month

Disability Pride Month has its roots in the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 1990.

This landmark legislation, achieved after a hard-fought battle by disability advocates and allies, ensured greater access to employment, transportation, and community life for disabled people.

The first official Disability Pride celebration took place in 2015, marking the 25th anniversary of the ADA. Since then, every July, we celebrate Disability Pride Month to honour and centre disabled people and their achievements.

The Significance of Disability Pride Month

Disability pride emerged as a response to the negative views of disability and as a movement to promote human rights.

For many individuals, their disability is an integral part of their identity, not something to be separated or hidden. Society often frames disabled people as pitiable or helpless, an outdated and damaging perspective that can erode confidence and self-esteem, especially in the face of pervasive ableism.

Defining disability pride is complex because it means different things to different people.

It encompasses a wide range of experiences and perspectives, so exploring diverse voices and resources is essential to understand its full scope.

What is self-advocacy?

Self-advocacy involves individuals advocating for their own rights rather than relying on others to speak on their behalf.

In the disability community, self-advocates are crucial in pushing for political and societal changes that directly impact their lives. However, being a self-advocate does not mean fighting alone; it means collaborating with others who share similar goals and working together to create a more inclusive world.

Ancillary Movements and Disability Pride

Alongside Disability Pride Month, other movements have emerged to promote acceptance and understanding of specific disabilities.

For example, Autistic Pride Day, established in 2005, is celebrated annually on June 18 to heighten acceptance and understanding of autistic people.

Why Disability Pride Matters

Despite the progress made, people with disabilities often face ableism, inaccessibility, misinformation and misunderstanding, leading to their devaluation in society.

Disability pride matters because it challenges systemic ableism and stigmatising definitions of disability, promoting acceptance and honouring each person’s uniqueness.

What is Ableism?

Ableism is discrimination against individuals with disabilities or medical conditions.

Disability discrimination occurs when someone is treated differently or disadvantaged because of their disability.

The Significance of the Disability Pride Flag

The Disability Pride Flag, redesigned in 2021, symbolises various aspects of the disability experience.

Created by Anne Magill in 2019, the new flag, which is more accessible for people with visually-triggered disabilities and colour blindness, features a charcoal grey background bisected diagonally by five parallel stripes in red, pale gold, pale grey, light blue, and green.

What do the colours represent?

• Red: Physical disabilities

• Gold: Neurodivergence, including autism and ADHD

• White: Invisible and undiagnosed disabilities

• Blue: Mental illnesses

• Green: Sensory disabilities

The coloured stripes are placed diagonally across the flag to illustrate how disabled people cut across barriers in society.

This Disability Pride Month, let’s take concrete steps to celebrate and support the disability community.

By embracing disability pride, we not only acknowledge the integral role that disabilities play in shaping identities but also pave the path for a more inclusive and compassionate society. We celebrate the progress made and recognise the work still needed to ensure true equality and acceptance for everyone.