Disability Pride

Disability pride celebrates those with disabilities. It's about the disability community becoming visible and celebrating their diversity.

Challenging negative perspectives about disability

As of 2021 the media can cover disability issues negatively. Disability pride gives us an opportunity to push back and change people's perspectives. Disability pride events can also bring attention to disability issues and accessibility.

Disability pride month

In the United States disability pride month is July. During pride month accessible events are usually held.

It's a good opportunity to be covered in the media too. Send letters to the editors and invite reporters to disability pride events. You could also invite politicians to the events and chat with them.

Disability pride flag

A disability pride flag pictured at the top of this article was created by Ann Magill. She has released it to the public domain.

Events

Events can be a good way for the people in the disability community to come together and celebrate their pride. This could be as simple as going out for coffee. Disability pride parades also happen annually in cities such as Chicago and New York.

Pride marches are also a possibly if organizing a parade isn't an option.

Before setting the date you may want to check with relevant local organizations whether the date conflicts with their events.

Committees

Events are usually (but not always) organized by a committee. If you want to get involved check if a committee exists in your city. If not you may want to form one.

Committees may need to raise funds to cover costs such as a website, sign language interpreters, renting rooms and marketing.

Some committees would have a website that they would use to list events.

Committees may choose to base events around a theme to make things interesting.

Fund raising

You can use disability pride week/month to fund raise. Various Non Governmental Organizations including the local pride committee could gain funds from these events.

You can schedule additional fund raisers pride and awareness days.

An opportunity for communication

Not everybody is aware of awareness days (or pride days) so be sure to remind people before the day and/or invite them to your events.

How you can show pride

You can buy disability pride shirts and stickers. You can blog or make videos. These can be done any time.

You can have disability pride on your social media profile pictures and cover photos.

Integration with other pride events

Disability pride can be part of other events. Sydney Mardi Gras has marchers with disabilities. The marchers in this case would be LGBT+ but this could still be seen to promote LGBT+ and disability pride.

Social model of disability

Some question whether disability pride is compatible with the social model of disability. Some people with this view believe disability doesn't exist but rather it is society that disables people with barriers.

I believe that you can still celebrate your diversity and hold to this view.

Thanks for reading

Show your pride.