What is Disability Pride Month?

On July 26th, 1990, President Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law. The ADA protects people with disabilities from employment discrimination and enables better access to goods, services, and communications for people with disabilities. Enacting the ADA was a huge deal; some even see July 26th as disability independence day. Throughout the years, Disability Pride has been celebrated as a day-long event but has since evolved into a month-long celebration. Join me as I explore the history and celebration and discuss some common misconceptions about Disability Pride Month (aka DPM).

What is the definition of Disabled?

The ADA defines a person with a disability as someone who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity. A few broad categories of disability include physical, behavioral, developmental, sensory, cognitive, social, and emotional. A disability can be from birth, or it can happen later in life.

Is Disability Pride Month related to LGBTQ2+ Month?

Disability Pride Month is for all people with disabilities. A common misconception is that Disability Pride is an extension of LGBTQ2+ Pride Month. This confusion is understandable, as LGBTQ2+ Pride Month is often referred to as “Pride.” However, pride is a concept that does not belong to one particular group. Every marginalized group has the right to celebrate themselves.

While we are on the subject, the back-to-back placement of the two pride months is a coincidence. Again, Disability Pride Month is celebrated in July because the ADA was signed into law on July 26th, 1990. Likewise, LGBTQ2+ Pride is celebrated in June because of the Stonewall riots on June 28, 1969. Both dates are important to their respective communities.

The history of DPM and the ADA

Disability Pride started as a day-long celebration to commemorate the anniversary of the ADA. New York State extended the celebration to a month in 2015. While the celebration has yet to reach national status, there are celebrations in 12 states. Cities such as Los Angeles, San Antonio, Cincinnati, and several others have disability pride celebrations.

The ADA was first introduced to Congress On March 12, 1990. On that day, 1000 people marched from the White House to the Capitol to demand that Congress pass the bill. When they reached The Capitol, they crawled up the stairs as a physical demonstration of the inaccessibility of public buildings. Among those who climbed the stairs was Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins, a disabled eight-year-old girl.

The Disability Pride Flag

Yes, there is a disability pride flag! So, what does it mean? The black field (sometimes charcoal grey) stands for those who lost their lives via neglect, abuse, eugenics, suicide, or otherwise. A diagonal band cuts across the flag, and symbolizes cutting across barriers people with disabilities must deal with every day.

The diagonal band has a series of five colored bands. The red band stands for physical disabilities, the green band stands for sensory perception disabilities (such as blindness, deafness, and the like). The blue band stands for mental illness. The yellow band stands for neurodivergent disabilities. The white band stands for invisible and undiagnosed disabilities.

How to celebrate Disability Pride Month

The American Bar Association states: “Disability Pride Month celebrates disabled persons embracing their disabilities as integral parts of who they are, reclaiming visibility in public and interacting fully with their disabilities out in the open, and rejecting shame and internalized ableism.” Disability Pride is a time to show the world we matter. Some cities, most famously Chicago, have a DMP parade. If your city or state does not recognize DPM, write your officials. Also, don’t forget to share your stories on social media using the hashtags #disabilitypride and #disabilitypridemonth.

If you want to be an ally, there are several things you can do.

If you run a business, make a point to hire workers with disabilities. People with disabilities are more likely to be unemployed than people without disabilities. Parents can teach their children to be inclusive and acknowledge disability. People with disabilities experience child bullying more than people without disabilities.

Something anyone can do is examine their language and challenge themselves to eliminate ableist terms. Have you ever said someone is “broken?” Do you ever use “lame” as a pejorative? Do you ever call someone or something “insane or crazy?” These terms can be hurtful to those with disabilities. What better time than DPM than to replace harmful terms with alternative terms?

The most important thing an ally can do is to pay attention. The ARC’s theme for 2024’s DPM is “We Want a Life Like Yours.”  This theme reflects the disability community’s dreams for life experiences that are too often denied. Ask yourself, “Am I unknowingly creating barriers that disabled people must navigate? Am I making a disabled person’s life harder?”

Why isn’t it “Disability Awareness Month?

Disability Pride Month is a month to shake the shackles of shame put on us by society. We are not lesser, just because we lack certain abilities. Earlier I said everyone deserves to feel pride. This means a feeling of satisfaction in who one is, and what they have accomplished. In short, DPM is a time to celebrate ourselves. While we constantly want to bring awareness to the table, ultimately Disability Pride Month is about us – not what well-meaning people need to know.

One last thought. Disability will happen to everyone who lives long enough. Celebrating Disability Pride is not just about your neighbor, your friend, or perhaps that random person you see sometimes. Disability Pride is also about your future.