What is Disability Pride?
Every July parades roll out; libraries post signs and hashtags like #DisabilityPride trend on social media for Disability Pride Month—but what does it mean?
There is no one all-encompassing definition for disability pride, but what all the definitions have in common is that it’s a movement to accept and honor the experiences of people with disabilities.
Part of this is acknowledging how far rights for people with disabilities have come—and part of it is acknowledging how far society still has to go for people with disabilities to be treated fairly.
According to the American Bar Association, “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.”
How is Disability Pride Celebrated?
How you and your family celebrate disability pride will depend on the ages of your children. One way to celebrate is to read age-appropriate books with main characters who have a disability.
Read More: Disability Resources
Another way young children can celebrate is with crafts like coloring in a disability pride flag. Families can talk about the disability pride flag and discuss what each of the colors represents. Parents can also search online for local parades and events commemorating the occasion.
This July, put a focus on learning about the experiences of people with disabilities and the history of disability rights.
One way to teach children about accessibility and disabilities is to pay attention to accessibility features. Use the internet to learn about ways places and activities are made accessible and then look for those features in real life. Does the bathroom sign have Braille? Is there a ramp at the park? If you were in a wheelchair, could you get here?
Parents can also use video games like Minecraft to teach their children about accessibility features. Some games allow controls to be remapped for people who aren’t able to use typical controllers. Some video games have caption settings for people who might have a hearing difference.
How did Disability Pride Month come about?
Similar pride movements like LGBTQ+ pride developed as a response to discrimination.
LGBTQ+ pride month, which takes place in June, commemorates the 1969 Stonewall Uprising and the historic and ongoing struggle of LGBTQ+ people for civil rights. Disability pride is similar in that it honors the hard-fought battle to change the way disabled people have been and continue to be discriminated against.
Disability Pride Month takes place in July to commemorate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) being signed into law in July of 1990. This law prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, state and local government, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation and telecommunications.
Why celebrate Disability Pride?
To better understand the need to celebrate disability pride, we need to understand the history of rights for people with disabilities in the United States.
The following historic information comes from the Temple University Institute on Disabilities’ disability rights timeline:
Eugenic sterilization for people with disabilities was not ruled as unconstitutional until 1927. During World War II, Adolph Hitler ordered widespread “mercy killing” of the sick and disabled. Between 75,000 and 250,000 people with intellectual or physical disabilities were systematically killed during this period.
In response to advocacy efforts by people with disabilities, their parents and their allies, The Arc of the United States was founded in 1950 to educate and advocate for the rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Then, Brown v. Board of Education (1954) abolished school segregation and made it so that public schools had permission to educate children with significant intellectual disabilities.
What are the next steps?
While these significant changes have made the U.S. a less inhospitable place for people with disabilities, there are still many changes that need to be made to improve the lives of people of with disabilities. The best way to celebrate is by continuing to support the hard-won gains of the disability rights movement and support changes that will help make life more equitable for people with disabilities.
One comprehensive resource that parents can use comes from The Arc, which hosts a story hub where people can meet people with disabilities through their stories. This organization also tracks policies that will make life more equitable for people with disabilities. Access this story hub and find your local Arc chapter at thearc.org.
