Disability Pride Month

What?

Disability Pride Month honors the history, achievements, and experiences of the disability community.

When?

It is celebrated in July to commemorate the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 1990.

How?

• Celebrating the diversity of the disabled community, highlighting its contributions and achievements.
• Raising awareness of disability issues and the diverse experiences of disabled people.
• Challenging stereotypes, prejudices, and misconceptions about disability.
• Promoting inclusion of disabled individuals in all aspects of society, including education, employment, social activities, and community life.

Get Involved

Learn 

• Read books by disabled authors that offer insights into their experiences. Examples include "Disability Visibility" edited by Alice Wong and "Being Heumann" by Judith Heumann.
• Watch documentaries and films that portray disability issues and stories authentically, such as "Crip Camp." 
• Attend workshops and webinars: look for virtual and in-person sessions to expand your understanding.

Participate 

• Parades and rallies are hosted in many cities. These bring together the disability community, and their families, friends, and allies.
• Cultural events such as art exhibits, film screenings, and performances by disabled artists highlight the cultural contributions of the disability community.
• Virtual celebrations: Look for online events and social media campaigns using hashtags like #DisabilityPride and #DisabilityPrideMonth.

Advocate 

• Workplace and educational inclusion: promote policies and practices that ensure these are accessible and inclusive. 
• Public spaces: advocate for the accessibility of public spaces, including transportation, buildings, and recreational areas.
• Policy change: support legislation and policies that promote disability rights and accessibility. This can include writing to your representatives, participating in advocacy groups, and staying informed about relevant issues.

Uplift 

• Support disabled creators: buy art, books, and other products from disabled creators and entrepreneurs. 
• Donate or volunteer with organizations that work towards the empowerment and rights of disabled individuals. Tell others about them.
• On social media: amplify the voices of disabled influencers, artists, and activists by following and sharing their content.

Communicate

• Create safe spaces for dialogue: Ensure that all voices are heard and respected, and that discussions are accessible to everyone.
• Promote inclusive language by gently correcting and educating those who use outdated or offensive terms. Share resources and promote respectful dialogue.
• Share stories about the accomplishments of disabled people in various fields, from science and technology to arts and sports.

Reflect

• Self-evaluation of your own perceptions and biases regarding disability. Commit to ongoing learning and personal growth.
• Know the history: Pride was created around the disability rights movement. Reflect on the complicated history of disability rights in the U.S. and abroad and the ways in which the movement is still advancing.
• Continuous learning: Disability Pride Month is just the start. Reflect on ways you can continue to educate yourself and advocate for disability rights year-round.

Disability Pride Flag

Creation of a Symbol

The design is credited to Ann Magill, who developed its first version. In 2021, she updated it in collaboration with the online disability community to its current form.

“Ever since I attended the local 'celebration' of the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 2010, only to find disappointment that the celebration was confined to the basement and grounds of the regional Independent Living Center instead of out in public, I've wanted a Disability Pride Flag.

"Six years later, after the massacre at the Tsukui Yamayuri En care home in Sagamihara, Japan, when nineteen disabled inmates were murdered and twenty-six injured (because they were disabled, by the killer's own confession), I was driven to design an actual disability flag, instead of just wishing we had one.” 

-- Ann Magill, creator of the Disability Pride Flag, 2019

What do all the parts of the Disability Pride Flag represent?

  
The Dark Background

• The black/dark charcoal base is representative of the mourning of disabled persons victimized by ableism or lost to disability-fueled violence, abuse/negligence, or death. 
• The dark shade also represents rage and protest against the mistreatment of disabled people.

The Diagonal Band

• The light, connected band of stripes cuts straight through the darkness (i.e., barriers that separate disabled people from society).
• The parallel stripes being together represent solidarity within the disability community.
    

The Stripes

• Green: Sensory disabilities (i.e., blindness, deafness).
• Blue: Mental health conditions.
• White: Non-visible disabilities and undiagnosed conditions.
• Gold: Neurodivergence.
• Red: Physical disabilities.

Multi-Colored

• The disability pride flag includes all six standard international flag colors as the disability community is a diverse, international community.
• But muted: The colors of the flag are deliberately muted in tone to make them more visually accessible when viewed online.