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Disability Pride Month: Celebrating Diversity and Empowering Allies

Happy Belated Disability Pride Month!

Disability is sometimes called the "silent D" in diversity. This month is a strong reminder to highlight people often ignored by society, especially after a year of emphasizing the importance of institutions and businesses focusing on diversity.

Although August is here now, I wanted to reflect on the past few weeks' events. I know this post is coming a bit late, but it's important to take the time to recognize the progress we've made. Plus, the delay has given me more time to gain experiences and insights that we can share in this post.

July is Disability Pride Month, but some cities would celebrate Disability Pride Month another month. This is a time to celebrate the diversity and achievements of people with disabilities, raise awareness, and advocate for their rights and inclusion. I want to use this opportunity to share tips on being a better ally to the disability community.

Disability Pride Month is an opportunity for people with disabilities to come together, inspire each other, and share their experiences and perspectives with others. It is also a reminder that disability is not a defect or a tragedy but a natural variation of human diversity that deserves respect, appreciation, and celebration.

How did Disability Pride Month start?

Over the past 33 years, there have been various Disability Pride celebrations across the country, with Boston boasting the very first Disability Pride Day in 1990 and Chicago hosting the first Disability Pride Parade in 2004.

The official celebration of Disability Pride Month was in July 2015, part of the 25th anniversary of ADA. It was initiated by the New York City Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities.

Since then, it has gained momentum and recognition across the United States and beyond to promote disability pride, culture, and identity. Disability Pride events and activities may include parades, concerts, art shows, workshops, and other forms of community engagement. They may also address various issues and themes, such as accessibility, education, employment, healthcare, and social justice.

These events serve as a reminder that disability is not a defect or a tragedy but rather a natural variation of human diversity that deserves respect, appreciation, and celebration. Such events are being held all over the United States recently and soon.

As for accomplishments, the disability community has made significant progress in recent years, including the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the development of assistive technology and accessibility standards, and increased disability representation and visibility in media and culture.

However, there is still much work to be done to address systemic barriers and discrimination that people with disabilities face, and Disability Pride Month serves as a call to action for individuals and organizations to continue pushing for change.

The Disability Pride flag

The Disability Pride flag symbolizes the identity, resilience, and capacity of the disability community. It was created by Ann Magill, a member of the disability community, to encompass all disabilities. The flag has a faded black background, representing the suffering and protest of the disability community from violence, eugenics, and neglect. The flag also has five colors representing different types of disabilities, such as physical, mental, sensory, and invisible.

The colors are:

  • Red: Represents physical disabilities, such as mobility impairments, chronic pain, or amputations.

  • Gold: Represents intellectual disabilities, such as autism, Down syndrome, or learning disabilities.

  • Pale grey: Represents invisible disabilities, such as diabetes, epilepsy, or mental health conditions.

  • Blue: Represents sensory disabilities, such as blindness, deafness, or synesthesia.

  • Green: Represents neurodiverse disabilities, such as ADHD, dyslexia, or Tourette syndrome.

The colors are arranged in a diagonal band from the top left to the bottom right corner of the flag. This symbolizes how disabled people creatively navigate barriers and cut across the darkness of oppression and isolation. The diagonal band also represents intercommunal solidarity and light cutting through the darkness. The flag signifies pride, acceptance, and solidarity for disabled people and their allies.

How to be a Better Ally…

Being an ally means supporting and respecting people with disabilities, not pitying or patronizing them. It also means listening to their voices and experiences and learning from them. Here are some ways you can be a better ally:

  • Educate yourself on disability issues and history. Many online and offline resources can help you understand the challenges and opportunities that people with disabilities face, as well as the history and culture of the disability movement. You can also follow disability activists and organizations on social media and read books and articles by disabled authors.

  • Use inclusive and respectful language. Words matter and can positively or negatively impact how people with disabilities are perceived and treated. Avoid using outdated or offensive terms, such as "handicapped,” "crippled,” or "special needs.” Instead, use person-first language (e.g., "a person with a disability") or identity-first language (e.g., "a disabled person"), depending on the preference of the individual or group. Also, avoid using disability as a metaphor or a joke, such as "I'm so OCD" or "That's lame.”

  • Ask before you help. People with disabilities are not helpless or dependent, and they may not need or want your assistance. If you see someone who seems to be struggling, don't assume that they need your help. Instead, ask them politely if they would like help, and respect their answer. If they say yes, follow their instructions on how to assist them best. If they say no, don't insist or take offense.

  • Be accessible and accommodating. Accessibility is not only a legal requirement but also a way of showing respect and inclusion. If you are hosting an event, inviting someone, or creating content, ensure it is accessible and accommodating for people with different types of disabilities. This may include ramps, elevators, sign language interpreters, captions, transcripts, alternative formats, etc. You can also ask the person with a disability their specific needs and preferences and try to meet them as much as possible.

  • Amplify disabled voices. People with disabilities are often underrepresented or misrepresented in the media, politics, education, arts, and other spheres of society. As an ally, you can help amplify their voices and perspectives by sharing their stories, supporting their causes, promoting their work, and giving them credit. You can also challenge stereotypes and stigma that may arise in your conversations or interactions with others.

Photos from past events over the years!

Source:

  1. Disability Pride Month (americanbar.org)

  2. How Disability Pride Month started and what it means (usatoday.com)

  3. 7 Disabled Books To Read To Celebrate Disability Pride Month This July - (therollingexplorer.com)

  4. 4 Things I Learned From Speaking On UIC’s Disability Pride Panel - (therollingexplorer.com)

  5. Disability Pride Month highlights need for accessibility, accomodations - The Daily Tar Heel

  6. Long Beach Disability Pride returns for second year - Signal Tribune (sigtrib.com)

  7. Celebrating Deaf Pride: Embracing Our Survival in a Mute System | Inter Press Service (ipsnews.net)

  8. Study Affirms LGBTQ People are More Likely to Have a Disability than the General Population - AmeriDisability

  9. Text - S.Res.719 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): A resolution expressing support for the designation of July 2022 as "Disability Pride Month". | Congress.gov | Library of Congress

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