Here’s everything you need to know about Disability Pride Month 2022
We’re proud to be celebrating Disability Pride Month 2022 by recognising the experiences of people with disabilities throughout July. Disability Pride Month allows us to raise awareness and empower those individuals living with disabilities globally.
Are you aware of what Disability Pride Month means? Or, perhaps you didn’t even know there was one – you’re not alone! As an international annual awareness month, Disability Pride Month celebrates the diversity of the Disabled community.
If you’re looking to learn more, this blog covers all things Disability Pride. Keep reading to find out more.
Back to the beginning… How did Disability Pride Month start?
Disability pride was first celebrated in Boston, USA in July 1990, coinciding with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) signing.
Disability Pride Month has been celebrated every July since in the USA to commemorate the passing of the ADA and was first celebrated in the UK at Brighton in 2017.
What does it mean to celebrate Disability Pride month?
This event is a recognition of the obstacles that individuals with disabilities overcome. You don’t have to be disabled to join in – nondisabled people can stand as allies and your support is invaluable!
What does the Disability Pride flag represent?
This vibrant flag is flown for all people with disabilities and tries to represent them through its colourful design.
The five colours are symbolic of the various experiences in the disabled community; invisible disabilities, sensory disabilities, physical disabilities, developmental disabilities and mental illnesses. They are arranged in a band to represent the barriers that disabled people have to navigate.
The charcoal background is representative of the members of the community that have experienced ableism and the protest against this within the community.
What does ableism mean?
Ableism characterises people as defined by their disabilities, referring to the discrimination and social prejudice surrounding members of the disabled community. This type of discrimination favours nondisabled people, based on the idea that being nondisabled is the default.
A big movement to counteract the discrimination of ableism is the presence of a disability culture within the community.
What does disability culture mean?
Disability culture is a widely-used concept that refers to the differences in lifestyle that are caused by disability, built around a core value of acceptance of difference. It is a set of beliefs and expressions created by members of the disabled community to describe their life experiences.
How can I join in with Disability Pride Month 2022?
With more than 14 million disabled people in the UK alone, there’s plenty to celebrate this Disability Pride Month.
Eventbrite is hosting a number of virtual events throughout July that are easy to access wherever you are. We’ve gathered a selection below that are free to attend – bonus!
Accessible Gentle Movement for All Bodies
Thursday 14th July, 4 – 4.20pm
Chavie Fuchs teaches effective methods to nourish your body and soul with accessible, gentle movement.
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Disability Pride Month: Understanding Autism
Wednesday 20th July, 7pm
Join the PBKNY Diversity & Inclusion Committee for a discussion on autism and disability rights inspired by Naoki Higashida’s book, The Reason I Jump and the Netflix documentary of the same title.
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Quality Disability Support Workshop #3 – Disability history and foundations
Thursday 21st July, 12.30 – 2.30pm
The third instalment of the Support Worker Workshops and Community of Practice collection examines how past treatment has led to buildings, systems and attitudes becoming so inaccessible and inhospitable.
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Disability Pride Month – #IamRemarkable Workshop
Tuesday 26th July, 7 – 8.30pm
Learn how to celebrate your accomplishments and amplify the voices of your disabled peers.
As always, social media is a great way to stand in solidarity. Share your stories using the hashtag #ProudToBeDifferent and don’t forget to tag us @accessforstudents – we’d love to hear them! Happy Disability Pride Month 2022!