Albuquerque Public Schools
Disability Pride Month
Disability Pride Month embraces and honors people with disabilities by increasing visibility, highlighting their achievements, honoring their inherent dignity, and advocating for their legal rights.
Disability Pride Month
Dates: July 1 - 31
Disability Pride Month
The first Disability Pride Month was held in July of 1990 in celebration of President George H. W. Bush signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 1990. ADA is a landmark law that protects the rights of people with disabilities, prohibiting discrimination, and guaranteeing public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications. Disabilities have historically been marginalized, thus ADA was a starting point for disability rights.
Since 1990, Disability Pride Month has been celebrated every year in July. Several cities hold parades to celebrate disability culture, instill pride, and address stigmas or perceptions about disabilities. Disability Pride Month embraces and honors people with disabilities by increasing visibility, highlighting their achievements, honoring their inherent dignity, and advocating for their legal rights. Disability Pride Month helps encourage public conversations about disabilities and related challenges.
Ann Magill, a disabled woman, designed a Disability Pride Month Flag that is used and symbolizes many aspects of the disabled community. Overall, it represents physical disabilities, neurodivergence, invisible/undiagnosed, psychiatric disabilities, sensory disabilities, and mourning and rage for victims of ableist violence and abuse.
Sources:
- Why and How to Celebrate Disability Pride Month 2023 - The Arc
- Disability Pride Toolkit and Resource Guide (ncil.org)
- What is Disability Pride? (ameridisability.com)
- What is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)? | ADA National Network (adata.org)
- Redesigned Disability Pride Flag | Disability Studies (uoregon.edu)