Disability Pride Month

Disability Pride Month

July is Disability Pride Month!

What is Disability Pride Month?

Disability Pride Month is a celebration in honor of the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) being signed into law. It celebrates disability as an identity by sharing the experiences of the disabled community.

The reason behind the month is a chance to share the joy and pride that disabled people can bring to their local and global communities.

Why is Disability Pride Month important?

15% of the global population is disabled. 25% of all Americans have a disability. This is a time to listen to their stories and learn about their experiences.

July is an important opportunity to highlight how more needs to be done to make the world accessible and inclusive for disabled people. Although we have moved forward, we have not moved fast enough.

The disabled community represents 15% of the world population, yet disabled people still face discrimination:

  • Globally, at least half of the 65 million disabled primary and secondary school age children do not have a place in school.
  • Disabled people are three times more likely to be denied health care, and four times more likely to be treated badly in the health care system.
  • In the US, disabled people are twice as likely to live in poverty.
  • Disabled workers face a significant wage gap, earning 74 cents on the dollar, on average, compared with non-disabled workers.
  • Disabled people of color face even greater economic hardship. One in four disabled Black adults in the United States lived in poverty in 2020.
    There is so much more to do to promote disability inclusion, representation and accessibility – and to reduce discrimination.

This month helps to educate people about disabilities. By raising awareness, it allows everyone to look at how different businesses, organizations and other entities can be more accessible to people living with long-lasting disabilities, health conditions, or mental health conditions. It is also the opportunity for disabled persons to own their identities, lead the way, and feel included in society.

This Disability Pride Month flag

The Disability Pride flag was just reinvented last October to be more inclusive!

Previously, the brightly colored zigzag design triggered sensory issues like seizures, nausea, migraines, disorientation and eye strain in exactly the community it represented. The lighter colors in the new design also improve disability for color blindness.

Disability Pride Month

Black field: the color of mourning and rage representing the victims of Ableist violence. Additionally, it symbolizes rebellion and protest.

Five colors: the representation of the variety of needs and experiences of those with invisible and undiagnosed disabilities, physical disabilities, neurodivergence, psychiatric disabilities, and sensory disabilities.

Parallel stripes: the representation of solidarity within the disabled community and all its differences.

Diagonal band: the representation of « cutting across » barriers that separate disabled people from society; creativity and light cutting across darkness

The flag was a collaborative effort designed by Ann Magill, a disabled woman, and the disabled community.

Let’s celebrate this July

Disability should be seen as a unique part of human diversity. July is a time to raise awareness, take action, have pride, and be advocates. Differences are not deficits. Let’s all take time this month to learn how to be a better ally to the disabled community.

UBIQUE TECH fights against exclusion and discrimination. We strive for a society that is open to diversity, difference and disability. Learn more about our values here.

*Statistics from World Health OrganizationThe World Bank, and The Century Foundation

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