July is Disability Pride Month

People with disabilities are the largest and most diverse minority within our population, representing all abilities, ages, races, ethnicities, religions, and socio-economic backgrounds.

Although not nationally recognized, July is Disability Pride Month and an opportunity for people with disabilities to be proudly visible in the community. Disability Pride Month seeks to change the way people think about and define disability, to end the stigma of disability, and to promote the belief that disability is a natural part of human diversity in which people living with disabilities can take pride.

“Disability pride” has been defined as accepting and honoring each person’s uniqueness and seeing it as a natural and beautiful part of human diversity. 

Disability is more than the pills that you take or the doctors that you see. It’s a part of who we are. Pride comes from celebrating our heritage, disability culture, the unique experiences of people with differing abilities, and the contributions that they offer to society.

July 26th is the 31st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Signed in 1990 by president George H.W. Bush, the ADA is a civil-rights act that prohibits discrimination against Americans with disabilities.

The ADA ensures that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. The ADA also increases access and opportunities in key areas like transportation, employment, public accommodations, communications, and services.

Join SEIU Local 1000 in celebrating Disability Pride month.

Local 1000’s Accessibility Committee works to recruit and train disabled members as activists and union leaders, and they help District Labor Councils to create strategies regarding issues affecting disabled workers. You can learn more about the Accessibility Committee, and send them a message, at seiu1000.org/accessibility-committee