DISABILITY PRIDE MONTH
Every July we celebrate Disability Pride Month to mark the anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act and honor the history, experiences and achievements of the disability community. Join The Arc of Spokane in commemorating Disability Pride Month throughout July through learning more about the disability community from self-advocates and tools for anyone to be an advocate for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
Use #disabilitypride #disabilitypridemonth on Instagram and Facebook to share how you’re celebrating Disability Pride Month!
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The American Bar Association Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council has created a 21-Day Disability Equity Habit Building Challenge syllabus in honor of Disability Pride Month. This Challenge is modeled after the “21-Day Racial Equity Habit-Building Challenge©,” which was conceived by diversity expert Dr. Eddie Moore, Jr. to advance deeper understandings of the intersections of race, power, privilege, supremacy, and oppression.
The Challenge invites participants to complete a syllabus of short assignments (typically take up to 20 minutes) over 21 consecutive days, followed by additional resources and discussion questions. This syllabus is but an introduction to what we hope will be a rewarding journey that extends far beyond the limits of this project. It cannot highlight all the diversity of experiences and opinions within the disability community itself.
Learn more and view the entire challenge here.
Voting
Protecting the Rights of Voters with Disabilities (6-minute article) (2024)
The Barriers to Voting Faced by Americans with Disabilities (6-minute article) (2024)
U.S. Election Assistance Commission releases study on disability and voting accessibility in the 2020 elections | U.S. Election Assistance Commission (eac.gov) (4-minute article) (2021)
Additional Resources
Report finds people with disabilities continue to face outsized barriers to voting (5-minute article) (2023)
The Americans with Disabilities Act and Other Federal Laws Protecting the Rights of Voters with Disabilities (23-minute article) (2024)
Discussion Questions
How can multiply marginalized individuals work together to impact voting changes that improve accessibility for all?
How can voting systems guarantee full confidentiality while also making voting fully accessible to all citizens, including disabled people?
Is voting by mail the definitive answer for fully including disabled individuals in the electoral process?
Activism
How a Young Lawyer’s Mental Health Journey Fuels Her Advocacy Work (4-minute article) (2024)
A Day in the Life of a Disability Rights Advocate (2-minute video) (2024)
I'm a Disability Activist Because I Have to Be, But Not Always Because I Want to Be - Rooted in Rights (4-minute article) (2021)
Activists with disabilities want to lead the climate fight despite barriers in their way (4-minute article) (2023)
There is No Justice Without Disability (1-minute video)
Additional Resources
The Capitol Crawl was a powerful act of protest! (2-minute video) (2023)
My Disability Activism Models My Pride in Who I Am (4-minute article) (2023)
The story behind a disability awareness activist campaigning (13-minute video) (2023)
Disability Equity Webinar Series: Disability Rights Activism and Organizing (1 hour video) (2024)
Discussion Questions
When you learned about the civil rights movement, did you learn about people with disabilities and their fight for equal rights?
Are there ways you can support disability activists using the law to implement systemic change?
How can marginalized communities come together to address shared injustices and fight oppression?
Does society treat disability activism different from other types of activism?
Q & A with Parent Coalition Self-Advocate
Taylor Crisp
What does Disability Pride Month mean to you as a self-advocate with an IDD?
There are a lot of different meanings to Disability Pride Month that personally relate closely to me in so many ways! However, I would say when I think about Disability Pride Month, I think about taking pride in who I am! Being proud that my disability is a part of me and the person I am today and the person I want to strive to become more of, just taking more pride in that and owning it. This is my reality! When I also think about Disability Pride Month what comes to mind is the legislative movements that brought me and everyone in the disability community in the first place! There would be no Disability Pride Month without legislative advocacy and movements to include disability rights as civil human rights! Legislation and policy change is truly the grassroots of Disability Pride Month! To acknowledge and recognize how folx with IDD and their families had to fight for equal rights in opportunities for employment, education, housing etc. Disability Pride month is truly an important moment in history to celebrate so those with IDD are not isolated from society. We exist in fact we are among some of largest population and marginalized voting bloc in the United States! With that said, the work is far from over not just when it comes to legislation and policy changes but changes and society as well. There are lot’s practices and policies that can be improved. Which ties into the next question….
In your view what is the biggest issue relating to disability and how do you as a self-advocate, speak on these issues?
I am great when it comes to advocating for others but not the best when it comes to advocating for myself. I am continuing to work on that thought I feel that is something a lot can relate to when it comes to working in disability/legislative advocacy! With that said there are still a lot of issues/barriers that need to be addressed within the IDD community, such as an increase in affordable/accessible housing options, expanding services in rural areas, more access for help with mental health, inclusive quality education, provider shortages, and more! There are barriers in society as well! There no one simple answer as I see things from person-centered point of view. These are the issues I see going on right now in my own communities with families and individuals!
“Disability Pride month is truly an important moment in history to celebrate so those with IDD are not isolated from society. ”