Disability Pride Month: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How to Get Involved

Every July, Disability Pride Month gives us a space to celebrate our identities as disabled people, not despite our differences, but with them. For those of us living with chronic illness, mobility aids, feeding tubes, or conditions that fluctuate, this month can be both empowering and complex. It’s okay if you’re not feeling loud and proud, this guide is here to meet you where you are.

What Is Disability Pride Month?

Disability Pride Month is a time to honour and uplift disabled voices, bodies, and lives. It started in the US to mark the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act in July 1990, but it’s slowly gaining momentum here in the UK too.

While it’s not yet officially recognised by the UK government, it’s increasingly acknowledged across social media, workplaces, and communities as a chance to:

·       Celebrate disabled identity

·       Challenge stigma

·       Promote visibility and representation

·       Call for better access and rights

 

Why Do We Celebrate It?

For many of us, disability has been framed as something to fix, hide, or apologise for. We’re taught to “push through,” mask our needs, and downplay our differences.

Disability Pride Month flips that script.

It’s about saying: this is me; feeding tubes, walking aids, fatigue, care needs, and all. We don’t have to wait until we’re “better” to feel worthy. Our lives matter now.

We celebrate to:

·       Reclaim our identities

·       Build community and connection

·       Honour our resilience

·       Push for change in a world that still isn’t accessible enough

 

How to Get Involved (Even If You're Bed bound)

You don’t have to march in a parade or post on social media to be part of Disability Pride Month. Here are some accessible ways to engage, whatever your energy levels:

1. Learn About Disability Rights (Especially in the UK)

Understanding your rights can be empowering. Read up on:

·       The Equality Act 2010

·       Reasonable adjustments in education and work

·       The social model of disability (it’s society that disables, not our bodies)

2. Join a Supportive Community

Whether online or in person, connecting with others who “get it” can make a huge difference. My group, Finding Happiness, Together, meets monthly and is open to anyone with a chronic illness or disability. Join here.

3. Celebrate Small Wins

Using your mobility aid without shame. Getting through a hospital appointment. Resting without guilt. All that counts as pride.

4. Follow Disabled Creators and Advocates

Representation matters. Follow voices that reflect the reality of disabled life; the joy, the struggle, and everything in between.

5. Speak Up (If You Feel Safe To)

Whether it’s sharing your story, requesting accessibility at work, or simply using your aids publicly, your voice has impact. You never know who you might help.

6. Rest. That’s Pride Too.

Disability Pride doesn’t require performance. It’s okay to simply be. To take up space as you are. To exist without apology.

 

How Disability Pride Month Can Help Us

Disability Pride Month isn't about pretending everything’s perfect, it’s about feeling seen. It can help you:

·       Reframe how you view your body or health

·       Reduce internalised shame

·       Find solidarity in shared experience

·       Connect with people who truly understand

·       Realise you're not alone, and never were

 

Final Thoughts

Whether you’ve just been diagnosed, have lived with disability your whole life, or you're still figuring things out, Disability Pride Month is for you.

You don’t have to feel proud every day to be part of it. Some days are full of joy. Others are full of grief. Pride can exist alongside both.

This month, allow yourself to be all of you; feeding tubes, wheelchairs, pain, softness, strength, humour, and hope.Because none of those things make you less. They just make you real. And real is enough.

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Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog and visit my website, it truly means the world to me. If you’ve found my posts helpful or inspiring, please consider liking, commenting, or sharing my story to help spread awareness. If you’re able to, a donation to my JustGiving page would go a long way in supporting my journey towards private medical treatment. Your kindness and support make all the difference, and I’m deeply grateful for every bit of it. 

Want to stay connected and be part of a supportive space? Subscribe to my Monthly Newsletter, join my support group “Finding Happiness, Together” and Facebook group to connect with others and be part of the conversation.