Disability Pride Month is celebrated every July and is an opportunity to celebrate the history, achievements, experiences, and struggles of the disability community. July is the anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a landmark law that broke down barriers to inclusion in society.
People with disabilities, like everyone else, have the right to live full, self-determined lives. But discrimination against the 1 in 4 American adults with a disability persists. That’s why, starting in July, we’ll be spotlighting inspiring stories that show what’s possible with inclusion.
History of Disability Pride Month
Disability Pride Month occurs each July to commemorate the anniversary of the ADA being enacted on July 26, 1990. The first celebration was Disability Pride Day in Boston in 1990. Chicago held the first Disability Pride Parade in 2004. Today, events are held across the country to help people with disabilities feel proud of who they are. Learn more about the history of Disability Pride Month and the story behind the flag here.
Theme for 2024: “We want a life like yours”
This theme comes from The Arc’s National Council of Self-Advocates and reflects the dreams of the disability community for life experiences that are too often denied. This month we share diverse stories of people with disabilities who are given opportunities and thrive as students, employees, leaders, active members of their communities and families, and more.
Learn about disability experiences
Meet People with Disabilities: Visit our Stories hub to read Good Housekeeping articles that reveal what people with disabilities want society to know. The more we listen to people with disabilities and share their truths, the more we can foster positive change. Learn about disability rights in the United States:
Share your disability story using #DisabilityPride and #DisablityPrideMonth
What are you proud of? What do you want non-disabled people to know about? Share your video, photo or written response on social media using the hashtags #DisabilityPride and #DisabilityPrideMonth. We hope as many people as possible join the conversation! Join in the celebration of The Arc by following us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook. X/Twitter.
I take action
Lobby your elected officials: Educate your elected officials about policies that undermine or improve the quality of life for people with disabilities. Bookmark The Arc’s Action Center for timely alerts. Donate to The Arc: For nearly 75 years, The Arc has been at the forefront of positive change for disability rights. And we’re not slowing down. Donate and join our grassroots movement to create policies, programs, and possibilities for people with disabilities.
Teach children to accept and appreciate disabilities
Help foster inclusion for future generations of people with disabilities with age-appropriate tips from TODAY.com, HuffPost and Cincinnati Children’s.
Participate in Disability Pride Month events in your area
Celebrate and show your support for your local disability community. While we don’t yet have a database of Disability Pride Month events, here are some upcoming events in major cities:
Employment of people with disabilities
Today, 85% of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are unemployed. Many of them want to work and have skills to contribute. Of those who are employed, people with intellectual disabilities work fewer than 13 hours a week on average and less than one in five receive workplace benefits. Yet research proves that hiring people with disabilities is a good business decision. Read stories from employees and their employers.
There are so many other ways to celebrate Disability Pride Month, we hope this list is a good starting point. Thank you for helping amplify the voices and experiences of people with disabilities!
If you have any questions or have an event/resource that should be added to this page, please email Jackie Dilworth at [email protected].