What is Disability Pride Month?

July is Disability Pride Month. It's not well known about, unless you are part of or know someone who is part of the community. It's about celebrating disabled people. Celebrating our humanity, our talent, creativity, uniqueness and points of view. It's about bringing attention to the fact that disabled people still don't have equality in today's world and reminding the world that we are here. Educating people about challenges we face, the stigmas, the myths, the gaslighting and the inaccessibility.

Disability pride is not about toxic positivity. It's not about saying that everything is amazing, or saying 'we can do anything despite our disability'. It's not about those stupid memes saying 'I'm disabled and I can do it, what's your excuse?', or telling us how inspirational we are. *Cue vomit in mouth*.

It's important to show our reality, the good and bad. It's saying that we are disabled but we are still people. We have good days and bad days just like everyone else. It's showing that disability doesn't have a 'look'. We come in all shapes, sizes, genders, sexualities, colours, beliefs, styles, ages. Some use mobility aids or assistive devices, some don't. We are a huge rainbow of people, and no two of us are the same. I think it's about bringing attention to our lives, how they are the same as well as how they're different; and about sharing our thoughts and opinions.

Some people ask why we need disability pride month. Most people who ask questions like that are able bodied, and have the privilege to not have to think about things in the same way disabled people do; they're not affected by the same reality as we are. But the reality is that disabled people are still seen as less; less valuable, less desirable, less productive, worth less in some way. We're seen by society as a problem or a burden, which is not true. We're seen as inconvenient when we ask for accessibility, when in reality we just want to access the same things everyone else can. Disabled people do not have marriage equality or financial stability. We're not afforded the same benefits if we choose to get married or live with a partner. We're not allowed to have money saved up to afford things, even though we have so much more to buy to make our lives easier, things like wheelchairs and housing adaptations which cost thousands of pounds.

That's why we need Disability Pride month, and why we will continue to have it until we have true equality.

During Disability Pride month, use social media to highlight your favourite disabled creators, amplify our voices. Read blogs and learn something new about disability. Look out for inaccessibility everywhere you go, listen out for ableist language, call it out, ask for it to be changed. Share our stories, share what you've learned and posts you like. Able bodied people, use your voice to be an ally.

Happy Disability Pride Month everyone.