Celebrating Disability Pride Month

July is Disability Pride Month, an international initiative that celebrates the disability community. It takes place every July in the UK and is predominantly a celebration that highlights the creativity, resilience, and achievements of people who identify as disabled. It is also a time to celebrate the diversity in the disability community and to reject the stigma, discrimination, and ableism that prevents equality for everyone.

At Artswork, we sent a survey to staff who identify as disabled to give them an opportunity to talk about their experiences in their own words. Keep reading to find out more:

“Celebrating all the things you CAN do, not the things you can’t. Often the thing that holds people back is the perceptions, attitudes and barriers imposed by the abled community, and a world that is almost completely geared towards those who are able of mind and body.”

“If I had to answer the question of if I’m proud of being disabled, I would say I’m not proud of it, but I’m not ashamed of it either. My relationship with my disability is that I think of it as something that is a part of me, that it isn’t separate from who I am, but it isn’t all of who I am either.”

“Since Disability Pride is a part of disability awareness, I would say it makes me feel optimistic to hear about it, and I think as I’ve gotten older, although I still young, I have seen big changes in regards to attitudes towards my disability at least.”

Disability Pride Month is about celebrating, raising awareness and highlighting disabled voices. Staff who identify as disabled shared some of their experiences with us:

“I often have uncertainties and misgivings about identifying as disabled. This is because I am largely able to live a full and active life; however my issues do have a significant and long-term impact on me. The definition of a disability aligns with my experiences. I have mixed anxiety and depressive disorder, and am currently undergoing investigation for other mental health issues. I also have a heart condition, and both of these illnesses hold me back in their own ways. I am not seen as disabled by those outside of the disability community however, and often face assumptions that I’m making my issues up, exaggerating them, or don’t face challenges at all.here needs to be a greater sense of inclusion of those who aren’t ‘traditionally’ seen as disabled, and those who exist on the fringes of the definition, or within a crossover of the scope of illness. This inclusivity needs to be present in both the disabled and the abled communities; in order to promote a more equitable society. One of the biggest issues that needs to change is the stereotypical view of ‘because you look okay on the outside, there can’t be anything ‘wrong’ with you.”

Artswork staff member

“At the end of the day, pride is knowing you deserve the same respect as everyone else, it’s about believing that you’re making a difference, even if its small and with pride, more meaningful conversations can be had, where we can learn to treat each other better.”

Jack. Read more about Jack’s experiences in his blog post here

Want to find out more about Disability Pride month? Check out these resources:

The Disability Resource Centre

Local Government Association: Disability Pride Month 2022

Disability Pride Month: #ProudToBeDifferent

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Blog Disability Pride Month Health and Wellbeing Mental Health and Wellbeing