Have you ever heard of Disability Pride Month?

Disability Pride Month happens every July and has been celebrated in the UK since 2015.

It's an important opportunity to raise awareness of disabilities, start positive conversations and celebrate the diversity and differences of the disabled community.

The History of Disability Pride Month

Disability Pride Month has its origins in the US, where in 1990 a law called the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed to prevent people with disabilities being discriminated against.  Up until this point, people with disabilities weren't always treated equally and didn't have access to the same opportunities.

England, Scotland and Wales have a similar law that was passed in 2002 called the Disability Discrimination Act, that was itself replaced by the Equality Act in 2010.

People in Northern Ireland are protected by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

Over time, Disability Pride has evolved from a day of celebration in to a month-long event.

One in five people in the UK live with a disability.

The Disability Pride Flag

There are lots of different types of disability that affect people in different ways and each of the colours on the Disability Pride Flag represent these.  

• Red – Physical disabilities
• Gold – Neurodivergence (which includes conditions such as autism and ADHD)
• White - Invisible and undiagnosed disabilities
• Blue – mental health conditions
• Green – Sensory disabilities

The Disability Pride Flag was created by Ann Magill in 2019.

The coloured stripes are placed diagonally across the flag to show how disabled people have to cut across barriers in society.