Why Disability Pride Month needs your attention
How teams can lean into Disability PRIDE Month to raise awareness
Today’s newsletter is a guest post from Roxane Lavanchy, a Disabled and Neurodivergent consultant, facilitator, and researcher with over seven years’ experience advancing equity, inclusion, and systems change across sectors. In Roxane’s own words:
“Everything I do is about shaping culture – whether that’s working with organisations to build more inclusive cultures through practice and systems change, or exploring how our lives and the structures we navigate are shaped by – and in turn shape – culture and media, through research, writing and media production.”
Follow her on LinkedIn here.
What is Disability Pride Month and why we need it
Last Sunday, I visited the V&A Museum’s Design and Disability exhibition, which showcases the contributions of Disabled, Deaf and Neurodivergent people to design. Its introductory sign ends with the line ‘[this exhibition] is both a celebration and a call to action.’ That pretty much sums up what Disability Pride Month means to me.
Disability Pride Month originated in Boston in the United States in 1990, marking the passing of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA), a civil law that prohibits disability discrimination. Since then, it has grown worldwide into a celebration of our community – our diversity, creativity, resilience and achievements. It is a celebration of Disabled identity.
When we say it is about celebrating Disabled identity, we are not saying all Disabled people are the same. In my opinion, the social model of disability is central to understanding the concepts of Disability Pride and Disabled identity. Developed by our community, it states that disability is not caused by people’s conditions or differences, but by the way society is run and organised. We are disabled by barriers – physical, sensory, attitudinal, bureaucratic, financial or related to information and communication. From that perspective, it should therefore be society’s collective responsibility to change, not ours, and to remove the barriers it put in place. This is this framework that, over eight years ago, changed my life – enabling me to move from a place of individualised shame to recognising that I was studying and working in a system simply not built for me, and empowering me to claim the support I deserved and needed.
Disability is contextual – we are disabled by an ableist and disableist society, where non-Disabled bodies and minds are seen as the norm. When we say we are Disabled, we are not saying we are not or less able. We are saying that we are disabled by the barriers we face. Claiming this identity or this label may come more or less easily to each of us, and it is not suggesting that we are one homogenous group. There are over 16 million Disabled people in the UK, and around 1.3 billion globally. We each have our own experiences. But for many, it is a way to highlight that our existence and our experiences are inherently political. It allows to come together, build community, name shared experiences of marginalisation and exclusion and campaign for change. I am proud to be Disabled because of the support and understanding I found within the community of peers and organisations who have shaped who I am. I am proud because I have unique perspectives and skills, not despite disability but because of it. I am proud because, time and time again, I and other Disabled siblings persevere, work for change, and show more empathy, tenacity and resilience than we should ever have to in a world not built for us.
The Disability Pride flag – created in 2019 by Disabled activist Ann Magill and evolved over time through community input – highlights the diversity of needs and experiences within the Disabled community. The colours are laid out in parallel stripes to evoke the barriers Disabled people face in society. Each colour has a specific meaning:
Red: physical differences and conditions
Gold: Neurodivergence
White: hidden and undiagnosed differences and conditions
Blue: Mental health conditions and challenges
Green: Hearing, vision and all other sensory differences
Black/Charcoal: represents all people in the community who have experienced ableism
We need Disability Pride to highlight our continued marginalisation and exclusion from all spheres of society. In 2025, Disability continues to be an afterthought or to be seen as a dirty word. Disability rights, social security and essential sources of support already scarce are all under threat in the UK and globally. With continued barriers to work, healthcare, education and public life, Disability Pride Month marks an important opportunity to push back and show that Disabled people are not going anywhere.
Of course, not every person who experiences disablement will feel pride. Disability comes with grief, trauma and pain resulting from navigating systems that are not built with our needs in mind. But Disability Pride Month is an opportunity to reframe our experiences and find support among peers. It’s a chance to celebrate Disabled lives, joy and our contributions to society and culture without ignoring the barriers we continue to face. Too often, organisations want to celebrate Disabled, Deaf and Neurodivergent talent in a superhero-like way without acknowledging the systemic barriers we navigate daily. Disability Pride Month is a chance to do both: celebrate our contributions because of and regardless of our lived experience (not in spite of disability) – and to push for cultural and systemic change.
How to celebrate Disability Pride Month
Disability Pride Month is for anyone who is disabled or for allies to show their solidarity by celebrating disability. Organisations and businesses can and should play a pivotal role in shifting attitudes and removing the barriers we continue to face. We need culture and system change. There are many things you can do in July and year-round but below are some ideas:
Learn and reflect on our own experiences and attitudes towards disability
Disability Pride Month is a time to reflect – not just to raise awareness, but to actively question our attitudes towards disability and Disabled people. Many of us have grown up absorbing harmful stereotypes – seeing disability as a tragedy, or something to overcome – and have rarely been encouraged to question these views. Have you ever paused to reflect on your own attitudes? On the language you use or were taught to use to talk about disability? On whether your workplace practices and processes may unintentionally exclude some of us? Whether or not we identify as Disabled, we all live in a world shaped by ableism. I am still unpacking my own internalised ableism.
Disability Pride Month is an opportunity to pause, unpack and reflect. For non-Disabled people, it’s also a chance to think about what allyship really looks like. There are so many ways in – from reading and listening to Disabled writers and creators, to organising or attending talks, training workshops. I would start by learning about the models of disability, the disability rights movement and inclusive workplace practices. Any training or consultancy should be intersectional and centre the diverse and nuanced experiences of Disabled, Deaf and Neurodivergent employees. It should equip all staff with an understanding of how disablement occurs and provide the tools to foster inclusion in the workplace. Most importantly, training should move beyond awareness and emphasise that it’s everyone’s responsibility to remove the disabling barriers we face. Where relevant, it should also cover recruitment, inclusive design, access technology and inclusive events.
Platform Disabled Voices and Culture
Whether by inviting external speakers or celebrating the voices already present within your organisation, use Disability Pride Month (and the rest of the year) as an opportunity to actively platform Disabled people. Create space for Disabled staff and collaborators to share their stories, experiences and insights. It could be through blogs, panels, internal events, exhibitions or social media takeovers. Disabled perspectives are wide-ranging and nuanced, shaped by intersecting experiences of race, gender, class, sexuality, religion, nationality and more. Make sure to reflect that diversity in the people and organisations you platform.
There is also such a rich heritage of Disability arts, culture and media that continues to be overlooked in the mainstream. Engaging with this work – by attending events, commissioning artists, promoting existing projects, or collaborating directly – can be a powerful way to mark Disability Pride Month. But this should always come with fair pay, proper credit, and access needs being met.
A few of my recommendations:
V&A's Design and Disability exhibition – If you’re in London, visit this new exhibition exploring the contributions of Disabled, Deaf and neurodivergent people to design. You could even make it a team activity
People’s History Museum's Nothing About Us Without Us exhibition – This 2022–2023 exhibition in Manchester focused on the history of Disabled people’s activism and our ongoing fight for rights and inclusion. While the exhibition has now closed, many of its resources remain available online, including a 3D virtual tour.
Move Beyond Reasonable adjustments towards genuine, active inclusion
Genuine inclusion isn’t just about reacting when someone shares they need step-free access, captions, documents in a specific format or specific equipment – it’s about intentionally designing systems, spaces and processes with different needs and experiences in mind. Too often, I hear organisations claim they are disability inclusive because they make reasonable adjustments. These are, of course, crucial – and a legal obligation – but in practice, the onus is too often placed on individuals to ask, explain and advocate, frequently having to jump through hoops to access basic adjustments. In other words, reasonable adjustments individualise access, placing Disabled individuals in the vulnerable position of having to share sensitive information or self-advocate for our rights. It takes time and energy that would be much better spent doing our job. What if we flipped that? What if we challenged these power imbalances and saw accessibility as a shared responsibility – something that’s built in as standard, and maintained collectively, rather than offered only when prompted?
I truly believe it is possible. I believe it would benefit everybody. And in many ways we’ve already moved into that direction with the normalisation of flexible and home working, for example. Disabled people – as well as parents and carers – previously had to request and fight for those ways of working as adjustments.
Disability Pride Month is an opportunity to recommit (or kickstart) your strategy for disability inclusion and access. That might mean reviewing your recruitment process, embedding inclusive communications practices, or rethinking how you plan and manage events and meetings. Of course, the journey to inclusion means operating both in the world as it should be – imagining realities without disabling barriers – and in the world as it is – adjusting existing systems and practices. But the commitment here is to bring disability front of mind, rather than leaving it as an afterthought.
Lead by example and role model disability inclusion
Leaders and managers have such an important role to play. Fostering genuine and long-lasting disability inclusion requires strong leadership, commitment and behaviours. That means leading by example and role-modelling inclusive practices, such as encouraging an open dialogue about disability, using inclusive language and normalising access technology and flexible ways.
In the organisations I worked in, when I – along with other leaders and managers – chose to speak openly about our lived experiences and the tools we used to work at our best, it helped create a shift across the organisation. It shaped a culture where both existing and new employees felt more psychologically safe to talk about their experiences and access needs. That sense of openness and trust doesn't just appear out of thin air. It is role modelled.
Support disability inclusion and justice beyond the workplace
While a dedicated month shines a spotlight on our community, it’s crucial that we and our allies continue to challenge the negative attitudes and disabling practices that hold us back all year round. The barriers we face at work are interwoven with the barriers we face outside of work. Stay informed about news, policy changes and developments affecting Disabled people – including those that impact work, like the Access to Work scheme. It’s a vital government programme designed to support more Disabled people into and within work – and yet too many people and employers still don’t know it exists.
Supporting Disabled people doesn’t start and end in the workplace. It’s about practising solidarity across all areas of life – including housing, healthcare, education and community spaces.
You may want to follow and learn from the following outlets and journalists:
Frances Ryan
Rachel Charlton-Dailey
John Pring / Disability News Service
Support and work with Disabled people and Disabled-led organisations – known as DDPOs (Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisations). These are organisations where at least 75% of the board or 50% of staff are Deaf or Disabled – and often both. Prioritising partnership with DDPOs helps shift power and ensure resources are going directly to those with lived experience.
To conclude, Disability Pride Month is an opportunity to raise awareness and celebrate our community, but efforts to foster genuine disability inclusion should, of course, be happening year-round. Best practice and workplace context evolve all the time, so make sure to review and improve processes and practices. Disability inclusion is not just a policy and a public statement – it’s about changing systems and culture, embedding inclusive practices and truly valuing Disabled people’s unique experience and perspectives, gained because of disability and regardless of it too. As a Disabled and neurodivergent consultant, facilitator and researcher, I support organisations across sectors to do just that.
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