Disability Pride: Honoring History, Celebrating Identity
Why is July designated as Disability Pride Month? Rather than being formally declared by the federal government, Disability Pride Month grew organically from the decades-long efforts of disability rights activists to bring about equal rights for themselves and their fellow American citizens. One of the crowning achievements of this movement was the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in July of 1990, the most comprehensive civil rights law for disabled Americans. The celebration of this moment still reverberates decades later as we continually strive for a greater society of equality and acceptance. Today, Disability Pride embraces people with many different lived experiences, including physical, sensory, intellectual, and developmental disabilities, recognizing that every person deserves dignity, opportunity, and a place in their community.
By July of 1990, the ADA had been making its way through various legislative bodies for five years. The months leading up to the final passage were marked by highly visible demonstrations, in which protestors directly invoked the power of the civil rights protests of the 1960s and 1970s, including the Section 504 Sit-Ins of 1977. The most famous of these rallies culminated in the Capitol Crawl in March of 1990, where disabled protestors left their mobility aids at the bottom of the Capitol Building stairs and pulled themselves up the stairs to protest the lack of access. Jennifer Keelan, an eight-year-old girl with cerebral palsy who pulled herself up the stairs using her arms, was quoted as saying, “I’ll take all night, if I have to.” This moment has been directly cited as providing the final push needed to pressure the federal government into signing and implementing the ADA. The spirit of self-determination and resolve that was shown during the Capitol Crawl also informs the legacy that is celebrated every Disability Pride Month.
As disability rights advocates pushed for legal and social change, they also encouraged people to think differently about disability itself. In recent years, new ways of looking at disability have become increasingly mainstream. Formerly, what was called the medical model of disability portrayed disabled people as victims of their circumstances who needed to either be “fixed” or be hidden from view. The social model, one influential perspective which was developed by disability scholars, sees disability as a failure by society to accommodate everybody rather than an individual deficit. This viewpoint focuses on removing barriers, increasing understanding, and practicing self-acceptance. Disability pride is based in this tradition. The goal of disability pride, while still acknowledging the struggles that disabled citizens have faced and continue to face, is to foster a sense of community and love. The emphasis on visible celebration challenges stereotypes about disabled people, including the idea that they do not belong in public life. Finally, disability pride is the best way to honor those who have come before, who fought so that others may have a better future.
Disability Pride Month celebrations take place every year in many major cities, including New York, Philadelphia, and Boston, which hosted the first ever Disability Pride Day celebration several months after the passage of the ADA. These celebrations consist of parades, museum exhibits, and more. Shared Wellness will celebrate this month by writing profiles of important figures with physical, neurodevelopmental, or intellectual disabilities who made a mark in disability rights history. Throughout July, we will be sharing the stories of people who pushed back against discrimination, fought for systemic change, built self-advocacy movements, and shifted public perception about what the life of a disabled person can be. While this series will consist of only a small selection of the countless people who advocated for disability justice, it will serve as an introduction to the rich and powerful movements that led to our ability to celebrate Disability Pride today.
ADDITIONAL READING:
Disability Pride Month 2026: Theme, History, How to Celebrate
American Bar Association: Celebrating Disability Pride Month
