Disability Pride Month 2024



What is Disability Pride Month?

 

Disability Pride Month is celebrated each July to recognise the achievements and identities of people with disabilities, promoting mainstream awareness of this positive pride movement. It also serves as an opportunity for people in the disabled community to promote their own self-acceptance and empowerment, as well as their individual successes. 

The month encourages people to be authentically and unapologetically themselves, in a society where ableism unfortunately still runs rife, which has created many barriers to everyday life for lots of people with disabilities. There's also some individuals who celebrate Disability Pride hand-in-hand with LGBTQ+ Pride - though the months are not officially affiliated, people who are members of both communities might also view this as an opportunity to celebrate their whole self and identity. 

 

Georgia Vine (she/her) - Co-Chair of the Disability Staff Network 

A woman smiling in a selfie in front of a blue background

'To me, Disability Pride Month is about celebrating disabled joy. Yes, navigating disability and ableism is hard but my disabled life has provided me with so many opportunities such as sharing being a part of the amazing disabled community!'


Georgia's recent publication 'Occupational Therapy, Disability Activism, and Me' engages readers to consider the impact of ableism in healthcare.

 

The Disability Pride Flag


Charcoal flag with muted red, yellow, cream, blue and green colours striped across the middle

 

Description: A “Straight Diagonal” version of the Disability Pride Flag: A charcoal grey flag with a diagonal and from the top left to bottom right corner, made up of five parallel stripes in red, gold, pale grey, blue, and green.
 

The Disability Pride flag was developed by Ann Magill in 2019 and was refreshed in 2021 to improve accessibility (Inclusive Employers 2022).  
 

What does the flag represent?
 

The charcoal background represents those that have been subjected to ableist violence and mourning for those who we have lost, as well as representing the ongoing protests the disabled community face. The parallel colours represent the barriers disabled people face within an ableist society and the creativity that stems from this, to navigate life and break free from authority. 

These colours represent the various experiences in the disabled community such as: mental illness, development disability, physical disabilities, sensory disabilities and invisible disabilities (Inclusive Employers 2022). 

 

Disability Pride at the University 

The University has several active Staff Equality Networks, including our Disability Staff Network and our Neurodiversity Group. These groups provide a space for staff to connect and discuss issues in the workplace, including supportive strategies and approaches to managing disability and neurodiversity in the workplace. The groups also have regular social meetings for connecting with colleagues.

If you are interested in joining the networks, please contact…

Disability Staff Network
Co-Chairs (Georgia Vine and Erika Montgomery)

Neurodiversity Group
Co-Chairs (Simon Kelly and Erika Montgomery) or fill out this Microsoft Form. 

Upcoming Meetings:

Neurodiversity Group - Tuesday 16 July (12pm - 1pm via Teams)
Disability Staff Network - Thursday 18 July (12.15pm - 1pm via Teams)