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What is Disability Pride Month and why is it important?
Disability Pride Month is an international annual awareness month that celebrates the diversity and individuality of the disabled community.
Disability pride can mean different things to different people – it is usually an opportunity to raise awareness and empower individuals living with disabilities. At Zetetick, our mission is to empower people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live as valued members of their community by finding them quality homes, not just housing; offering safety, security and opportunity where care, friendship and freedom can come first every day.
Since the 2010 Equality Act there have been laws in place to protect the rights of people with disabilities however, unfortunately in many cases the lives and experiences of people with disabilities tells a different story. Earlier this year in March we explored the topic of unemployment and the barriers facing those with a learning disability from obtaining employment. It is important to remember that it is not the disability that is the issue but the barriers in place that stop disabled people from participating or being included.
Origins and meaning of the Disability Pride Flag
The flag that you see today was unveiled in October 2021 by its creator Ann Magill. It is an update on a previous flag that Magill created to represent Disability Pride in 2019. The charcoal background commemorates and memorialises disabled people who have lost their lives due to ableism, violence, negligence, suicide, illness, and eugenics. Each coloured strip on the disability flag symbolises a different type of disability or impairment. The stripes are in parallel lines to represent solidarity within the disabled community and are positioned diagonally to symbolise cutting across barriers.
- Green is for sensory disabilities
- Blue represents emotional and psychiatric disabilities
- White stands for non-visible and undiagnosed disabilities
- Gold is for neurodiversity
- Red represents physical disabilities
Disability Pride – how can I join in?
There are over 14 million registered disabled people in the UK alone. But you don’t have to be disabled to join in and help spread awareness of the obstacles people with difficulties face; stand as an ally and your support is invaluable as we try to reduce and eradicate the barriers that disabled people have to navigate.
Why not get involved via social media? #DisabilityPride currently has 231k posts on Instagram alone. To get started check out some of the Instagram accounts of some our favourite activist influencers who are raising awareness of the issues faced by people with autism and/or learning disabilities and sharing their own personal experiences. Alternatively, why not go to the Zetetick Housing Instagram page and have a look at some of the amazing accounts we follow and work with, below are a few accounts whose content we enjoy and find informative:
- Defeating Disability – Bryony Moss is a 24-year-old actress, blogger, model and Disability and Mental Health Advocate. She uses her social media platforms and presence to raise awareness of the challenges facing those with a disability. Bryony has her own podcast that you can listen to here. Women Beyond the Box (a platform that celebrates Neurodivergent women) recently listed her as one of the Top 50 most influential Neurodivergent Women of 2023.
- Neurodivergent_Lou – Lou is a 21-year-old documenting her journey with autism online, sharing her experiences and resources that she has found useful. Lou aims to raise aware of the challenges that affect neurodivergent people and support other autistic people to embrace their identities.
- Elliemidds – Ellie Middleton is a young woman from Manchester with autism and ADHD. She is the founder of weareunmasked – a community created for neurodivergent busy-brains. She has also written a book called ‘Unmasked, the ultimate guide to ADHD, autism and neurodivergence’ that will be on sale later this year in October.
- Ellie_ology – Ellie suffers from Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME). ME is also known as chronic fatigue syndrome is a neurological disease with life changing impacts. 75% of ME suffers are unable to work and 25% are homebound or bedridden. Ellie shares fun videos documenting her life and experiences on Instagram.
- autistic_callum_ – Callum is a writer and creator who writes about his experiences of being a member of the LGBT+ community and his experiences of Autism and ADHD. Callum has been published in The Independent and Wondermind – an inclusive space where people are able to come together to explore, discuss and navigate their feelings.
Alternatively, if you live in or near Brighton, why not get involved in some local events. Since 2017, Disability Pride Brighton have been holding their own event which has proven to be a real hit. Keep an eye on their facebook and twitter pages for details of any events they might be putting on.
Also, Unity club nights have teamed up with Grace Eyre, Heart Venture and Carousel to host a Pride Party for people with learning disabilities and/or autism and their guests on 26th July 2023 from 6.30pm – 10pm. Tickets are £5 on the door, so head on out for an evening and support artists like J+G and make some new friends.
If you’d like to learn more about the events run by Zetetick, check out some of our recent articles:
