This July, organizations and individuals around the country will celebrate Disability Pride Month as well as the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)!

The Disability Pride movement is an opportunity to honor the history, achievements, experiences and struggles of the disability community.

This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the passing of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in federally-assisted programs or activities. This law eventually led to the Americans with Disabilities Act being passed 1990.

Disability Pride recognizes these achievements by celebrating self-love, advancing community empowerment, and breaking down barriers in the way toward full equity, inclusion, and access for disabled people. In order to reach our goals, we must remember to celebrate disability every day! 

By all of us working together, we can create a more welcoming, inclusive, and accessible world for all – a world that understands disability not as something negative, but as a powerful, integral part of a person. Join us in celebrating disability this month and recognizing that we won’t all be equal until disability rights are fully realized. 

Watch our Disability Pride Month Video

How Easterseals is Raising Public Awareness about Disability Pride

  • In early July, LAX, Los Angeles City Hall and the Magic Castle illuminated their structures in Easterseals's signature orange in honor of Easterseals and Disability Pride Month.
  • ESSC’s Disability Pride ads were featured in two-page spreads in the LA Times, OC Register, San Diego Union Tribune, Ventura County Star, Riverside Press Enterprise and San Bernardino Sun on July 9. 
  • On July 10, we were on the cover of the LA, San Diego and OC Business Journals and did an online homepage takeover of CNN’s Business section.
  • We released a blog post written by Easterseasl Advocate Howard McBroom called "Why Disability Pride Month Matters and 7 Ways You Can Be an Ally."
Los Angeles Lit Up in Easterseals' Signature 'Orange' for Disability Pride 

LAX pylons lit up in orange              The Magic Castle lit up in orange              LA City Hall lit up in orange             
Easterseals Disability Pride Month Ads
a collage showing disability pride month ads and graphics                     CNN takeover webpage


Stay Tuned For Even More…
  • ESSC’s corporate partner, Curacao, is highlighting Disability Pride for their customers by displaying our English/Spanish postcards at store registers. They will also host a live virtual event featuring Easterseals’ participants on July 18 at 10 am. The live event will be streamed on all of Easterseals' social media platforms. 
  • ESSC's Disability Pride Month videos will feature participants reflecting on what makes them proud to be a part of the disability community along with engaging footage of various activities at our ESSC locations.
  • Easterseals Night at the Angels is July 22. During the baseball game, our PSA and Disability Pride ads will be featured on Angels Stadium screens.
  • We’ll capture and share all of this and more on our social media channels all month long. Stay tuned!

Disability pride month post card for Curacao  

Ways to Celebrate Disability Pride Month

1. Download our Easterseals Southern California Disability Pride Month E-background to show your disability pride during your video calls!

Disability Pride Month graphic featuring the colors of the disability pride flag

Click here to download the wallpaper background.              

2. Engage with and share social content that educates and elevates the conversation around equity, inclusion, access, and representation. What does disability pride look like to you? Whether it’s wearing your favorite disability-related slogan on a t-shirt, attending parades, or creating art, we’d love to hear and see how YOU celebrate disability this month! Tag us!

3. Think about the words you may use to talk about disability to ensure everyone is accepted and respected. 

4. Avoid euphemisms and offensive, outdated terms when talking about disability and disabled people – and ask if a person prefers identity-first language (disabled person) or person-first language (person with a disability).  

5. Don’t apologize for disability! When you say “I’m sorry” when you find out someone has a disability, that positions disability as something negative – and no one should feel a part of who they are is negative. It’s all about respect!  

Celebrate Disability Every Day!