Selfadvocatenet.ca is in support of July Disability Pride Month 2023
This Page will with pride highlight why is it important show our skill our vision and religions and our hopes and recognized celebrate unique abilities of people with disabilities all through month July will find things represent disability pride
So why is July Disability Pride
Disability Pride Month celebrates disabled persons embracing their disabilities as integral parts of who they are, reclaiming visibility in public and interacting fully with their disabilities out in the open, and rejecting shame and internalized ableism. It is a time for the disability community to come together, uplift, and amplify one another’s voices and be heard. Disability pride has been described as “accepting and honoring each person’s uniqueness and seeing it as a natural and beautiful part of human diversity.”
The Disability Pride Flag: History & Meaning
The disability pride flag and disability pride month colors are a unique and direct representation of the community, focusing on inclusion, similar to the LGBTQ pride flag. The original disability pride flag was designed by Ann Magill, featuring a brightly-colored lightning bolt on a black background.
With the feedback that the disability pride flag colors could negatively impact people with epilepsy, Magill redesigned the flag with muted colors symbolizing the diverse facets of daily life for people with disabilities.
- Charcoal gray background: In memory of the victims of ableist abuse and violence, including children or those killed, suicides, or individuals who suffered from negligence.
- Diagonal band: Cutting across the barriers blocking people with disabilities from full participation, integration, and inclusion in society
- Red stripe: Physical disabilities (chronic pain/fatigue, mobility impairment, loss of limbs)
- Gold stripe: Neurodivergence (autism, ADHD, dyslexia)
- White stripe: Undiagnosed and invisible disabilities
- Blue stripe: Psychiatric disabilities (depression, PTSD, anxiety, etc.)
- Green stripe: Sensory disabilities (hearing loss, visual impairments, etc.)
Part this Disability Pride Month 2023 is also to educate why we not want Ableism in our lives what meaning of it discriminates People with Disabilities we call out to eliminates in society treated with Ableism wrong
What is Ableism?
Disability Pride Month, the disability pride month colors and flag celebrate humanity, the community of people with disabilities, and their contribution to society. Ableism at its core is a systematic means to dehumanize people with disabilities, creating stigmas that members of the community are inferior or less capable than anyone else.
While an increasing number of organizations are expanding their labor force to be inclusive for people with disabilities and impairments, recognizing the fight for advocacy and DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), some companies still pass judgment and may not recruit individuals from the community.
Sadly, ableism has often been compared to ideologies like nazism, or adversity faced by the LGBTQ community, and ableism often crosses over various forms of oppression including sexism, racism, homophobia and more. Using words and language that pass judgment on people with disabilities is a significant part of ableism, from emphatic expressions like “you retard!” to “I’m talking to you, what are you deaf?” These are both extreme, but common colloquialisms that intentionally or unintentionally drive ableism.
Being aware of how we speak verbally and with our body language is a critical means to fight ableism and advocate for inclusion of all people with disabilities.
