Why we all should celebrate Disability Pride Month

July is Disability Pride Month. This month raises awareness about the issues that disabled people face in their daily lives, highlighting what is working well and what could be improved.

There are 16.1 million disabled people in the UK, which is approximately 1 in 4 people, according to a recent survey conducted by Scope.

The World Health Organization estimates there are 1.3 billion people who experience a “significant disability”, around 16% of the population, or around 1 in 6 people.

No matter what your disability, you should be proud of who you are and what you have achieved.

Disability is just a label. It doesn’t define who we are; we’re entitled to the same human rights, and often, in society, these are overlooked. As someone with a disability, I advocate that all people with a disability have rights. I have campaigned for many years and will continue to do so, focusing on ability, not disability.

What is Disability Pride Month?

Disability Pride Month is a month dedicated to promoting self-acceptance and embracing all individuals with disabilities.

It began in the US to commemorate the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which was signed into law on July 26, 1990. The ADA was passed to prevent people with disabilities from facing discrimination. To this point, people with disabilities weren’t always treated equally and didn’t have the same opportunities as people without disability.

Disability Pride Month emphasises the importance of disability identity and rights, as well as promoting visibility, inclusion, and challenging negative attitudes.

The first Disability Pride parade in the UK was held in Belfast in 2014, and the first in England was held in Brighton in 2017.

This month has its own flag to highlight that many different types of disabilities affect people in various ways. It was created by Ann Magill in 2019, and each colour stripe has a meaning:

• Red – physical disabilities
• Gold – neurodivergence, like autism and ADHD
• White – invisible and undiagnosed disabilities
• Blue – mental illness
• Green – sensory disabilities.

Events this month

Throughout this month, ScotRail will be hosting information pop-up events on the main concourses of seven of Scotland’s busiest stations (Glasgow Central, Glasgow Queen Street, Edinburgh Waverley, Aberdeen, Dundee, Perth, and Partick), as well as a dedicated session for its office-based staff.

The station events are open to both customers and railway staff. They will include the opportunity to meet representatives from various partner organisations such as Enable, the British Deaf Association (BDA), and the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), who will be joined by their working guide dogs.

Key issues facing disabled people

This month, it is crucial to highlight the experiences and issues of disabled people. Here are some of mine.

Stay Up Late Scotland is a charity that believes that all people with learning disabilities and autistic people should be able to lead full and active social lives. This is not only important for individuals’ mental health, but it’s also beneficial for the overall well-being of the community. They challenge inflexible support systems that prevent people with learning disabilities from staying up late.

If you’re supported in having a great social life, you’ll probably have great support in other areas of your life.

A new national survey, conducted by Scottish Disability Sport in partnership with the Queen Margaret University Centre for Health, Activity and Rehabilitation Research (CHEARR), has revealed that 40% of people with a disability in Scotland are concerned about losing their benefits if they are perceived as being more physically active.

The survey, which gathered responses from 335 individuals, sheds light on the complex barriers faced by people with disabilities when it comes to engaging in sports and physical activity, highlighting concerns regarding the benefits system, rising living costs, public transportation, and other issues.

Key findings from the survey show that nearly one in five respondents do no physical activity each week, yet 73% expressed a desire to engage in more physical activity. Despite 95% agreeing that sport and physical activity benefit their mental health and wellbeing, less than half have received encouragement from a health or social care professional to be more active.

In addition, over 70% of respondents stated that public transport is not a suitable alternative for supporting their participation, citing broader access and infrastructure challenges across both urban and rural communities.