July is Disability Pride Month: A Celebration of Identity, Visibility and Strength

Every July, Disability Pride Month is an important time to celebrate disabled identities, amplify disabled voices, and honour the diversity and resilience of the disability community. It’s not just about awareness — it’s about pride. It’s about shifting the narrative from pity or limitation to power, visibility and acceptance.

For many disabled people, this month offers the space to reflect on who we are — without apology or shame. Disability Pride isn’t about pretending challenges don’t exist. It’s about recognising that being disabled is not something to hide. It’s a part of identity, community, culture, and history. It’s something to take pride in.

A powerful symbol of this pride is the Disability Pride flag, created by disabled activist Ann Magill. The updated version of the flag is made up of a black background with five coloured diagonal stripes, each with its own meaning. It’s more than just a design — it tells the story of a diverse and vibrant community:

• Red represents physical disabilities

• Yellow/Gold represents neurodivergence

• White represents invisible and undiagnosed disabilities

• Blue represents psychiatric disabilities

• Green represents sensory disabilities (including hearing and sight disabilities)

The black background is a tribute to those in the disability community who have lost their lives due to ableism, discrimination, abuse, negligence, suicide, and lack of access to care. It’s a solemn but essential part of the story — a reminder of why this movement matters.

These colours together are a celebration of diversity within disability. No two disabled people are the same, and the flag honours that range of experience while uniting us under one message: You are not alone, and you are worthy of pride.

For me, Disability Pride Month is a mix of reflection and empowerment. I’ve experienced moments where I’ve felt like I didn’t fit in so I’d avoid doing things or going places, and apologise for the inconvenience needing to amend plans or having to ask so many questions and not being able to be spontaneous but over time, I’ve learned that pride doesn’t come from being accepted by others — it comes from accepting yourself. This month is a reminder to stand tall in my identity and to take up space, even in a world that isn’t always built for me.

Disability Pride Month is also about challenging how society defines worth, productivity, and success. It pushes back against ableism — the systemic discrimination that treats disabled lives as less valuable. Instead, it calls for a world that embraces accessibility, equity, and representation.

This July, whether you identify as disabled or are learning how to be a better ally, take a moment to recognise the importance of disability pride. Share a story. Start a conversation. Learn something new. Because when we celebrate disability, we make space for a world that works better for everyone.

Happy Disability Pride Month 💚