Disability Pride Month
In July, we celebrate Disability Pride month, which commemorates the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26th, 1990. The ADA stated that:
“no person with a disability shall be excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of the services, programs or activities of public entity or be subject to discrimination.”
Its passing followed the “Capitol Crawl”, where Washington DC saw over 400 bold, fed-up disabled protestors gather at the steps of the Capitol building, leave their mobility aids behind, and make their way up the 78 steps, most by crawling, with a thousand others cheering them on. Among memorable moments in disability rights history, this one was especially inspiring.
A group of disabled people led by 8-year-old Jennifer Keelan crawl up the steps of the U.S. Capitol in Washington. Jennifer had already been protesting for two years. At age six, she attended her first protest in Phoenix to advocate for accessible buses with ADAPT, the same disability rights group that helped organize the 1990 march in D.C.
Jeff Markowitz/AP Photo
Why were they so fed up? People with disabilities have been fighting for decades against systems big and small that have sought to oppress them and see them as less than, some even aiming to take away their right to exist at all.
“Disability pride” doesn't mean celebrating the pain or struggle caused by disabilities, it means acknowledging that those who live with them are capable, resilient, accomplished, and should be celebrated for who they are and how far they have come. Also, it is important to know that “disability” is not a negative or derogatory word. It helps us understand someone’s lived experience and identity, and as long as we are using it consciously, with respect, and how people with disabilities ask us to, we’re using it right.
Why have pride? We make a point of showing pride in disabled identities to celebrate the ways they have been able to survive, thrive, succeed, and live to their fullest potential. We honor important disabled world changers across all fields. We highlight ways the world is becoming more accessible and disability friendly. When a disabled person can face zero difficulty and resistance where there used to be a barrier, whether personal or public, we have a reason to celebrate.
Pride is also integral to continuing to make strides for disabled peoples’ rights and liberties. Discrimination, which comes in many forms, minor and major, can look like inaccessibility in old and new public spaces, lack of representation of disabled people in marketing and media, difficulty and reluctance to the adoption of accommodations in professional and educational settings, and challenges to legal rights, protections and privileges for disabled people. Disabled peoples’ rights are still very much being threatened by things like recent legislation, medicaid and medicare cuts and work requirements, and cuts to vital medical research nationwide, to name a few. There has never been a better time to get more informed and become a disability advocate!
Getting Therapy as a Disabled Person
If you are disabled and looking for therapy, have you ever felt anxious or reluctant to start the process? Feeling like maybe you just won't find someone who gets it, and treats you with the respect you deserve, someone who knows the disability lingo, asks the right questions, and finds accommodating and informed strategies that work for you?
For people with disabilities, therapy can be especially difficult, since it's not always easy to find someone who can really understand your unique experience or struggle with ability.
This is why therapists like those at Beyond the Storm Counseling work to understand those experiences and let them inform how we care for people. Disability and chronic health issue training and lived experience help us get you, and understand how to be supportive and affirming. We are skilled at coaching you in self advocacy and supporting your struggles, whether disability related or not.
What can accessibility in therapy look like?
-Virtual or phone call therapy sessions
-Respect for sensory comforts, like fidgets, service animals or ESAs, and music or white noise -Taking breaks
-Flexible scheduling
-Communication with doctors and other care professionals
-Disability-informed assessment and therapy strategies
If any of these things sound like what you’re looking for, start the process of becoming a client by completing an intake form here: https://www.beyondthestormcounseling.com/contact
I’m not disabled, what does this have to do with me?
The disabled community is so important because almost every single person will become a part of it at some point in their lives. Whether it's from injury or old age, just about all of us will come to know what being disabled can feel like, and when that happens, we’ll need help, representation and secure civil rights to thrive and live with dignity.
Act with Disability Pride as a typically-abled person by speaking up when you see discrimination against disabled people happening, using your votes and consumer dollars to show your support, and being giving of your time and abilities to assist disabled people in your community.
Learn More About Disability!
A great way to take part in Disability Pride is to give your attention and business to disabled creators and business owners. Here are a few wonderful Youtubers I’ve come to learn a lot about life with disabilities from:
Chronically Jenni (https://www.youtube.com/@ChronicallyJenni) has great vlogs and videos on various topics related to physical disability and living with chronic health issues. Jenni’s website (https://chronicallyjenni.com/) also has some fantastic resources, like a huge list of disabled-owned and operated businesses to support!
Sarah Todd Hammer (https://www.youtube.com/@SarahToddHammer) is a disabled creator who has lots of very informative videos about living with disabilities, including a great short documentary about disability pride.
How to ADHD (https://www.youtube.com/@ChronicallyJenni) by Jessica McCabe is a wonderful channel about ADHD and neurodivergence and covers a multitude of ADHD-related topics.
If you are curious about the current state of disability benefits, this is an informative, easily digestible, funny watch from a great comedian and journalist.
John Oliver- Disability Benefits
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hq2s7RMRsgs&t=24s
About the author:
Sammi is a clinician with Beyond the Storm and a Licensed Independent Social Worker with training and lived experience around therapy and disability.
