Celebrated every year in July, Disability Pride Month began in the United States for the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Since then, it has become a global event, challenging stereotypes, reflecting on the ongoing fight for accessibility, equality, and representation and promoting inclusion. It is also a time to celebrate the diversity and resilience of the disability community, identities, acceptance, and the idea that disability is a natural and valuable part of human diversity.
Messages from EDF Youth Committee
The voices from young disability rights activists are a vital part of this celebration. They bring urgency, hope, and fresh perspectives on intersectional inclusion. And here are some of those perspectives.
Visibility, acceptance, and connection
Angelina Gustenhoff (European Council of Autistic People):
Disability Pride means embracing who I am without shame. Not in spite of my disability, but with it. It’s about visibility, acceptance, and connection. It reminds me that I’m not alone and its okay to be proud of who I am and how far I’ve come.
I show pride by advocating for change, amplifying disabled voices, and recently living openly about who I am. I wish more people realized that accessibility is not a favor. it’s a right. Creating an inclusive world that benefits everyone.
Making my own decisions
Tamara Byrne (Inclusion Europe):
I am proud of making my own decisions and speak out about how important it is for all young people with intellectual disabilities to be able to make decisions about their own lives. I am proud that I am showing the world what I am well able to lots of things, and I am getting people to stop making assumptions about what I am or am not able to do. I highlight the barriers people with intellectual disabilities face trying to get employment, education, or just being part of the community.I am really proud that I represent myself with confidence, fun and my own personality and not just try to fit into a box that other people think I should be in.
It’s time to shift the story
Charlotte Aelbrecht (Belgian Disability Forum):
I see Disability Pride Month as a celebration of strength, identity and diversity. It’s a time to share our stories, challenge stereotypes, and show that living with a disability can be powerful and full of life. Of course, inequality still exists, but visibility and pride are part of how we create change. Not through shame or silence, but by showing up exactly as we are. My key message for this month is: it’s time to shift the story from pity to pride from assumptions to truth. We are strong, we are beautiful, and we have every reason to stand tall in who we are. Pride means claiming space without apology and inviting the world to grow with us not around us.