"To change the way people think about and define 'disability,' to break down and end the internalized shame among people with disabilities, and to promote the belief in society that disability is a natural and beautiful part of human diversity in which people living with disability can take pride."
The Disability Pride movement is long-standing, and became more evident as a day of celebration in 1990 - the same year that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law. Boston celebrated its first Disability Pride Day that year, however many are also familiar with the earlier 504 disability civil rights movements of the 1970s which is chronicled in
the movie Crip Camp, (
Crip Camp Netflix link,
Crip Camp YouTube link, which highlights the advocacy efforts of
Judy Heumann and
James LeBrecht, among others). This July marks the 32nd anniversary of the ADA, and many cities across the country celebrate disability pride with parades and festivals. Let's work together to support access and inclusion so more people can say it loud, "I'm disabled and I'm proud!"