July is Disability Pride Month

Did you know that July is Disability Pride Month? I guess I’m slow on the uptake, because I didn’t know it, but am sure glad I found out.

I had just read about this and decided to Google the terms “July Disabled Pride Month.” The results brought back more than
1.3 million returns,
which was both surprising and encouraging.

It was surprising to me that there were so many returns, because I had expected a few hundred, or maybe a thousand or so returns. Granted, I didn’t spend the two months of non-stop 24-hour reading it would have taken to examine all the returns, but to have that many returns is great. And yes, I am fully aware that there are probably a good number of those returns that are not going to be disability related, but I expected that as well among the hundreds or thousands of returns I had figured on getting. Still, it is heartily encouraging to find this much published work on the subject of Disability Pride on the web.

Some of my findings included the following:

First, I initially read about the denoting of July as Disability Pride Month in
This Disability Pride, something to be happy about,
An op-ed piece byKathi Wolfe in the online edition of
The Progressive.

The disability and business communities support the bill. “This is a good change for America, and we urge Congress to pass this legislation,” said U.S. Chamber of Congress President and CEO Tom Donohue. “People … with chronic disabilities need to manage their disease and not be discriminated against for it,” said American Diabetes Association CEO Larry Hausner.

People with disabilities don’t want special rights. We want equal rights. And we want to be given a chance to work if we can do the job.

That should not be too much to ask.

(Kathi Wolfe is a poet and author. Her publications include “Helen Takes the Stage: The Helen Keller Poems,” by PuddingHouse Press.)

Secondly, for a good overview of Disability Pride, you might want to check out the extensive work on the
Disabled and Proud site.
Sarah Triano, the site’s producer has done some great work at putting together a good and solid presentation, encouraging leadership from within the community of people with disabilities. While the home page is a good starting point, you will do yourself a favor to click on the “Pride” link for a good discussion of Disability Pride.

And, finally, check out
Disability Rights Washington
For some further reading about Disability Pride.

So, those are your instructions: Go forth this month and be proud.