July is Disability Pride Month. 2022 marks the 32nd year after the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed on July 26, 1990.

The Act prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities.

The month is a time to recognize and celebrate how disability is a natural part of human diversity, in which people living with disabilities can take pride.

Following this legislation, Boston, Massachusetts held the first-ever Disability Pride Day event, and Disability Pride Month was born. 

Since then, Disability Pride events have been held across the world.

The Disability Pride Flag was created by Ann Magill, a disabled woman.

Each of its elements symbolises a different part of the disability community:

1. The Black Field: this field is to represent the disabled people who have lost their lives due not only to their illness, but also to negligence, suicide, and eugenics.
2. The Colours: Each colour represents a different aspect of disability or impairment.

• Red: physical disabilities
• Yellow: cognitive and intellectual disabilities
• White: invisible and undiagnosed disabilities
• Blue: mental illness
• Green: sensory perception disabilities

In the UK, the 2010 Equality Act replaces the Disability Discrimination Acts 1995 and 2005 (DDA). 

The changes incude new provisions on direct discrimination, discrimination arising from disability, harassment and indirect discrimination.

The image shows the Disability Pride Flag: A charcoal grey flag with a diagonal band from the top left to the bottom right corner, made up of five parallel stripes in red, gold, pale grey, blue, and green.

Source: Ann Macgill/Public Domain