Disability Pride Month Recognizes the Many Contributions of People Living with Disabilities Despite Challenges Others May Never See
By Kristin Schaub, CEO, Greenleaf Job Training Services
July is Disability Pride Month, which may sound slightly strange unless you or someone
you love lives with a disability. The fact is, until you’ve experienced the daily stresses
and challenges people with disabilities face – and regularly overcome – you may not be
able to fully appreciate how truly fitting it is that we set aside time to recognize their
accomplishments, celebrate their contributions, and support continued efforts to remove
barriers to inclusion and progress.
Speaking of removing barriers, Disability Pride Month is also a time to celebrate the
signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act on July 26, 1990. This year marks the 36th
anniversary of that landmark civil rights law, which moved our country closer to equal
access and opportunity.
At Greenleaf Job Training Services, we recognize that while our participants may have
disabilities, they are not their defining features. Instead, their main contributions come
from their roles as neighbors, coworkers, students, volunteers, artists, advocates,
entrepreneurs, family members, and friends. They bring creativity, persistence,
problem-solving, humor, compassion, and perspective to their families, communities,
and workplaces, and that deserves our appreciation.
Disability Pride Month, while recognizing advancements, also reminds us that barriers
remain everywhere, often in ways people without disabilities may never have to notice.
Just consider how a curb without a cutout, a staircase without a ramp, or an entrance
without an automatic door can turn an ordinary errand into an obstacle course for a
wheelchair user; or how missing Braille signage, audible crosswalk cues, or visual alerts
can make public spaces harder to navigate for people who are blind, have low vision,
are Deaf, or are hard of hearing.
While barriers are not always intentional, their impact is significant. They can limit
access to employment, education, transportation, health care, civic participation, and
everyday community life. They also reveal who was considered when spaces and
systems were designed. Disability inclusion asks us to pay attention, listen, and make
changes before someone has to ask to be included.
The ADA changed lives, but you simply can’t legislate belonging. Belonging happens
when employers examine hiring practices, communities invest in accessibility,
coworkers offer patience and respect, and we challenge assumptions about what
disability means. It happens when we recognize accommodations for what they are –
tools that allow everyone to participate fully and equitably.
At Greenleaf, we believe everyone deserves to feel truly seen for who they are and
everything they are capable of becoming. We’re excited to honor Disability Pride Month
by celebrating the progress made since the signing of the ADA, while continuing to
create workplaces and communities where every person can contribute, belong, and
thrive.
