How to celebrate Disability Pride Month with your team this July

Celebrate the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) this July with social impact experiences that support people with disabilities.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 27% of American adults have a disability, which can range from visible disabilities (using a wheelchair, for example) to invisible disabilities like neurological differences or chronic pain.

Here, you’ll learn more about the significance of July’s Disability Pride Month, plus creative ideas to support disability civil rights at your company.

About Disability Pride Month

July is Disability Pride Month in the United States, an observance that commemorates the signing of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 1990.

This observance represents a prime opportunity for you to learn about the historic legislation and honor the many contributions of people with disabilities with your team.

The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits the discrimination of individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including schools, public spaces and services, and housing. Equal employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities is a primary section of the act, and requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees.

In addition to encouraging people with disabilities to learn about their legal rights and celebrate their self worth, Disability Pride Month also helps fight discrimination against the disabled community by highlighting past activists and recognizing the continued struggle for equality.

Fighting for access to affordable vital services such as healthcare is an integral part of the movement. “Imagine a world if everyone had food, housing, healthcare, and freedom,” explains disability activist Alice Wong, author of Year of the Tiger: An Activist's Life (Vintage Books, 2022) in an NPR interview. “In the future, I don't want any disabled person to have to hustle and fight so hard just to get their basic needs met.”

5 ways to honor Disability Pride Month in your company

1. Make sure your facilities are compliant

Disability Pride Month is all about celebrating the ADA — legislation that includes providing accessible accommodations for all. If you have an in-person office, examine your facility: While most newly built public buildings are ADA compliant, it’s a good idea to review the ADA Standards, and ensure that all facilities such as elevators, bathrooms, curb cuts, and more are up to code. Review the government ADA Standards here.

Visit.org experience recommendation: Map Wheelchair-Accessible Locations for Individuals with Mobility Impairments

2. Educate your employees on accessible work environments

Accessibility standards are just as important in remote work environments as they are in in-person offices. From captioned meetings to accessible colors, educate your employees about creating accessible virtual workplaces so everyone can be a productive and engaged member of your team. Start by reviewing the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) — technical standards that enable web content to be more accessible to all — with your product, graphic design, and tech teams.

Visit.org experience recommendation: Discover Ways to Facilitate Inclusive Work Meetings

3. Learn about ableism

According to the Center for Disability Rights, ableism is defined as “a set of beliefs or practices that devalue and discriminate against people with physical, intellectual, or psychiatric disabilities and often rests on the assumption that [people with disabilities] need to be ‘fixed’ in one form or the other.” Learning about ableism and unconscious biases against people with disabilities is the first step in fighting discrimination against the disabled communities.

Visit.org experience recommendation: Join an Educational Training Session on Disability and the History of Disability Inclusion

4. Volunteer with organizations that support people with disabilities

Gather your team to make a powerful impact in the lives of people with disabilities by volunteering for a nonprofit that advocates for disability civil rights. By supporting an organization through hands-on volunteering, you can make a tangible impact in your community.

5. Learn about historical figures

Surface the stories of disability rights activists, educators, researchers, writers, athletes, and artists throughout history who have played a significant role in propelling the disability civil rights movement forward.

Visit.org experience recommendation: Listen to the Story of a Four-Time Paralympian

Reach out to the Visit.org team to learn more about social impact experiences that support people with disabilities in your community.