Disability Pride Month is celebrated each July! Disability Pride is all about embracing each of our differences and lifting up the experiences of people with disabilities. In recognition, the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) asked self-advocates and team members, “What does Disability Pride mean to you?” Here are some of those responses:
Nicole Patterson, DDS Self-Advocate Liaison Specialist
“Disability Pride means to me walking or rolling in my greatness. Being unapologetic for who I am and how I was created. My goal in life is to make sure that I leave this earth better than I came into it for all people with disabilities and without.
Having a disability is just one a part of me, I am a mother, wife, sister, daughter, granddaughter, niece, cousin, friend, and last but not least, a co-worker. I think at times people in society forget that people with disabilities wear other hats like everyone else.
So, If I can say anything as a last note, remember the next time when you are judging a person with a disability or anyone that’s different from you, you’re not only affecting the person you’re referring to, but you are affecting the people that love them as a whole person. I want people to feel okay in their own skin and know they all have a purpose.”
You can watch Nicole’s video on the DDS Facebook page.
Kel Avila, DDS Community Engagement Coordinator
“To me, Disability Pride means honoring the intersection of my queerness and neurodivergence by celebrating the gifts and strengths I have to offer and acknowledging the challenges I navigate each day within these identities. Disability Pride is my daily commitment to creating a world that is not only accessible, but spacious, liberated, and embracing of the diverse intersections within the disability community. This month highlights the importance of uplifting and centering historically excluded voices and experiences while continually learning, growing, and expanding our capacity to evolve together.”
Matias Solorzano, DDS Graduate Student Assistant for the Autism Services Branch
“On an individual level, disability pride means embracing one’s identity as an individual with a disability. For an autistic person like myself, I am comfortable unmasking around other people when I am proud of my disability. Disability pride in the workspace means that a culture of disability acceptance exists in the workspace, and people’s experiences with disability are being listened to by their co-workers. A workspace adhering to the principles of disability pride celebrates the accomplishments of people with disabilities and their contributions to the world.”
Thank you to everyone who shared in celebration of Disability Pride Month 2024!
