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July is Disability Pride Month
July is Disability Pride Month! The month coincides with the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. This is a time to celebrate people with disabilities, and to advocate for a more inclusive world!
We would like to spotlight what makes you proud of your life with MD.
I am proud of how I have adapted and made my own life accessible, I lead a happy life, but when I try to go out into the world, I am met with inaccessibility. I am proud of my accomplishments, although people seem to be more inspired by them than I intended. Meaning, I don’t feel inspirational when I do everyday activities, (go to school, shop, date) what I want to inspire is people taking the initiative to make the world more inclusive and accessible to all. I want to speak up for those with less of a voice. I am proud when stores become accessible after I have spoken to them, and I feel pride when I put myself out there to help raise funds for muscular dystrophy organizations, and hopefully towards a cure or treatments that will ease our lives.
What are you proud of this disability pride month?
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2 Replies
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I really never thought about disability pride or being proud of my accomplishments until recently. Like you Dani I have just tried to navigate through life the best I can. While this amazes and inspires some people–that I work and drive and have been well cared for–I feel I am doing normal things-certainly nothing special. I have recently accepted me for me and I try not to compare myself to others because I think we are all special and amazing without doing anything extraordinary. I am proud that I earned my bachelor’s degree in business administration, that I am a productive member of society for 23 years and that I can drive modified. I amaze myself that I can do quite a bit of cleaning from my wheelchair. This makes me proud. I am very weak and tire easily but I am not a lazy person. This makes me proud. My parents have been my inspiration. I hope I inspire others to appreciate their mobility and not be lazy. People are more proud to be disabled within the last several years but it was not like that when I was growing up. I consider myself a work in progress.
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I love everything you said Becky. What you said is the antithesis of what we all feel. It’s not the mundane things that make us “inspirational” or “strong” but our tenacity and our love for ourselves despite all that our bodies have put us through.
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