July is Disability Pride Month!
By Jennifer Dexter, Director, Policy
July has been an important month in the history of disability rights ever since President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law in 1990. This landmark law prohibited discrimination against people with disabilities, and in July of that same year, the first Disability Pride Day was celebrated in Boston.
Since then, July has been marked as Disability Pride Month with parades and celebrations throughout the nation to mark the anniversary of the monumental law. Although Disability Pride Month is not yet a nationally recognized holiday, in honor of the 25th anniversary of the ADA, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio declared July Disability Pride Month in 2015.
Disability Pride Month is an important time to honor the diversity and uniqueness of each person in the disability community and celebrate people who have disabilities.
With more than 160 million people living with a chronic diseases and disabilities in the U.S., the National Health Council (NHC) is proud to provide a unified voice for people with chronic diseases and disabilities. We, along with our members, advocate for increased access to quality, high-value, sustainable, equitable, and affordable health care for all.
The long-time disability rights mantra “nothing about us without us,” is something the NHC firmly believes in. All our work is centered on making sure that people with chronic conditions and disabilities are at the center of making decisions that affect their health.
Learn about our health equity, diversity, and inclusion initiative here.
