July is Disability Pride Month, and we are excited to celebrate, raise awareness, and amplify the voices and experiences of people with disability.
What is Disability Pride Month?
Disability Pride Month happens every year in July to promote awareness about people with disability. The month was established to commemorate the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act in July 1990 in the USA, which made discrimination against people with disabilities illegal. It’s now become a time to celebrate individual disability identities and take pride in them across the world.
Disability Pride Month has its own flag, with distinct meanings behind its colours:
🟢Green: Invisible and undiagnosed disabilities
🔵Blue: Psychosocial disabilities
⚪White: Sensory disabilities
🟡Yellow: Neurodiversity and developmental disabilities
🔴Red: Physical disabilities
⚫Charcoal background: Symbolises the anger and mourning for victims of violence and abuse
Representation of disability on social media offers a diverse array of voices for young people to learn from, look up to, or simply be entertained by. Whether you have a child or young adult exploring various platforms or you’re looking to widen the diversity of your own feed, here are a few people to follow who are amplifying their voices and representing people with disability in Australia:
Chloé Hayden (@chloeshayden): Chloé is an autistic author, actor, and advocate with ADHD. She plays Quinni, an autistic teenager in the popular Australian TV show Heartbreak High. She is the author of Different Not Less.
Elly Desmarchelier (@edesmachelier): Elly is a proud queer and disabled writer, speaker, and disability rights advocate.
Amy Evans (@amy_c_evans): Amy is a fashionista, blogger, racehorse owner, advocate, and small business owner. She is a digital marketing guru, spreading awareness about Nemaline Myopathy and helping others do the same.
Michael Theo (@mr_a_plus_michael): Michael is an autistic actor, podcaster, and advocate. You might have seen him on the show Love on the Spectrum.
Jimmy Jan (@jimmy.jan): Jimmy is a TikTok and Instagram influencer who sustained a spinal cord injury while skiing. Through his videos and content, he shares his story and personality in a range of comedic posts, aiming to normalise his condition and educate his followers.
We’re excited to honor Disability Pride Month, and we invite you to join us in this celebration!
If you know of any pages, or people who are great advocates or representations of disability in Australia, you’re welcome get in touch with us.
We look forward to celebrating the lives, identities, and achievements of people with disability with you, throughout July and beyond.
