July is celebrated worldwide as Disability Pride Month. For disabled adults and parents of children with special needs, Disability Pride Month is an opportunity to learn, educate, and celebrate what makes each person living with a disability unique. To get you started, the Indianapolis special needs planning attorneys at Frank & Kraft offer some suggestions for how to celebrate Disability Pride Month in July.
History of Disability Pride Month
Disability Pride Month can trace its roots back to March 12, 1990. On that day, over 1,000 people marched from the White House to the U.S. Capitol to demand that Congress pass the Americans with Disabilities Act. About 60 disability rights activists, including eight-year-old Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins, proceeded to physically demonstrated the inaccessibility of public spaces by getting out of their wheelchairs or setting aside their mobility aids and crawling up the Capitol steps. This act of civil disobedience later became known as the Capitol Crawl. Ultimately, 104 activists were arrested for unlawful demonstration, many of whom were in their wheelchairs at the time; however, the protest made a lasting impact. On July 26th of that same year, President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act into law. To commemorate that historic moment, we celebrate Disability Pride Month each July in the United States.
What Is Disability Pride?
AmeriDisability describes Disability Pride as “accepting and honoring each person’s uniqueness and seeing it as a natural and beautiful part of human diversity” and connects it to the larger movement for disability justice. According to the National Council on Independent Living, disability pride is necessary to combat the ableism that is rampant in the United States, which can include stigma against people with disabilities and barriers to access.
A 2018 study published in Rehabilitation Psychology found that disability pride partially mediated the relationship between stigma and self-esteem. By this, individuals with disabilities may benefit from the rejection-identification model (RIM), whereby the negative impacts of stigma, such as decreased self-esteem can be mitigated when they choose to connect with each other, rather than attempt to fit in with the dominant culture. In this way, disability pride can be a vital opportunity to challenge stigma, especially when marginalization extends beyond disabilities.
How to Get Involved in Disability Pride Month
Whether you are disabled, are the parent or family member of someone with special needs, or you simply want to support protecting the rights of the disabled, there are several ways in which you can get involved in Disability Pride Month this July, including:
- Take political action. Contact local, state, and national politicians to encourage the passage of additional legislation and regulations to help protect the rights of disabled individuals.
- Join or organize a disability pride parade. With each passing year, more cities are participating in these enjoyable, inspiring events.
- Educate yourself and others. Learn more about those with disabilities by reading books or watching movies (the movie, “Coda” is a great example).
- Donate or volunteer. Make donations or volunteer with local organizations that support people with disabilities. AccessABILITY is one local resource that is committed to “providing individual consumers, governmental agencies, corporations and other non-profits with the tools necessary to ensure the acceptance, respect and inclusion of everyone.”
Special Needs Planning
If you are the parent of a child with special needs, be sure to discuss the addition of a special needs planning component in your overall estate plan. A special needs planning component is needed to ensure that any financial assistance you wish to give your child once he/she reaches adulthood will not jeopardize eligibility for important assistance programs such as SSI or Medicaid.
Contact Indianapolis Special Needs Planning Attorneys
For more information, please join us for an upcoming FREE seminar. If you have additional questions or concerns about special needs planning, contact the experienced Indianapolis special needs planning attorneys at Frank & Kraft by calling (317) 684-1100 to schedule an appointment.
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