Disability Pride Month: A Call to Action, Not Just a Celebration
Every July, Disability Pride Month honors the strength, dignity, and contributions of people with disabilities. But this isn’t just a month to wave a flag or post a quote—it’s a time to take meaningful, sustained action to create a more inclusive world.
Whether you're a caregiver, professional, parent, policymaker, or advocate, Disability Pride Month invites all of us to do more than celebrate—it challenges us to reflect, remove barriers, and reimagine systems.
What Does Pride Mean in Practice?
Disability pride is rooted in the belief that disability is not a deficit—it’s a natural and important part of human diversity. It's about visibility, representation, and self-determination. But pride without action is performative.
Here’s how to make your allyship real:
1. Create Legal & Financial Security for Individuals with Disabilities
Set up a Special Needs Trust to protect assets without jeopardizing government benefits like SSI or Medi-Cal.
Open a CalABLE Account, a tax-advantaged savings tool for disability-related expenses.
Draft legal documents—like Powers of Attorney and Healthcare Directives—that respect autonomy and ensure protection.
Action Step: If you’re a parent, grandparent, or guardian of someone with special needs, take time this month to ensure your estate plan includes protections for them. The future isn’t guaranteed—but your plan can be.
2. Advocate for Accessibility Beyond Compliance
The ADA set the standard for access—but real inclusion goes further. It's not just about wheelchair ramps or elevators. It's about making events, systems, and conversations accessible from the start.
Action Step: Whether you're hosting an event, creating content, or leading a team—ask: "Is this accessible to everyone?" Incorporate captions, easy-to-read formats, and sensory-friendly environments wherever possible.
3. Amplify Disabled Voices
People with disabilities are the experts in their own lives. Yet decisions about disability are often made without their input.
Action Step: Seek out books, blogs, podcasts, and organizations led by disabled individuals. Share their work, donate, and invite them to the table in your planning and conversations.
4. Move from Sympathy to Solidarity
Disability pride isn’t about pity. It’s about power. Dignity. Equality. It’s about recognizing that systems—not individuals—create barriers.
Action Step: Challenge ableist language and assumptions in everyday life. Speak up when you see injustice or inaccessibility, even when it’s uncomfortable.
5. Support Families and Caregivers
Being a caregiver—especially for someone with lifelong needs—can be isolating and overwhelming. Many families don’t know where to start or what legal and financial tools are available to them.
Action Step: If you know someone raising or supporting a loved one with special needs, send them resources. Invite them to community events. Let them know they don’t have to navigate this alone.
Let This Month Spark Long-Term Change
Disability Pride Month is not a trend or checkbox. It’s a reminder that every person deserves dignity, independence, and the ability to thrive.
Let this be the month you take real steps—personally, legally, and socially—to support a more inclusive future.
Want help protecting the future of a loved one with special needs? Our team can guide you through tools like Special Needs Trusts, CalABLE accounts, and personalized planning that empowers individuals and families.
👉 Visit terrihilliard.com/blog for more resources.
DISCLAIMER: The content contained herein is for general informational purposes only. These materials do not constitute legal or other professional advice. We do not accept any responsibility for any loss that may arise from reliance on this information. No reader should act or refrain from acting based on information contained in this article without seeking advice of counsel.