Thirty-five years ago, President George H. W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law on July 26, 1990. This landmark legislation was the result of years of grassroots activism, direct action, and bold advocacy by disabled people, families, and allies. The ADA promised equality, dignity, and access. It paved the way for more ramps, curb cuts, captioning, and workplace opportunity. Yet in 2025, Disability Pride Month asks us to move beyond compliance, toward a world where disability is normal, stigma is challenged, and everyone can truly belong.

The Meaning of Disability Pride

Disability Pride is not only about opening doors or following laws. It’s about deconstructing the old myths—moving away from the idea that disability is shameful, pitiable, or broken.
Disability Pride means normalizing disability as a natural part of human life and diversity. It is recognition that disabled people are leaders, innovators, creators, loved ones, and neighbors. Pride means showing up unapologetically, refusing to be invisible, and demanding equity—not just inclusion by invitation.

Disability Pride is about educating those around us, sharing stories, facts, and truths that break down ableism and discrimination. It is about building communities where all bodies, minds, and stories are part of the fabric. Pride means committing to a forward movement—where accessibility, equal opportunity, and justice are the norm, not the exception.

Did You Know?

• One in four Americans lives with a disability. This makes disability the nation’s largest and most diverse minority community.

• Disability is the only marginalized identity that anyone can acquire at any point in life—through illness, injury, or aging. Disability justice truly affects everyone.

• Seventy percent of disabilities are invisible. Stigma and barriers persist, even when they are not immediately seen.

• Disability crosses every race, age, gender, and background. Every community is a disability community.

• Accessibility features created for disabled people—like curb cuts—benefit everyone, from parents with strollers to travelers and older adults. This is known as the “curb-cut effect.”

• The ADA was signed on July 26, 1990. The work for justice and pride continues every single day.

The ADA: Legacy and Promise

The ADA was only possible because of collective effort and courageous advocacy. Actions like the “Capitol Crawl,” when disability advocates left their wheelchairs and mobility aids and crawled up the steps of the U.S. Capitol to dramatize barriers, caught national attention.
Since then, the ADA has removed thousands of physical and legal barriers, but full belonging can’t be legislated alone. It requires culture change and everyday leadership.

How Can Professionals and Advocates Make a Difference?

Every helping professional and organizational leader has power to move the world beyond compliance and into genuine inclusion.

• Examine your biases and challenge assumptions about disability. Reflect on your language, policies, and spaces.

• Ask, “What does this person want for their own life, and how can we support that in their community?”

• Connect disabled people and families to individualized, community-based service options first.

• Advocate for design that is accessible from the start—in materials, spaces, and systems.

• Include disabled people in leadership, consultation, and every stage of decision-making.

• Invest in lifelong education about disability justice, universal design, and trauma-informed care.

• Use your voice and networks to confront stigma, promote inclusive language, and set new standards for what belonging really means.

Moving Forward: From Access to Belonging

Disability Pride means the ADA set the floor for equality—but pride, leadership, and community are what build the future.
There is still work to do. Together we must normalize disability, treat accessibility as innovation, and build cultures where disabled voices and experiences guide real progress. 

If you are ready to go deeper, you can start today by discovering your accessibility strengths and opportunities with our free professional quiz. Get a personalized accessibility score, action plan, and practical resources for creating inclusive workplaces and communities: Start Quiz