Disability Pride Month 2023 -

It is Disability Pride Month 2023, a time to raise awareness, and show that our disabilities do not mean we deserve hate or poverty. Let’s talk about it.

I have been talking about disability and trying to be an advocate on this blog since July 2016. Naturally, I have always wanted to help others, and tried my best to stand up for people in the community who are unable to do so.

It means so much to me to hear that something I have experienced helps others and it always helps me to feel less alone. Chronic illnesses often leave us unable to leave our homes so feeling seen is so important to all of us.

This is why events like Disability Pride Month are so important, it is a chance for us to go to pride events that are designed for us to attend. But as well as that it gives us an opportunity to stand up as a community.

Why is Disability Pride Month Important?

Looking at poverty rates, we see the proportion of people reporting being disabled has been steadily growing especially since covid. But because poverty rates are consistently higher than people who are not disabled, it means more people potentially living in poverty.

It also remains a fact that most disabled people, who can work, are in part-time employment. Therefore, even if they are able to work, they must rely on benefits to supplement their income.

A review from Public Health England in 2015, stated that people with disabilities are more likely to experience domestic violence. This abuse is also more likely to continue for a longer period of time and be more severe than non-disabled people.
A report from the Office of National Statistics states that 23.1% of disabled adults will have experienced crime within the last year. The article also says that there were 52000 incidents of disability motivated hate crime within a three year time span.

As we start Disability Pride Month 2023, I found myself feeling so demotivated because of our government. But seeing these statistics shows me that we must keep pushing and trying to change how people see us.

Speaking of our government, they want to now make disability benefits means tested something that is disgusting. What about if someone needs to save for a safe place to live, or for a new piece of medical equipment?

The idea of leaving someone no choice but to stay in poverty just turns my stomach and is so awful. This would also mean that many of us would be unable to do things that make life worth living. Days out and hobbies would no longer be within reach which would be devastating.

We also recently saw that the Department for Work and Pensions has admitted that the disability assessments are too slow, too expensive and too inaccurate. Something we knew but it feels nice to see them having to admit it.

These are all reasons why it is so important that we continue to support Disability Pride Month and to spread awareness. There will always be people who believe we are faking or draining society and we need to change that view.

We are human beings with dreams and wishes, we are mothers, fathers, and people with degrees and skills. It is long time the world became more accessible so more of us could work if able to, just making buses and trains better would help with that!

I hope that in time society will catch up and like LBGTQ+ pride become a movement where we can see real change.

So, this Disability Pride Month 2023 support disabled owned businesses, disabled advocates, etc. Get involved in emailing your MP when you see something wrong in your community that could help people with disabilities. Lets be the change we want to see.

Thank you xx