Disability Pride is a movement!
More than just a means of self advocacy and a push for acceptance, Disability Pride is above all a celebration of inclusion and disabled people who are proud to be themselves! Our mission is to celebrate the pride that the disability community feels. It's a place for us to come together to celebrate the disability experience. What makes our programming different from others is that we plan accessible community events to bring disabled and non-disabled people together. Come out for the fun and pick up some great resources along the way! We believe that bringing people together in fun ways builds stronger communities; these communities have better conversations. Our programs provide spaces for advocacy, celebration, and some good trouble! We have created a growing momentum that is being recognized, promoted, and sought out by other organizations to understand disability inclusion.
Let’s make Pennsylvania Disability PROUD!
The wheelchair should not be a symbol of disability. A wheelchair is a vehicle of liberation and freedom; a chariot of independence.
- Robert Hansen
Our History
Disability Pride Philadelphia Inc., doing business as Disability Pride Pennsylvania, has been an active organization for almost 10 years. In 2012, the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia hosted a celebration of disability rights and showcased the personal wheelchair used by activist for disabled people Justin Whitlock Dart Jr. He is an integral figure for disability rights and he helped pass the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990. Alan Holdsworth, a disability activist, started a committee in 2012 following the event, and the Disability Pride Philadelphia parade was held the next year. It was the perfect way to honor Justin and the disability community. With lots of support and help from Disability Pride PA, the city of Philadelphia celebrates every year now with a Disability Pride Week which includes raising the disability justice flag at City Hall, speeches by influential members of the disability community and politicians, movies, musicians, sensory friendly art, non-alcoholic happy hours, parade celebration and much more.
We’ve hosted free events for everyone to join such as International Day of Disabled People on December 3, Let’s Talk about Disabled Sex seminars, donation drive for the unhoused community, MLK Day of Service project, an accessible No Pants Subway Ride, scholarships for disabled artists and students, and participated in the 2019 On Display global event with Heidi Latsky Dance. We became a 501c3 in 2019 due to our large growth, support and events. As a 501c3, Disability Pride PA increased its reach by partnering with like minded organizations to raise diverse and intersectional voices, increase the disability vote, and support the disability community. We collaborated with Disability Rights Pennsylvania, HIghmark Wholecare, Disabled in Action, Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council, Temple Institute on Disabilities, William Way LGBTQ Center, The Mayor's Commission for People with Disabilities, Liberty Resources Center for Independent Living, Disability Equality in Education, Art-Reach, United Spinal Greater Philadelphia, Help Hope Live and many more organizations. The Covid-19 pandemic, while uniquely terrifying and challenging for the disability community, did not stop us from hosting fun and educational Disability Pride events with access. Opening events to a virtual audience allowed for even more reach across the state of PA and connections across the world. Individuals from over 30 countries joined us at events in the last 2 years. Disability Pride PA has been featured in the news including Temple University News, Comcast Newsmakers, A Valid Podcast, and WHYY articles and Radio Times. Our services are needed more than ever as COVID continues on.