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Are you ready for Disability Pride Month in July? Time is flying and it's already just around the corner! Although I can't emphasize enough how essential it is to recognize disability year-round and not just once a year, I'm also always excited for a month of celebrating disability history, culture, identity, and community. Honoring Disability Pride Month is such a valuable way to learn and make progress toward fostering an inclusive culture. Whether your organization is just getting started in the learning process or already well on your way, I'd love to support that effort. Speaking, educating, storytelling about disability are at the heart of what I do, so if you're planning an event, it would be a joy to join! But what's most important to me is that you find a speaker who is the right fit for your organization. Penguin Random House Speakers Bureau (which I'm so lucky to be represented by) put together a great list of speakers to consider for Disability Pride Month (including Lachi ♫, Sara Hendren, John Hendrickson, Tara Rae Moss, and Maya-Camille Broussard). Here's the list. Check it out, and if you'd like to work together, please reach out and let's make it happen! https://lnkd.in/eTzVbYts (Image description: Headshot of me, a white woman with curly brown shoulder-length hair wearing glasses and a purple sweater dress, sitting in a wheelchair. To the side is a quote from me, "If the disability community wants a world that's accessible to us, then we must make ideas and experiences of disability accessible to the world.") #DisabilityPride #DisabilityPrideMonth #DisabilityInclusion #DisabilityRights #DisabilityAdvocacy #DEI #DEIA #DiversityEquityInclusion #Accessibility #A11y #LinkedInTopVoices

🎉 💓 Happy first #WisdomWednesday of Disability Pride month! We are excited at HP to celebrate this community and are committed to bringing necessary attention to all the work that still needs to be done. Check out this Forbes article, written by Keely Cat-Wells (Disability Rights Advocate and CEO of Making Space): https://lnkd.in/gS9grRRq Cat-Wells talks about the ways we can proactively make this world a more inclusive place for everybody. Here's a few we can all implement TODAY: 💰 Embed Accessibility in Every Budget: "Making accessibility a mandatory line item on every budget ensures that it becomes an inherent part of planning rather than an afterthought. This financial commitment underscores the importance of inclusivity and creates a structure to make all events, programs, and projects accessible to all." 💼 Inclusive Hiring Practices: "Disabled people should be hired for all roles, not just those specifically related to disability. This expands the scope of opportunities and allows Disabled individuals to bring their diverse perspectives to various aspects of the organization." 💭 💭 Discard Assumptions: "It's crucial not to assume what someone can or can not do or what they may or may not need. Disabilities can be non-apparent, and peoples access requirements can vary greatly. Encourage open conversations and avoid making assumptions about what someone can or cannot do based on their appearance." 📢 ✨ Amplify Disabled Voices: "Practice 'passing the mic' by giving Disabled people a platform to share their experiences, knowledge, and perspectives, and pay them for their time and expertise...Amplifying Disabled voices not only fosters representation but also allows these critical perspectives to reach a wider audience." What are some ways you are making your workplace more inclusive? #disabilitypride #inclusive #ally #leadership

Happy Disability Pride Month! Today I wanted to talk about the 10 Principles of Disability Justice, a framework created by Sins Invalid. Sins Invalid is a performance art and education group that use art, activism, and education to create spaces of healing, justice and liberation for disabled people who are Black, Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander, Latinx, queer, trans, nonbinary, gender non-conforming, gender expansive, and two-spirit. Here are the 10 principles in plain text created by Sins Invalid: 1. INTERSECTIONALITY “We do not live single issue lives” –Audre Lorde. Ableism, coupled with white supremacy, supported by capitalism, underscored by heteropatriarchy, has rendered the vast majority of the world “invalid.” 2. LEADERSHIP OF THOSE MOST IMPACTED “We are led by those who most know these systems.” –Aurora Levins Morales 3. ANTI-CAPITALIST POLITIC In an economy that sees land and humans as components of profit, we are anti-capitalist by the nature of having non-conforming body/minds. 4. COMMITMENT TO CROSS-MOVEMENT ORGANIZING Shifting how social justice movements understand disability and contextualize ableism, disability justice lends itself to politics of alliance. 5. RECOGNIZING WHOLENESS People have inherent worth outside of commodity relations and capitalist notions of productivity. Each person is full of history and life experience. 6. SUSTAINABILITY We pace ourselves, individually and collectively, to be sustained long term. Our embodied experiences guide us toward ongoing justice and liberation. 7. COMMITMENT TO CROSS-DISABILITY SOLIDARITY We honor the insights and participation of all of our community members, knowing that isolation undermines collective liberation. 8. INTERDEPENDENCE We meet each others’ needs as we build toward liberation, knowing that state solutions inevitably extend into further control over lives. 9. COLLECTIVE ACCESS As brown, black and queer-bodied disabled people we bring flexibility and creative nuance that go beyond able-bodied/minded normativity, to be in community with each other. 10. COLLECTIVE LIBERATION No body or mind can be left behind – only moving together can we accomplish the revolution we require. Disability justice helped me find wholeness on both a personal and coalitional level. It also speaks to the importance of building across difference with and within our communities. In LGBTQIA+ spaces I am disabled, and in disability spaces I am trans & gender non-conforming. Disability justice has gifted me the ability to rediscover my own wholeness. For those unfamiliar with disability justice, I highly encourage you to look into the work and resources by Sins Invalid. Disability is an intersection. An intersection founded in difference, it is a difference that embodies strength, patience, sustainability, risk taking, learning, and resilience when we allow it to be our teacher.

🌟 July is Disability Pride Month! 🌟   Disability Pride Month is a time to recognise the achievements, strength, and contributions of the disability community and to acknowledge the ongoing fight for equal rights and inclusion. Although many countries already have laws in place which prohibit all forms of discrimination based on protected characteristics, such as disability, people with disabilities still face significant obstacles in their daily lives.   Here are some examples of these barriers and what you can do to help:
  🌐 Accessibility Barriers: Advocate for regulations, educate about accessibility, support inclusive practices.   💡 Attitudinal Barriers: Challenge biases, promote positive portrayals, listen and learn from disabled individuals. 🤝 Employment Opportunities: Promote inclusive hiring, advocate for accommodations, challenge discrimination.   ❤️ Support Services: Advocate for funding, support organisations, raise awareness.   🌈 Social Inclusion: Promote accessibility, establish inclusive programs, engage disabled individuals.   Visitors to my page may have read that in 2022, due to a neurological condition called Functional Neurological Disorder, I lost my mobility and became a full-time wheelchair-user over just a few months. Adjusting to this new chapter was a very scary time, not only because of the medical challenges and uncertainties, but because of my own general lack of knowledge around how to navigate life with a wheelchair — including how to get one in the first place! I am forever grateful for the support and compassion extended by those around me who had the answers to my many questions and experiences to share. However, I was struck by the number of things to 'watch out for' as a person with accessible needs: insufficient special assistance procedures at certain airports and airlines, unreliable 'accessible' train routes where lifts are out of use or services cancelled, disabled parking bays being used improperly by those without a need, inappropriate comments from members of the public regarding my own disability/mobility aid... The list goes on. Unfortunately, these are all issues I have since experienced first-hand; I will ashamedly admit my prior assumption, ‘it cannot be that bad', was quickly thrown well out of the window. And this is in the UK, a country thought to be ahead of so many others when it comes to equality and inclusion. It is clear there is still much to do.   However, none of this negates the progress made up until now. We can choose to view those imperfections as opportunities for growth, as catalysts to continue our collective efforts, and as a sobering reminder that the journey towards full equality and inclusion is an ongoing one. The truth is that disability can touch our lives at any time. Let's work together to ensure that no one has to face the challenges of an inaccessible world when it does. #DisabilityPrideMonth #Inclusion #Accessibility #CelebrateDiversity #DisabilityRights

Celebrating Disability Pride Month: A Journey of Empowerment and Inclusion   July is Disability Pride Month and that’s a big deal here at John’s Crazy Socks. We’re on a mission to show what people with differing abilities can do. It’s important to take pride in the achievements of people with disabilities.   What Is Disability Pride Month?   We should celebrate people with differing abilities every month, but July is set aside as a reminder to take time to recognize people with disabilities. It's a time when people with differing abilities, their friends, families, and supporters come together to celebrate diversity, challenge stereotypes, and show the world what they can do.   The Origins of Disability Pride Month   Disability Pride Month began as a celebration of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) so we need to trace the origins of that legislation.   The ADA grew out of a grassroots effort lead by advocates like the fabled Judy Heumann. In January 1990, more than 1,000 self-advocates protested at the U.S. Capital, climbing the steps, many crawling, to demonstrate the barriers people with disabilities faced.   Inside the Capitol, Congressional leaders led by Senator Tom Harkin as well as Senator Ted Kennedy and Congressman Tony Coelho, pushed assembled a bipartisan coalition of support for a sweeping legislative act.   On July 26, 1990, President Geroge H. W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). That changed the world for millions of people and their families. The ADA made it illegal to discriminate against people with disabilities in areas like jobs, schools, transportation, and public spaces. John was able to receive a first-rate education only because of the ADA. Put simply, if the ADA was not present, there would be no John’s Crazy Socks.   To mark the ADA's first anniversary in 1991, Boston held what's believed to be the first Disability Pride Day. Since then, the idea has grown, and now we celebrate for a whole month!   What Does Disability Pride Mean?   Disability Pride is about:   - Embracing who we are, differences and all - Challenging negative stereotypes - Promoting visibility and inclusion - Celebrating our achievements and contributions to society   It's about saying, "Hey world, we're here, we're proud, and we have so much to offer!" Disability Pride Month reminds us all that diversity makes our world richer and more interesting. Our business is stronger and more sustainable because of our diversity. It's a chance to educate others, break down barriers, and create a more inclusive society. #inclusionmatters #inclusion #ADA #disabilitypride #Downsyndrome  

#TheMorningInclusive: Celebrating Disability Pride Month July is Disability Pride Month, a significant time to honor the history, celebrate the achievements, and acknowledge the contributions of the disability community. It’s a month dedicated to promoting visibility and mainstream awareness of the positive pride felt by people with disabilities. As we celebrate, it’s crucial to reflect on the importance of accessibility in creating an inclusive society. Disability Pride Month, a testament to the progress made in the journey towards inclusivity, originated in the United States to commemorate the passing of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 1990. This groundbreaking legislation prohibited discrimination against people with disabilities and ensured their rights in all areas of public life. The first Disability Pride Day was held in Boston in 1990, and the concept has since evolved into a month-long celebration. In 2015, New York City officially declared July as Disability Pride Month to mark the 25th anniversary of the ADA. Accessibility is more than just a legal requirement; it’s a fundamental human right. It ensures everyone has equal access to opportunities, services, and environments regardless of their abilities. When we prioritize accessibility, we not only break down barriers that prevent people with disabilities from fully participating in society, but we also foster a more diverse and innovative community. This can lead to better problem-solving, increased productivity, and a more inclusive society. In the workplace, accessibility means providing the necessary tools and accommodations to enable employees to perform their best. This could include adaptive technologies like screen readers for visually impaired employees, flexible work arrangements such as remote work options for those with mobility issues, and accessible office spaces with ramps and wide doorways. In our communities, accessibility can take many forms, from accessible public transportation and buildings to inclusive recreational activities and digital content. When we design with accessibility in mind, we create welcoming and usable spaces for everyone. In our communities, accessibility can take many forms, from accessible public transportation and buildings to inclusive recreational activities and digital content. When we design with accessibility in mind, we create welcoming and usable spaces for everyone. As we celebrate Disability Pride Month, let’s reinforce our commitment to advocating for accessibility in all areas of life. By doing so, we can build a society where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. Let’s embrace diversity, promote inclusion, and ensure that accessibility is at the forefront of our efforts. #DisabilityPrideMonth #Belonging #Inclusion #Diversity #Equity #Accessibility NOTE: This image was created with Copilot to Summarize this text. 

Disability:IN 2023 brought together professionals with disabilities, activists, and allies from all over the world to discuss effective change for people with disabilities and other accessibility issues. Lucia Rios, a Workforce Navigators associate at Salesforce and Joanna Del Orbe Mejia, a communications and enablement specialist at Salesforce, spoke with InclusionHub about their experience at the conference, both as participants and panelists. They discuss the importance of inclusive language, approaching disability with authenticity, respecting others’ language preferences, being a better ally, and experiencing solidarity with other professionals with disabilities. "We need people with disabilities to talk about people with disabilities, to promote a real message,” Del Orbe Mejia says. “I would love for companies to know what authentic representation looks like, for them to learn the different ways we can incorporate it into our marketing campaigns.” #Accessibility #a11y #Disability #DigitalInclusion #DEI Image Description: The 2023 Disability:IN Conference logo on a field of navy blue.

Title: Celebrating Disability Pride Month: Embracing Inclusivity Everywhere https://lnkd.in/gdeJ_aQE July is Disability Pride Month—a time to celebrate the diversity and contributions of people with disabilities worldwide. It’s more than just a month; it’s a call for continuous inclusivity in our workplaces and educational settings. Why Disability Pride Month Matters Originating alongside the ADA in 1990, Disability Pride Month promotes awareness and fights against ableism. It’s a reminder to embrace everyone’s talents and ensure equal opportunities for all. Advancing Inclusivity Through Technology Digital accessibility, like UserWay’s innovations, plays a crucial role in creating inclusive environments. It empowers individuals with disabilities to navigate online platforms seamlessly, fostering equal participation in today’s digital world. Embracing Symbolism: The Disability Pride Flag The Disability Pride flag, with its distinctive stripes representing various disabilities—from physical to neurodivergent and sensory—symbolizes unity and advocacy for a barrier-free society. What does the disability pride flag look like today? Charcoal gray background: In memory of the victims of ableist abuse and violence, including children or those killed, suicides, or individuals who suffered from negligence. Diagonal band: Cutting across the barriers blocking people with disabilities from full participation, integration, and inclusion in society Red stripe: Physical disabilities (chronic pain/fatigue, mobility impairment, loss of limbs) Gold stripe: Neurodivergence (autism, ADHD, dyslexia) White stripe: Undiagnosed and invisible disabilities Blue stripe: Psychiatric disabilities (depression, PTSD, anxiety, etc.) Green stripe: Sensory disabilities (hearing loss, visual impairments, etc.) Action Beyond July Let’s make inclusivity a year-round commitment. From local events to workplace accommodations and educational reforms, every step we take builds a more accessible and accepting society. Join the Conversation Celebrate Disability Pride Month with us and advocate for inclusivity in every aspect of life. Together, we can create a world where diversity thrives. #DisabilityPride #InclusionMatters

Shifting the Narrative: Celebrating Authentic Disability Representation There's an undoubtedly strong link between the lack of authentic disability representation in the media, advertising and more; with exclusion, isolation and poor social outcomes (like employment, education and healthcare) for disabled people. If we're not a part of everyday popular culture, that sends the message that we don’t belong in society. But just because we don’t fit the social norms of society doesn’t mean we don’t contribute to it, just like everyone else. People forget that so many of us lead relatively 'normal' and often ordinary lives, just like everyone else without a disability. In fact, let’s be honest, who said anyone lives a normal life? No person lives the same way, regardless if they have a disability or not! So, with that in mind, why is it so hard to find media or advertising that reflects us in the same light as everyone else? KR Liu's article, ‘Google’s KR Liu on advocating for disability innovation marketing to drive cultural change’, highlights how important it is for people with disabilities to be represented not just morally but also economically. The article notes that there are 1.5 billion people globally identifying as disabled, wielding a collective spending power of $8 trillion, so why do their stories, their desires, and their complexities remain largely absent from the narratives woven by brands? Why, because we are so often reduced to symbols of struggle, defined by limitations rather than our diverse strengths and aspirations. This isn’t just an oversight; it’s a complete gap in understanding, that perpetuates harmful stereotypes and fosters exclusion. But the tide is turning. Disability marketing isn’t just about highlighting accessible products, though that remains crucial. It’s about challenging the underlying cultural lens through which we view disability. At Google, KR Liu has worked to incorporate this through campaigns like “A CODA Story,” which showcases the multigenerational journey of Tony Lee, Jr., an Asian American Googler and a child of deaf adults (CODA) that aired during the Oscars in 2022, as well as “Javier in Frame,” our 2024 Super Bowl spot, which tells the story of Javier, a man who is blind, capturing important life moments with Google Pixel’s “Guided Frame” feature. We need to dismantle the “disability narrative” built on tropes of pity and limitation and instead, we need to weave authentic stories that celebrate the richness and diversity of our lived experiences. By embedding disability innovation marketing as a foundational practice, we can begin to highlight how technology isn’t only helping people who need it most but also representing disabled people in their everyday lives. #DisabilityRepresentation #InclusionMatters #AuthenticRepresentation

Trying to get your summer reading list together? Here are a few recommended books….