In July 1990, the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) was signed into law by President George HW Bush. This transformative piece of legislation aimed to eliminate discrimination against individuals with disabilities and protect their right to fully participate in all aspects of society.
That milestone in the civil rights movement was significant. The US was the first country to pass such a comprehensive law, which provided clear, enforceable standards to address discrimination and mandated accessibility in public places.
35 Years Honoring Our Differences
In 2015, on the 25th anniversary of ADA’s passage, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio designated July as Disability Pride Month. Ten years later, this event is more than a commemoration of the landmark civil rights legislation. It’s an opportunity to challenge antiquated stigmas and honor human diversity.
This month, FRCC joins in that celebration. Our college is for everyone, and we are deeply committed to making our students, faculty, staff, and all community members feel safe, valued and accepted for who they are.
How to Celebrate Disability Pride
Here are a few simple ways you can take part in Disability Pride Month and celebrate all of our unique differences:
1. Take Time to Get Educated
We’ve only scratched the surface here about the history of the disability rights movement, a fight that began long before the ADA was passed in 1990. There are many wonderful stories of courage and advocacy.
Explore PBS’s spotlight on noteworthy activists who showed tireless resilience and the Smithsonian’s deep dive into how the ADA came to be. Learning builds understanding!
2. Find Common Ground Through Conversations
Disability is part of the human experience. By creating genuine connections with people who have disabilities, you help them feel understood and accepted. Also, remember that many disabilities are not visible, so treat everyone with the same respect and consideration, regardless of whether you know they have a disability or not.
Talk to people to learn about their lives and experiences, and see them as individuals with strengths not deficits. Recognize them for their individuality, not their challenges.
3. Make Your Digital Work Accessible to All
In college, there is a lot of sharing documents among classmates, and you might not even realize when a document isn’t accessible for your peers with disabilities. FRCC faculty and instructors are also working to make sure all materials and coursework are accessible to all students.
It’s not hard to make your work accessible—simply adding alternative text to your images and making sure you have good color contrast solves a lot of accessibility problems for people with vision issues. A member of FRCC’s disability support services team offers these excellent tips for making sure documents, web pages, media and more are accessible for everyone.
4. Use the Right Language
The growing shift in attitudes toward disability has fostered a sense of community. Keep in mind that people with disabilities are people first. They are not defined by their disability, just as they are not ashamed of it.
Avoiding referring to someone as “disabled” or “living with a disability,” as this can come across as condescending, even when you have good intentions. The Stanford Disability Initiative’s Disability Language Guide is a helpful reference for using words that are considerate of disability equity.
The guide recommends: “Putting the person first, as in ‘people with disability,’ [which] is called people-first language. It is commonly used to reduce the dehumanization of disability.”
But the guide also points out that individuals with disabilities are just that—individuals. So, of course, there is “no unanimity on which is the more respectful style, it comes down to personal preference.” So if a person discloses their disability to you, you may simply want to ask them how they want you to refer (or not refer) to their disability.
5. Challenge Your Own Assumptions
Our beliefs and everyday actions shape the world around us, and sometimes people make unconscious assumptions about disabilities and the people who have them. Pay attention to—and try to shift—your mindset.
Recognize that disabilities do not limit people’s ability to be independent and successful, and that accommodations in school and public areas help create a more inclusive environment for everyone.
Welcoming. Respectful. Inclusive.
Front Range is a community where YOU belong, no matter what type of student you are. We believe that inclusion supports student success, and just as important, it fosters a sense of belonging among every person who sets foot on an FRCC campus.
People’s differences are what enrich our college community and make the world a better place.
Together, We Are FRCC.
FRCC students often talk about how they love learning from their classmates of different ages and backgrounds, as well as from their professors. Our diversity of lived experiences gives us different perspectives that help us understand our circumstances more fully.
We’re proud of every student who comes to FRCC to strive toward their goals and dreams. But we recognize that achieving inclusive excellence and equity takes more than a mission statement. It takes intentional, continuous effort.
Thank you for being a part of that effort by honoring and celebrating our disabled students during Disability Pride Month—and every day!
