Disability Pride Month – July 2022
Disability Pride Month is celebrated each year in July. It gives us opportunities to end stigmas, raise awareness and have positive conversations about disability in the workplace. We’ve asked Jade, our new Groups Assistant Intern at MySight York what Disability Pride means to her.
Disability Pride initially started as a day of celebration in 1990 in America. It was in the same year that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed. As time has gone on, the celebration of pride has progressed to a month, rather than just a day. The first celebration of Disability Pride Month was in 2015, which marked the 25th anniversary of the ADA being signed. It’s now celebrated in many countries.
Disability Pride can mean different things to different people. For many people, this month is a way of celebrating the disabled community, raising awareness, having positive conversations about disability in the workplace and ending stigmas.
We spoke to Jade, who is our new Groups Assistant Intern at MySight York and we’ve asked her what Disability Pride means to her. With funding from Thomas Pocklington Trust, MySight York is licensed to deliver the Get Set Progress internship programme. Jade is 23 years old and she has lived in York all of her life. Jade has a guide dog named Oliver.
Jade was diagnosed with her visual impairment at the age of three and she was registered as blind/severely sight impaired (SSI) with an eye condition called Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI).
Jade said, “I have lived with this all my life and I don’t let it hold me back from doing the things I enjoy. However, before Oliver I was shy and quite introverted. I would go to local restaurants and pubs rarely and if I did, I would shy away in a corner. When I got my guide dog, my confidence grew and I’ve also learned how to advocate for myself. Oliver and Guide Dogs have helped my confidence to grow immensely, which is something I am very proud of. I feel safer when he is guiding me and having Oliver has helped me to accept my disability.”
She continued, “Disability Pride Month for me is about celebrating what makes you unique! I’m also grateful for and proud of my Get Set Progress internship with MySight York. I’d recommend the Get Set Progress internship programme to anyone with a visual impairment who is looking for work. They make sure you can upskill yourself so you are ready to go into the world of work after you’ve completed your internship.”
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