Disability Pride Month is an annual celebration each July meant to honor the achievements, contributions, and lived experiences of people living with disabilities. People with disabilities account for around 15% of the world’s population and represent people of all backgrounds regardless of race, age, sex, sexuality, or other factors. For able-bodied people, it’s easy to overlook the ways life is different for our disabled friends, family, and neighbors. Keep reading to see how you can celebrate Disability Pride Month in your store and pay homage to the brave disabled members of your community.
Offer Inclusive Disability Training
A great way to celebrate Disability Pride Month in your store is to offer inclusive disability training to your employees. Discuss reasonable accommodations of for shoppers in your store, fostering an inclusive culture, fighting inherit biases, and other ways that your store can be more inviting and helpful to people with disabilities.
Install Accessible Technology
Make sure any technology in your store meets ADA standards and is accessible to people living with disabilities. Some benchmarks to look out for are making sure the visually impaired can see and read the information from the technology and making sure the physically impaired can use the technology just as easily as someone without a physical impairment.
Fly the Disability Flag
Flying the disability flag is a great way to show others your support for the disabled community and Disability Pride Month. The flag represents the disabled community’s fight against ableist violence, the protests disabled people have made for equality, and the barriers disabled people face in their day-to-day lives. It’s one of the smaller gestures you can make to celebrate, but doing so is a quick and sure-fire way to let others see your support.
Invite a Guest Speaker
A wonderful way to celebrate is to invite a disability activist as a guest speaker. They can educate you and your employees about specific ways you can act as an ally to the disabled community, best practices to consider when helping disabled customers in the store, and so much more! Getting your information directly from a disability activist is a great way to receive practical knowledge that can help you stand with the disabled community.
Sources
https://www.disclo.com/resources/how-to-celebrate-disability-pride-month-at-work
https://powertofly.com/up/disability-pride-month
https://www.inclusiveemployers.co.uk/awareness-day/disability-pride-month/
https://seniorexecutive.com/disability-pride-month-guide/#How-to-Recognize-Disability-Pride-Month
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