About Disability Pride Month
In July, we celebrate the history of the disability community in the United States. This month is important because the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law on July 26, 1990. It prohibited discrimination based on disabilities. We honor all activism and advocacy that people with disabilities and their allies undertook to get here.
People with disabilities belong in our communities! They are one of the largest minority populations in the United States. In Wisconsin, 1 in 4 people have a disability.
Yet 35 years later, people with disabilities still face threats to education, employment, health, and public life. The advocacy we’ve done on big bills this year has wide-ranging effects on you and your community. Though we’ve experienced setbacks, disability advocates and activists still fight for your right to independence, self-determination, and living the best possible life they can.
About the Disability Pride Flag
Wave the Disability Pride flag proudly!
Ann Magill designed the Disability Pride flag in 2019 and was redesigned in 2021 to be visually safe and inclusive for all people with disabilities. The flag is public domain, meaning it is free to use and share.
On a charcoal grey background, the flag is five colored and parallel stripes going diagonally from the upper left corner to the lower right corner. Each band is a color that represents a part of the disability community. The meanings for each color are below:
- Charcoal gray represents mourning for people with disabilities lost to ableist violence, abuse and neglect, suicide, and their disabilities.
- Red represents physical disabilities.
- Gold represents neurodiversity.
- Blue represents emotional and psychiatric disabilities.
- Green represents sensory disabilities.
- White represents undiagnosed and invisible disabilities.
Disability Pride Events Around the State
There are several upcoming events celebrating Disability Pride in Wisconsin!
Disability Pride Madison, Madison Disability Pride Festival
- Date and Time: Saturday, July 26, 2025, 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Location: Warner Park, Madison, WI
Midstate Independent Living Center, Disability Pride Festival
- Date and Time: Saturday, August 2, 2025, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Location: Lake Pacawa Park, Plover, WI
Disability Action Network, Disability Pride Fest
- Date and Time: October 19, 2025, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
- Location: Logan High School, La Crosse, WI
Learn More About Disability Pride Month
Learn more about Disability Pride Month and the experiences of people with disabilities below:
- Wisconsin’s governor, Tony Evers, has made a proclamation honoring Disability Pride Month for this year! Read the accessible 2025 Disability Pride Month Proclamation here.
- Learn more about the experiences of children with disabilities by watching the documentary, Crip Camp.
- Need information or technical assistance with the Americans with Disabilities Act? Learn more via ADA.gov.
- Want to know how to improve online accessibility for people with disabilities? Learn more via Section508.gov.