July is Disability Pride Month, a time to celebrate, raise awareness and advocate for the rights and achievements of people with disabilities. This month coincides with the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), signed into law on July 26, 1990.
Over the years, Disability Pride events have spread worldwide, growing a sense of community and empowerment among people with disabilities. These events highlight the contributions of people with disabilities and advocate for greater inclusion and accessibility. They aim to challenge societal perceptions of disability and promote the idea that disability is a natural and valuable part of human diversity.
Moving Beyond Tokenism and Performative Gestures
While Disability Pride Month is a great platform for raising awareness, it’s crucial to move beyond tokenism and performative gestures. Tokenism happens when organizations make superficial efforts to include people with disabilities without making meaningful changes to their policies or practices. On the other hand, performative gestures are actions that seem supportive but lack substance and genuine commitment.
To make a real difference, organizations need to focus on authentic representation, inclusive messaging and a long-term commitment to accessibility and inclusivity.
But how can brands and organizations do this?
Authentic Representation
When developing campaigns and initiatives, it's crucial to emphasize authenticity by sharing real stories and voices of individuals with disabilities to ensure diverse representation.
Highlighting Real Stories and Voices
Amplify the voices of people with disabilities by giving them the opportunity to share their experiences, perspectives and achievements in their own words. Actively seek out diverse voices within the disability community, including marginalized and underrepresented groups.
Organizations can feature those stories and voices in marketing and communications materials, host panels and discussions with disabled speakers and partner with disability advocacy groups to share their stories.
Ensuring Diverse Representation
Include people with disabilities in all aspects of an organization's work, from leadership positions to marketing campaigns. This means representing the full spectrum of disabilities, including physical, sensory, intellectual, and psychiatric disabilities, as well as intersectional identities like race, gender and sexual orientation.
Regular audits of marketing and communications materials can work to assess the diversity of the people featured. Organizaztions should also establish partnerships with disability advocacy organizations and hire people with disabilities in leadership roles to promote more diverse ways of thinking.
Inclusive Messaging
Inclusive messaging involves using respectful language and avoiding ableist tropes and stereotypes.
Using Respectful and Empowering Language
The language used to describe people with disabilities impacts how they are perceived and treated. Respectful language emphasizes individuality and humanity and avoids reducing people to just their disabilities.
Use person-first language (e.g., "person with a disability" rather than "disabled person") unless individuals prefer identity-first language (e.g., "disabled person"). Also avoid euphemisms like "differently-abled" or "special needs," which can be patronizing.
And highlight strengths and abilities rather than limitations. For example, instead of saying "suffers from" or "confined to," use neutral terms like "has" or "uses."
Avoiding Ableist Tropes and Stereotypes
Ableist tropes and stereotypes perpetuate harmful myths about disability and can reinforce negative attitudes and discrimination. Common tropes include the "supercrip" (someone seen as inspirational for overcoming their disability), the "tragic victim" (someone pitied for their disability) and the "burden" (someone who is seen as a burden to others).
Instead, focus on portraying people with disabilities as complex individuals with diverse experiences. Challenge stereotypes by featuring their achievements and contributions in various fields.
Commit to Accessibility
Organizations show commitment to accessibility by implementing and maintaining accessible digital content and platforms and conducting regular audits and updates to ensure compliance with accessibility standards.
Implementing and Maintaining Accessible Digital Content
Ensure digital content is accessible to people with disabilities. This includes websites, social media, videos and other digital content.
Organizations can do this by following established accessibility guidelines, like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). These include providing alternative text for images, captions for videos and ensuring websites are navigable with keyboards and screen readers.
Regular Audits and Updates
Accessibility is an ongoing process. Regular audits and updates ensure compliance with accessibility standards and address new issues.
Conduct regular accessibility audits of digital content and platforms and make improvements as needed. And include user testing with people with disabilities to identify and address any barriers they encounter.
Creating Long-Term Engagement
Long-term engagement involves building ongoing relationships with disability advocacy organizations and incorporating accessibility and inclusivity into company culture and policies year-round.
Building Ongoing Relationships
Partner with disability advocacy groups to co-create content, host events, and provide training on disability issues. These relationships are essential for understanding the needs and perspectives of the disability community.
These relationships should be based on mutual respect and collaboration, as well as a promise of support to help them advocacy groups carry out their work.
Incorporating Accessibility and Inclusivity into Company Culture
A genuine commitment to accessibility and inclusivity requires more than occasional efforts during Disability Pride Month. Integrate accessibility and inclusivity into an organization’s core values and practices. Provide training on disability awareness, establish policies for accommodating employees with disabilities, and create a welcoming workplace environment.
These values should also be incorporated into an organization's strategic planning and decision-making processes. Set goals and metrics for improving accessibility, allocate resources for initiatives, and hold leaders accountable for progress.
By amplifying real stories and voices, promoting diverse representation and steering clear of ableist tropes and stereotypes, organizations can foster a more inclusive and accessible society. When we champion a society that values, respects, and includes people with disabilities in every aspect of life, we pave the way for a brighter, more equitable future for all.
Matisse Hamel-Nelis is an accessible communications and marketing consultant, trainer and speaker. She is Chair of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.