Disability Pride and Policy

July is Disability Pride Month and marks 35 years since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This year’s celebration had a chilling start with President Trump’s July Fourth signing of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which will rip Medicaid and other key services from disabled Americans of all ages. The disability advocacy community’s ongoing pushback against the legislation is a living reminder of how far we have come and how hard we have fought. That’s not going to stop. And that is a point of pride.

Given that more than one in four adults in the United States has a disability, all policy choices affect disabled Americans. All policy is disability policy. When a facet of life is inaccessible to disabled people, it is because society has built it so. Inaccessibility is an active choice. New America’s disability work aims to encourage policymakers to make better choices to make good on the promise of the ADA. We seek to strengthen economic self-sufficiency, independent living, full participation, and equal opportunity for all disabled people. Four pillars guide us in this mission, showing the inextricable link between disability policy and disability pride.

Pillar 1: Improve and align education systems for children, youth, and young adults with disabilities from early childhood through higher education to ensure equal access and opportunities.

Education policy is disability policy. We’ve come a long way since the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which guaranteed a free and appropriate education to students with disabilities in 1975, and to infants and toddlers in 1986. Yet they still face systemic barriers from birth through college, from segregated settings to delayed evaluations to underfunded supports to lower graduation rates. For instance, the United States does not have nearly enough special educators to teach the 15 percent of students with disabilities. And students with disabilities are suspended at higher rates and continue to experience harmful discipline at school, with Black students with disabilities suspended at especially high rates. While we’ve made huge strides in understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of how students with disabilities learn, our policy has not caught up with the science. We need stronger policies to deliver on IDEA’s promise and provide young children and students with disabilities the education they deserve. We can foster disability pride by setting up disabled students for success, and empowering all students to be their own best advocates by teaching them about the history of disability rights.

Pillar 2: Advance and improve competitive, integrated workforce and employment opportunities for workers with disabilities beginning with transition from high school to postsecondary through retirement.

Workforce policy is disability policy. Disabled workers continue to face higher unemployment and underemployment than nondisabled peers. They still face hiring discrimination, low pay, and inaccessible systems. But these employment gaps are policy gaps that can be fixed. One key policy issue is phasing out subminimum wage. We can also implement accessible job training, supported employment programs, inclusive apprenticeships, and inclusive hiring practices. By valuing disabled workers not just in words, but in workforce policies, we can show disability pride.

Pillar 3: Ensure emerging and advanced technology provides opportunities for youth and adults with disabilities in school, the community, and the workforce; that such technology is accessible; and mitigate bias and risks.

Technology policy is disability policy. Technology has the power to bridge gaps or widen them. Too often, it is not designed with disabled users in mind, which creates barriers to learning, voting, working, socializing, communicating, and several other core elements of participating in society. To eliminate these barriers, we must implement stronger digital access standards, community-led design, stronger privacy policies, and inclusive AI policies. Those with the power to shape the future of tech must center disability from the start. It’s time to embrace disability pride by celebrating innovation led by disabled communities and pushing policy to catch up.

Pillar 4: Promote and engage in opportunities to advance independent living and full participation in the community for all people with disabilities.

Family policy is disability policy. Public benefits and health care systems often overlook or underserve disabled people and their families. As such, too many families with disabilities face higher rates of poverty, housing insecurity, and social exclusion. That’s a policy failure. We can do better through creating policies that prioritize paid family caregiving support, intergenerational economic mobility, and inclusive access to public programs. Policies that honor the diversity of families and champion their wellbeing are important means of uplifting disability pride.

Civic engagement policy is disability policy. Disabled people are underrepresented at every level of public life, from town halls to Congress. Disabled voters still face barriers, from accessing polling sites to inaccessible vote-by-mail processes. In fact, sixty percent of polling places are not fully accessible to disabled voters. But true democracy relies on full accessibility. The United States can reform its democratic systems to remove financial and procedural barriers to running for office, ensure public forums are inclusive and accessible, and create pipelines for disabled leadership in civic life. We can build momentum for disability pride by empowering disabled people to lead.

Beyond the United States, global policy is disability policy. Worldwide, people with disabilities are disproportionately impacted by poverty, conflict, and climate crisis, but often excluded from the decisions that shape their futures. For example, when disaster strikes, such as heat waves, floods, or wildfires, disabled people are two to four times more likely to be harmed. That’s why disability inclusion must be central to global climate policies rather than an afterthought. By calling for stronger protections for disabled people worldwide and advocating for those who do not have the freedom to advocate for themselves, we can continue to pave the pathway toward disability pride.

As we reflect on disability policy and pride, we must remember that nearly everyone will eventually become disabled if they are not already. Disability is woven throughout every neighborhood and nation in the world. Yet stigma, misconceptions, and fear hold many people (whether disabled or nondisabled) back from even discussing disability issues in depth. We have the tools to empower people to dive into the conversation, so let’s use them to push forward for disability rights. Learn how to talk about disability. Learn how to be an ally. Learn how to tackle ableism. And join us in our quest for a better America for people with disabilities.