(BALTIMORE – July 26, 2026) – Happy Disability Pride Month and the 36th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)! Pride means naming disability out loud and with dignity. Disability should not be a source of shame or stigma. Naming disability gives a person the language to describe how they move through the world and to ask for the access they need to reach their full potential.
Lately, I’ve had a lot of conversations with people about what it means for children to reach their full potential in the context of disability. Stigma around disability runs deep in communities and families. I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard parents hope and pray their kids will “grow out” of their disabilities or fear for their children’s future.
I believe we can move past that discomfort with love and reimagine broader community support, especially in education. The first step is to accept the language. All of us will need accessibility and support at some time in our lives, through injury or simply as we age. So picture a world where the word disability carries so little shame that people in our communities can advocate for themselves openly and with the support of those around them. That world is gentler for everyone, and it starts with us refusing to treat the word disability as an insult…