Pride Month is a fantastic time to come together, celebrate, and reflect on progress made in the LGBTQ+ community. It's about unity, love, and acceptance. But to truly embrace these values, businesses and organizations need to make sure their Pride events and campaigns are accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities.
People with disabilities are a vital part of the LGBTQ+ community, and their presence and participation enrich our celebrations. Celebrating Pride means everyone, regardless of physical, sensory, or cognitive abilities can join in the festivities.
“Businesses that choose to support Pride Month often forget that Pride means showcasing more than gay, white, cis-men. It means to highlight stories and voices from all colors of the rainbow. Folks in the disability community are the largest minoritized group in the world by numbers, because they will cross race/gender/socioeconomic lines. Having an intersectional approach to Pride means that businesses are truly demonstrating allyship to all in the community. It is also important to know that not all disabilities are visible, and not all disabilities are chronic. I encourage businesses to think about the ways in which they can support LGBTQ members that does not assume all have the same physical, mental, and socioemotional abilities.” - Brian Poth, Source LGBT+ Center
From social media to physical events, here’s how to make sure no one is left out of your Pride celebrations.
Physical Events
If you’re hosting a pride event for your employees or community, make sure to pick places that are wheelchair accessible with ramps, elevators, and adequate restroom facilities. Make sure any stages, routes, and event spaces are easy to navigate for people using wheelchairs or other mobility devices.
“Have an individual who uses a wheelchair or another type of mobility device walk through the venue or space where the event will take place so that you can see if there are any accessibility concerns (such as needing a ramp, more signage towards ramps, etc.). Captions and ASL interpretation are helpful for Deaf and hard of hearing individuals. Sensory friendly or quiet areas can help some individuals with autism and people who with sensory sensitivity.” - Sofie Dalton, Young Leaders Council
“If your location or activity is not accessible and cannot be changed last minute, ensure that you will find a new location next time. Most people with disabilities will understand time restrictions and last-minute requests might not be feasible but putting in the effort for future events will go a long way. Clubs and other perminant spaces do not have to completely rework their routine but simply having a few nights a month without flashing lights and slightly quieter music can allow people to participate without risking their health. If permanent LGBTQ+ spaces are inaccessible, consider moving or raising money to address physical barriers. When disabled individuals cannot access spaces, it is often presumed that we do not exist. By making such spaces accessible, people will see that disabled individuals have the same sexual and gender orientations as the rest of society. “ - Erin Valley, Center for Disability Rights
Seating
Provide plenty of seating for people who can't stand for long periods. Designate areas where people with disabilities can have a great view of all the action.
Transportation
Make sure your transportation options to and from the event is accessible. Can people use public transportation easily? Is there designated parking for people with disabilities close to the entrance? You can brush up on your accessible event knowledge here.
Communication Accessibility
Events can be especially frustrating for attendees who are deaf. Having a sign language interpreter that is easy to spot can make or break your event when it comes to inclusion. Along with an interpreter or instead of, you can provide captions on a screen to provide a real-time transcription of any speeches or performances.
Digital Accessibility
Make sure any website or app mention of Pride are accessible to people using screen readers and other assistive technology. Many brands change their social media logos or cover images for Pride month. Make sure it’s fully inclusive for everyone with alt text for every image.
“During Pride month, I urge organizations that focus on bettering the lives of people within the LGBTQ+ community to make sure that they include people that fall under that umbrella that also live with a disability. They can do this by making sure their websites/ blogs/ newsletters have the proper captions, sign language interpreters, and/or large bold print. I also encourage them to make sure their commercials, or any promotional tools have representation of people that fall under both categories.” - Katherine Magnoli, Katgirl and Friends
Another important way to include disability community members is to include representation of all types of abilities in your campaign, imagery, and team.
“I think that it is helpful when companies include people with disabilities who are members of the LGBTQ+ community in their Pride campaigns. This shows that the company supports people with disabilities, people in the LGBTQ+ community, and people who hold both identities. Also, having LGBTQ+ and disability pride stickers in a physical store or location shows inclusion for everybody.” - Sofie Dalton, Young Leaders Council
Enable Virtual Participation
For those who can't make your gathering or event in person, offer virtual participation options. Live stream any speeches with captions and sign language interpreters for those who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Inclusive Planning
Include people with disabilities in your planning committees. Their insights are crucial for creating truly accessible events.
“Establish an employee affinity group for LGBTQ and Friends. Give them an account so they can plan activities to attract members and provide information and support. Do the same for employees with Disabilities and Friends. These affinity groups will be aware of the local culture and can make meaningful suggestions that may improve on any national ideas. Some key ideas should be applied year-round, not just for Pride month or an event per se.” - Elly du Pr, Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AERBVI)
Creating an Inclusive Atmosphere
Beyond the practical stuff, you want to make sure you foster a culture of inclusion and respect. This means putting an emphasis on educating your employees or event attendees about inclusion and the adversity faced by the LGBTQ+ community.
“One of the best things you can do is to educate yourself about disability and the LGBT+ community. There are many great writers and video bloggers with varying disabilities that talk about this intersection of identities and experiences. Making events accessible should not be viewed as burdensome but simply as practicing what most LGBTQ+ organizations pride themselves on.” - Erin Valley, Center for Disability Rights
Wrap-Up
Making your Pride Month celebrations and campaigns accessible and inclusive of people with disabilities demonstrates sensitivity and a deeper awareness of the spectrum of the LGBTQ+ community. By prioritizing accessibility, you can honor the diverse identities and experiences that make our society stronger through inclusion. Happy Pride!