Disability Pride Month

We interviewed the incredible Eleanor Lisney, a campaigner, public speaker, access advisor, and co-founder/director of @sisters_of_frida and @cultureaccess

Disability Pride Month is a new concept for me. I found out that it came from the USA – coinciding with the American Disability Act (ADA) in the 1990’s – but it was not well known. The UK had the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) in 2002. I remember celebrating on my own in Austin, Texas when I found out about it. Time to return to the UK, I had thought. This was replaced by the Equality Act 2010. There are people who would still say a venue is DDA compliant to this day! 

But what meaning does it hold for me? It is meant to be a chance for disabled people to come together and celebrate being ourselves, in our diversity, and raise awareness of the challenges and barriers we face every day. However, I do not feel I need a special month to do this. Just like my friends with Black History Month. Or International Women’s Day. 

As minoritised communities, we face different discriminations daily – and disability adds to the list. As an ESEA disabled woman, I get discriminated against by other ESEA people for being disabled. There is nothing more disheartening than being in a room to network, when you realise that you’re being ignored by your own community because they do not see you as worthy of networking with. 

However, I am glad to say, as ESEA communities get stronger, I am now in touch with those who are more inclusive and aware of the importance of being inclusive. So if nothing else, I am proud of being an activist - and a visibly disabled activist - who helps that journey towards awareness. My main focus in disability work previously has really been in human rights, and access compliance, and things like disability rights and women’s rights. I now realise I have multiple identities that intersect with one another, and many of those are marginalised identities as well.

In this current time, with the Olympics in Paris, I suppose I’m reminded of the time I was a torch bearer in 2012. A young Thai girl approached me in Coventry Market, saying how pleased she was for me there because I was the only ESEA representative. I think that goes for my mum too. She never knew what I did as a disability equality activist (she was back in Malaysia) but she knew about the Olympics, and she flew over for the event.