Join the DEIA Team for a Film Screening of “Change, Not Charity: The Americans with Disabilities Act”
Date: Friday, July 25, 2025
Time: 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Location: Virtual Zoom Viewing
“Change, Not Charity: The Americans with Disabilities Act” tells the story of the decades-long push for equality and accessibility that led to the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990. Told through the voices of key participants and witnesses, the film highlights the determined people who worked to achieve their goal and change the lives of all Americans. The film brings to life one of the great civil rights movements in American history, where ordinary people made their voices heard and Congress responded.
Register to Attend the Film Screening
About Disability Pride Month and the Disability Rights Movement
Disability Pride has been celebrated by the disability community since the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. The first Disability Pride Day was held in Boston, Massachusetts in July 1990. In 2015, on the 25th anniversary of the ADA, the disability community decided to establish Disability Pride Month to recognize the history, achievements, experiences, and struggles of the overall community.
“Disability Pride Month celebrates disabled persons embracing their disabilities as integral parts of who they are, reclaiming visibility in public and interacting fully with their disabilities out in the open, and rejecting shame and internalized ableism. It is a time for the disability community to come together, uplift, and amplify one another’s voices and be heard. Disability pride has been described as 'accepting and honoring each person’s uniqueness and seeing it as a natural and beautiful part of human diversity.'” – American Bar Association.
The Arc has designated this year’s theme as, “We Belong Here, and We’re Here to Stay.” This Disability Pride Month, the community is facing the potential unraveling of disability rights that were pushed forward by the disability community, including the rollback of accessible building requirements and an increase in misinformation about the autistic community.
We have been here before. If it was not for the disability community coming together to fight for disability rights, both Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act may not exist today. Various protests by the disability community, including the We Will Ride protest in Denver, the Deaf President Now protest at Gallaudet University, and the Capitol Crawl in Washington D.C. led to the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, while the 504 Sit-in, the longest sit-in at a federal building in United States history, led to the implementation of Section 504.
Since then, the disability community has continued to make strides with various initiatives, including the reshaping of how the community is seen through the Social Model of Disability (coined by Mike Oliver in 1983), the continued advancement of disability rights in the legal space, increased representation in tv shows and movies, and the development of lived experience books and documentaries, such as Crip Camp (film), Change, Not Charity: The Americans with Disabilities Act (film), and Demystifying Disability (book).
What the disability community needs now are allies that can help continue to advance disability inclusion. Some actions you can take as an ally:
- Learn about the diverse lived experiences of the disability community through nonfiction books and documentaries.
- Donate to and follow non-profits led by the disability community for the disability community, including Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF), American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network (AWN), and New Disabled South. These non-profits will cover various ways you can help move disability rights forward in the United States.
- Follow United States Legal Updates provided by disability rights lawyer, Lainey Feingold.
- Make your digital content accessible – digital accessibility is a key component of disability inclusion.
- Examine the built environment around you as you go about your day. Where do you notice accessibility barriers? Does your city or town have a way to submit accessibility barriers?
Communication developed by Kristina England.