Able Foods reflections on Disability Pride Month

Did you know that July is Disability Pride Month?

If this is new to you, it could be because it’s not yet an event widely celebrated here in Australia. It originated in the US, to commemorate the 1990 passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the civil rights law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability.

It has since resonated globally as a time to challenge ableism, amplify voices from the disability community, and promote visibility and acceptance. Today, it’s not only a celebration of identity but also a call to action, recognising that pride and inclusion need to go hand-in-hand with accessibility, equity, and systemic changes.

In the Able Foods team, each of us has varying relationships and connections to disability and the disability community. We’re proud to foster a workplace that values empathy, inclusion, and continuous learning. To mark Disability Pride Month, we asked our team to reflect on two key questions:

What’s something you’ve learned about disability that’s made a positive change in how you approach your work or personal life?
What’s one resource about disability (could be a book/article/podcast/social account) that has stayed with you and you’d recommend?

Below are some of our highlights:

What’s something you’ve learned about disability that’s made a positive change in how you approach your work or personal life?

Learning about how truly diverse disability is has reminded me how important it is to expose myself to diverse perspectives and continue listening to individuals, without generalising that to a whole community of people.

Accessibility in public spaces was not something I thought about before joining Able Foods. I am so grateful to be much more aware of the challenges so many people with disability face in accessing even the simplest things I take for granted every day. It’s made me much more conscious of venues that do it well and those that don’t, and ideally supporting those that prioritise this.

Accessible communication materials are better for everyone. Now that I've learned more about this, I'll never be able to look at designs with poor colour contrasts in the same way.

Disabilities can be hidden and silent. Overall, I've learned the importance of seeking out and listening to diverse voices for a more well rounded and inclusive approach to both my work and personal life.

What’s one resource about disability that has stayed with you and you’d recommend?

I learned a lot from the earlier episodes of the podcast ListenAble. It offered so many perspectives and taught me about disabilities I hadn't previously heard of.

The TV show Austin is so good, you must watch it.

Volume 1, Voices of Peoples with Disability from the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability. It's really tough to read but it stuck with me and highlighted the inequality that still exists.

I enjoyed TV shows Special and Atypical and the film CODA.

The podcast Tubie Talks and The Blend magazine has broadened my view of the many different ways one can eat well and be nourished.

Able Foods reflections on Disability Pride Month