![DC Public Library Disability Pride Month banner, featuring the Disability Pride Flag at left and the wheelchair symbol as the "O" in "Month"](/sites/default/files/styles/large_ck_editor_/public/images/2024-06/Disability%20pride%20twitter%20header.png?itok=CkjAEP3o)
Disability Pride Month is an annual event celebrated in recognition of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 1990.
The Center for Accessibility at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library is hosting a variety of signature events to celebrate the anniversary of this landmark legislation throughout the month of July 2024- along with some events around your neighborhood! Explore the events below to help us celebrate Disability Pride at DC Public Library!
*For reasonable accommodations to participate in these or any DCPL programs, please contact DCPLaccess@dc.gov or 202-727-2142.
Special Events
![Smart Home: Make Your Home More Accessible with Tech!](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/2024-06/Smart_Home_Exhibit_Image.jpg?itok=V0vMRxj2)
Smart Home Exhibit
Saturday, July 13, 10:30 a.m. | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
In celebration of Disability Pride Month, the Center for Accessibility, in partnership with the DC Assistive Technology Program, will be hosting its annual Smart Home Exhibit. We'll showcase the latest smart tech designed to bring ease to everyday home activities, from some well-known tech like the Alexa and the Apple iPad, to some less so well-known (but just as reliable) tech like the Hero Medication dispenser and the AngelSense tracker.
*ASL Interpretation will be provided throughout the event.
![Disability Visibility book cover](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/2024-06/Disability%20Visibility%20book%20cover.jpg?itok=2VrM1JF9)
Calendars and Clocks Book Club
Monday, July 15, 6:30 p.m. | Martin Luther King. Jr. Memorial Library
Our seasonal Disability Pride Month read is Disability Visibility, a collection of first-person writing on the joys and challenges of the modern disability experience, edited by Alice Wong.
![Forever is Now book cover](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/2024-06/Forever_is_Now_Book_Cover.jpg?itok=WcCH6zAM)
Queer Book Club
Tuesday, July 16, 7 p.m. | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
Queer Book Club is a small but enthusiastic community that meets monthly to discuss queer-themed books spanning numerous genres. To celebrate Disability Pride Month, well be reading Forever is Now by Mariama J. Lockington.
![Book cover for Dara Baldwin's To Be a Problem: A Black Woman's Survival in the Racist Disability Rights Movement](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/2024-06/to%20be%20a%20problem.jpeg?itok=FGKvlMnE)
Author Talk with Dara Baldwin
Thursday, July 18, 7 p.m. | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
Join us for a special event with debut author Dara Baldwin, discussing her upcoming book, To Be A Problem: A Black Woman’s Survival in the Racist Disability Rights Movement. Born in Torrejon, Spain, Dara has made a career in public policy and social justice, holding senior positions at multiple organizations and leading numerous advocacy campaigns.
*ASL Interpretation will be provided
![Reel Access Film Fest](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/2024-06/RAFF_Image.jpg?itok=d42qPzAK)
Reel Access Film Fest
Saturday, July 20 & 27 | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
Celebrate Disability Pride Month with great films that highlight disability culture and inclusion. From documentaries to feature films, this curated list uses the craft of storytelling to bring people with disabilities to the forefront.
July 20th with feature documentaries and July 27th will feature theatrical films.
*All films will be shown with open captioning. Select films will be shown with open audio description (see full event listing)
![group of young girls, some in wheelchairs, on a dock wearing purple shirts and smiling](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/2024-06/Emergency%20Preparedness.jpg?itok=darOv2Fo)
Emergency Preparedness in the Disability Community
Monday, July 22, 5:30 p.m. | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
Join us in celebration of Disability Pride Month for presentations on emergency preparedness in the disability community with Disability EmpowHer Network (DEN)!
*ASL Interpretation and CART will be provided
![Grid of four portraits of comedians Neill Lynskey, NuNu, Bria Beddoe, and Max Gross](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/2024-06/Disability%20Pride%20Comedy%20copy.jpg?itok=4Of_BYWd)
Disability Pride Comedy Night
Thursday, July 25, 7.p.m. | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
Celebrate and laugh with us for our annual Disability Pride Comedy Night, now in it's 3rd year of highlighting funny people with disabilities! Please note: This event may contain mature language and is for Adults.
Featuring Neill Lynskey, NuNu, Max Gross, and Bria Beddoe.
*ASL Interpretation will be provided.
Events for Children & Families
![A light blue background with a rainbow gradient colored infinity symbol. Text above the symbol reads Story Time for the Spectrum](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/2024-06/Draft_Logo_Story_Time_for_the_Spectrum.png?itok=CK9HiCcW)
Story Time for the Spectrum
Saturday, July 6, 10:30 a.m. | Cleveland Park Neighborhood Library
Saturday, July 20, 10:30 a.m. | Cleveland Park Neighborhood Library
Saturday, July 27, 2 p.m. | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
All children and their families are invited to this fun story time, packed with sensory-friendly activities designed to be enjoyed by children of all abilities, including those on the autism spectrum. Content is designed for children ages 0-5, but children of all ages are welcome to attend with a caregiver.
*Registration is required, as space is limited. Please register using the link for each date.
![Wooden blocks are stacked to read "SIGN" while others in the stack show letters spelled with the ASL sign](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/2024-06/ASL_blocks_0_0.jpeg?itok=zEyH_zYu)
ASL Story Time
Tuesday, July 9, 11:30 a.m. | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
We'll both sign and vocalize our stories and songs; no prior knowledge of ASL is required. Recommended for ages 2 - 4 with caregiver.
![A pair of hands hold an array of Uno cards with braille lettering on them](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/2024-06/braille_uno.jpg?itok=qwTOzB9B)
Accessible Board Game Afternoon
Thursday, July 25, 4-6 p.m. | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
Join us in the Center for Accessibility for an all ages Accessible Board Game Afternoon! Games include Scrabble, Monopoly, Uno, Chess, and more! Boards and cards are tactile and include braille labelling. Everyone is welcome!
![Cartoon children stand in a line, smiling and playing various hand instruments. Light blue text underneath them reads Music & Movement](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/2024-06/MusicMovement.png?itok=2nlD07kG)
Music and Movement: Disability Pride Edition!
Monday, July 29, 10:30 a.m. | Southwest Neighborhood Library
In celebration of Disability Pride Month, we'll be grooving to music of musicians with disabilities! Dance and play instruments with your friends! For ages birth-5 with caregivers.
![An orange solid background with a row of books facing spine out at the bottom. Text at the top says in cursive writing "Children's Book Club"](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/2024-06/CPK_Childrens_Book_Club.jpg?itok=tpUPKnsG)
Not-a-Book-Club Book Club
Tuesday, July 30, 4:30 p.m. | Cleveland Park Neighborhood Library
Come and talk about this month's read, learn something new, and enjoy some snacks! This month's meeting will have a large focus on acceptance and inclusion, to celebrate Disability Pride Month. New members are always welcome. Reading the book is not a requirement for participation. Best for ages 8 and up.
![Disability Pride Activity Kit with three illustrated images from various children's books above the questions: What does disability mean? and Why do we have disability pride?](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/2024-07/Disability%20Pride%20Activity%20Kit_0.png?itok=j2py5xbW)
Kids Disability Pride Activity Kit
Explore Disability Pride with our activity kit designed especially for children! Dive into a world of creativity and learning and spark conversations about empathy and understanding with engaging coloring pages, interactive I Spy book activities, discussion questions, and more. This kit is a joyful way for children to embrace differences and celebrate the strength in diversity from an early age.
Books for Children
![Book cover for "All the way to the top : how one girl's fight for Americans with disabilities changed everything" featuring an illustration of a young blonde girl crawling up the steps of the U.S. Capitol building](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/2023-06/atwttt.jpg?itok=cdmazkIo)
All the Way to the Top: How One Girl's Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed Everything
Annette Bay Pimentel, pictures by Nabi Ali
![Book cover for "Rolling Warrior" featuring an illustration of a young Judith Heumann, a white woman with long brown hair and glasses sitting in a wheelchair and holding up a sign that says "Rights Now!"](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/2023-06/rolling.jpg?itok=2bvnSIgH)
Rolling Warrior: The Incredible, Sometimes Awkward, True Story of a Rebel Girl on Wheels Who Helped Spark a Revolution
Judith Heumann with Kristen Jordan
![Book cover for "I am Not a Label" featuring small illustrated portraits of prominent people with disabilities, including Stevie Wonder, Lady Gaga, and Frida Kahlo](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/2023-06/imnotalabel.jpg?itok=nj30_5iD)
I Am Not a Label : 34 Disabled Artists, Thinkers, Athletes and Activists from Past and Present
Cerrie Burnell, illustrated by Lauren Baldo
Books for Teens
![Book cover for "The Disability Experience" featuring illustrations of a group of 4 young adults with different disabilities, including one woman sitting in a wheelchair, a man with a prosthetic leg, and a man kneeling next to his service dog](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/2023-06/tde.jpeg?itok=8tNwj6dC)
The Disability Experience : Working Toward Belonging
Hannalora Leavitt; illustrations by Belle Wuthrich
Books for Adults
![Book](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/2023-08/index%20%284%29_8.jpg?itok=UPV0Pfxq)
Disability Visibility : First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century
Edited by Alice Wong
![Dark blue book cover for "The Hidden Treasure of Black ASL," featuring a black and white photo of black children in a classroom setting at the bottom](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/2023-06/blackask.jpg?itok=hti67po5)
The Hidden Treasure of Black ASL : Its History and Structure
Carolyn McCaskill, Ceil Lucas, Robert Bayley, Joseph Hill; in collaboration with Roxanne Dummett, Pamela Baldwin, Randall Hogue
Accessibility Services
Library By Mail
Service to mail library material to those who cannot physically visit a DCPL location due to disability or illness.
![three blue express mail post office mail boxes on a sidewalk](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/2023-04/Library%20Mail.png?itok=HYfucYl4)
Assistive Technology Support
A guide to assistive technology and equipment available throughout the DCPL system.
![Two women on a video call speaking America Sign Language](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/2023-04/Assistive%20Technology.png?itok=ID_RM07i)