Disability Pride Month 2024

DC Public Library Disability Pride Month banner, featuring the Disability Pride Flag at left and the wheelchair symbol as the "O" in "Month"

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!

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.

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.

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

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.

Registration is recommended

*ASL Interpretation will be provided

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

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)!

Registration is recommended

*ASL Interpretation and CART will be provided

Grid of four portraits of comedians Neill Lynskey, NuNu, Bria Beddoe, and Max Gross

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.

Registration is recommended

*ASL Interpretation will be provided.

Events for Children & Families

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

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

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

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"

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?

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.

Explore the Activity Kit

Additional Resources

DC Public Library Center for Accessibility

The Center for Accessibility (C4A, located in the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, provides customers with disabilities equal access to library resources and services at all DC Public Library locations.

Kanopy

Watch films and documentaries celebrating the stories of people with disabilities.

Goodmaps

Navigate the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library with Goodmaps! Goodmaps Explore is a free assistive app designed to help the visually impaired navigate indoor spaces independently.