Every July, Disability Pride Month offers an important opportunity to celebrate disabled people, their identity, their achievements and their contribution to our communities.

It is a month rooted in pride, visibility and rights. It gives disabled people space to share their experiences, challenge outdated attitudes and celebrate who they are without apology. It is also a chance for families, employers, organisations and communities to listen, learn and reflect on what true inclusion should look like.

At Legacy in the Community, we welcome that.

We believe disabled people should be seen, heard and valued, not only for the barriers they overcome, but for the skills, perspectives, talent and lived experience they bring to society every day.

But we also believe Disability Pride Month has to be more than a moment in the calendar.

Pride is important. Representation is important. Awareness is important. But they must be matched by action.

For too many disabled people, daily life is still shaped by barriers that should not exist. Barriers in education. Barriers in employment. Barriers in transport. Barriers in accessing services. Barriers in public spaces. Barriers in attitudes and expectations.

These barriers are not inevitable. They are often the result of systems, environments and decisions that were not designed with disabled people properly in mind.

That is why Disability Pride Month matters.

It reminds us that disability is not something to hide, minimise or be ashamed of. It also reminds us that inclusion is not achieved simply by saying the right things. It is achieved by changing the way opportunities are designed, funded and delivered.

In Wales, the disability employment gap remains a serious concern. Disabled people are still far less likely to be in employment than non-disabled people. Welsh Government labour market statistics for 2025 show that the employment rate for disabled people in Wales was 50.3%, compared with 81.4% for non-disabled people.

This is not because disabled people lack ambition, ability or potential. It is because too many people still face unnecessary barriers to getting into work, staying in work and progressing in work.

At Legacy in the Community, we see this every day.

We work with disabled people and people with long-term health conditions who want to build confidence, develop skills, access volunteering, explore employment and take the next step in their lives. We also work with employers, schools, colleges, families and support agencies who want to do more, but often need practical guidance and sustained support.

The desire for inclusion is there. The talent is there. The need is there.

What is often missing is the consistency, resource and joined-up approach required to make inclusion real.

Disability Pride Month should challenge all of us to ask better questions.

Are disabled people being included in decisions that affect them?

Are employers being properly supported to create accessible and flexible opportunities?

Are young disabled people and learners with Additional Learning Needs being given clear pathways into adulthood, independence and employment?

Are community organisations being resourced to provide early, practical and person-centred support?

Are we listening to lived experience, or simply speaking on behalf of people?

These questions matter because inclusion cannot be built on good intentions alone.

For disabled people to thrive, Wales needs accessible education, inclusive employment, reliable transport, community-based support, flexible employers and public services that understand the reality of people’s lives. We need systems that focus not only on crisis response, but on prevention, confidence, independence and opportunity.

This does not mean treating disabled people as problems to be solved. It means recognising that society works better when everyone is able to participate fully.

Disability Pride Month is a celebration, but it is also a call to responsibility.

It calls on organisations to look at their own practices. It calls on employers to move beyond awareness and into action. It calls on decision-makers to invest in the support that helps people live well, work where they can, and feel connected to their communities. It calls on all of us to challenge the low expectations that disabled people still encounter too often.

At Legacy in the Community, we are proud to stand alongside disabled people, people with long-term health conditions, young people with Additional Learning Needs and the families and organisations who support them.

We will continue to advocate for practical support, meaningful opportunity and inclusive communities across Wales.

Because pride should not only be celebrated in July.

It should be reflected in the way we design our services, fund our communities, support our young people and open doors to employment, independence and belonging all year round.

Sources and further reading

Scope: Disability Pride Month

Welsh Government: Labour market statistics, Annual Population Survey 2025

Welsh Government: Social model of disability, final report

Welsh Government: Recommendations of the Disability Rights Taskforce

Business Wales: Disabled People’s Employment