Growing up I never saw myself as any different from everyone else. It was never a big deal to me that I simply sat and rolled while others stood and walked. I felt annoyed by, but quickly got used to children in public pointing at me and asking their parent what happened to me. It took me years to even realize that I am different. 

I’ve never seen the need to call attention to my differences. I am disabled yes, but I’m also just your average young adult with my own hobbies and aspirations, much like you may have. I have never attempted to consider myself as part of a “community” or felt the need to be celebrated for being “so strong” for the way that I live. 

When I randomly discovered that July was Disability Pride Month, I first felt silly that there even was a holiday celebrating people like me. But then, the story-lover in me did some research. Why is July “Disability Pride Month”? That’s because July marks the anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990. I then recalled that I had once written on my blog about this very date.

Taking a second look at that date, astonishment set in me. It seemed so unbelievable to me that only 30 years ago, people like me were just granted rights that I have today. Today I can look around and see ramps at the end of many sidewalks. Because of what people of all different disabilities fought for, I was welcomed into public schooling because they are required to have wheelchair ramp access and elevators. What I had thought of as nothing more than a social media trend, now started to make sense. 

I now claim newfound pride to be a disabled person. I came to the realization that it’s okay to celebrate me and what I symbolize. This month gave me an opportunity to recognize how fortunate I am due to the plight of those who came before me. Although I refuse to let my disability entirely define me as a person, I took this month to recognize myself and embrace my position in a community of others like me.

I can do without the cliché, restrictive saying that I am “differently abled”. I know what I am capable of. My disability adds many challenges to my everyday life, but I’ve lived this way my whole life, and it is my normal. I’ve lived everyday simply accepting who I am, but now I vow to appreciate the things that make me, me. I have brown hair, brown eyes, and I have a disability in which I use a wheelchair to get around. From this month forward, I am embracing my differences.