“Our stories matter. Our voices matter. We matter.”
As I sit here writing this diary entry, “I Am What I Am” keeps playing in my head. Apparently, even my brain understands that Disability Pride Month is about embracing every part of who we are. 💜
As someone living with multiple invisible disabilities, I have spent much of my life trying to convince others that I am sick enough, disabled enough, or struggling enough to deserve understanding and support.
The truth is, living with invisible illness often means becoming an expert at looking okay while quietly fighting battles no one else can see.
There have been countless days when I showed up to work, attended family gatherings, or simply went about my daily life while struggling to breathe, battling overwhelming fatigue, or silently calculating how much energy I had left before my body decided it had had enough.
Because if there is one thing many chronically ill people learn, it is how to survive while suffering in silence.
As July begins, so does Disability Pride Month.
For many people, the word pride may seem unusual when discussing disability. Society often teaches us to view disability through the lens of limitation, tragedy, or something that must be overcome. Disability Pride Month challenges that narrative by celebrating disability identity, culture, community, and the countless contributions people with disabilities make every single day.
It is a time to honor the strength, resilience, and advocacy of the disability community while recognizing that disability is a natural part of the human experience.
The observance traces its roots back to the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in July 1990, a landmark civil rights victory that provided protections against discrimination and expanded access for millions of Americans.
But Disability Pride Month is about far more than legislation. It is about visibility, self-advocacy, and recognizing that many of the challenges disabled individuals face are not caused by their diagnoses alone, but by barriers created by society itself.
As someone living with Crohn’s Disease, Myasthenia Gravis, sleep disorders, and other chronic health conditions, I have spent much of my life navigating invisible disabilities.
There have been days when I looked perfectly fine to others while struggling to breathe.
Days when fatigue consumed every ounce of energy I had.
Days when simply getting out of bed felt like climbing a mountain.
For a long time, I struggled with the word disabled. Like many people living with chronic illness, I believed disability was something that happened to other people. It wasn’t until my health declined and I began needing accommodations and medical equipment that I realized disability is not a dirty word.
My Crohn’s Disease, Myasthenia Gravis, sleep disorders, and the accommodations and medical equipment I rely on have taught me that disability can look very different from person to person.
There is no single definition, appearance, or experience that encompasses what it means to be disabled.
Accepting that truth did not mean giving up.
It did not mean I was weak.
It did not mean I had stopped fighting.
Instead, it meant giving myself permission to access the support I needed and extending myself the same compassion I so freely offer others.
Disability Pride does not mean we never grieve the losses chronic illness can bring, nor does it mean we celebrate our pain, symptoms, or limitations. It simply means recognizing that our worth, dignity, and humanity remain intact regardless of our diagnoses or abilities.
Because many disabilities are invisible, people often assume that if they cannot see a person’s struggle, it must not exist. Unfortunately, many individuals living with chronic illness become experts at masking symptoms simply to make it through work, family obligations, or everyday life.
Disability Pride Month reminds us that we should not have to constantly prove our disabilities to deserve understanding, accommodations, or respect.
Being disabled is not a personal failure.
Needing accommodations is not weakness.
Using mobility aids, taking medications, resting, setting boundaries, or asking for help does not diminish a person’s worth.
For me, Disability Pride means embracing all parts of my journey—the difficult days, the victories, the setbacks, and the lessons learned along the way. It means recognizing that my illnesses may shape my life, but they do not define my value.
Most importantly, Disability Pride Month reminds us that disability is not something to hide.
Our stories matter.
Our voices matter.
We matter.
This Disability Pride Month, I encourage each of us to challenge assumptions, advocate for accessibility, listen to disabled voices, and remember that disability is not a tragedy—it is simply one aspect of human diversity.
To everyone living with visible and invisible disabilities, whether lifelong, acquired, apparent, or unseen: I see you. Your experiences are valid, your struggles are real, and your life has value far beyond your diagnosis.
This month and every month, may we continue advocating for accessibility, inclusion, understanding, and a world where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
Happy Disability Pride Month. 💜
How are you honoring Disability Pride Month this year? I’d love to hear your stories in the comments below.
💜 A Few Reminders for Disability Pride Month:
✨ Disabilities can be visible or invisible.
✨ Accommodations create equity, not advantage.
✨ Rest is productive.
✨ Asking for help is a strength, not a weakness.
✨ Disabled voices deserve to be heard and amplified.
✨ Accessibility benefits everyone.
Thank you for taking the time to read this entry from The Dual Diagnosis Diaries. Whether you are living with chronic illness, supporting someone who is, or simply seeking understanding, thank you for being here. Together, we continue to learn, advocate, and remind one another that no one has to walk this journey alone.
Founder • Author • Advocate • Future Wellness Coach
Kia Lorice
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries 💜
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