July is Disability Pride Month—an opportunity for us to purposefully come together to amplify each other, to honor and accept everyone’s uniqueness in the naturally diverse human quilt.
Why July? It was 31 years ago in July that President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act. There is even a Disability Pride flag.
But perhaps nothing portrays disability pride better than the recently released movie, “Best Summer Ever.” Have you seen it? Think of it as an entertaining mashup of “Grease,” “High School Musical,” and “Mean Girls.”
As you might suspect, drama unfurls on campus. What you probably don’t expect is the movie’s broad range of diversity—from race, gender, and sexual orientation to actors with disabilities cast in prominent roles. And we get an especially refreshing plot twist: The storylines of cast members with disabilities—including one of its stars, actress and comedienne Shannon DeVido—do not focus on disabilities!
The film was produced by Zeno Mountain Farm, a camp whose mission includes supporting “lifelong friendships and opportunities for people with and without disabilities and other marginalized communities.” Like Envision Unlimited, they believe people with disabilities do not need to be “fixed.” Instead, we need to create a world where everyone has access to these opportunities.
This delightful musical offers an opportunity for us to imagine a world that values choice, independence, and inclusion. Take a look at the trailer and join us in celebrating Disability Pride Month and amplifying each other: https://youtu.be/rXZGvturIAo