What We Gain When Everyone Can Participate
Stories | July 31, 2026
July marks a global celebration of the contributions, experiences and leadership of people with disabilities. Known as Disability Pride Month, it is a time to recognise disability as an important part of human diversity and to reflect on how we can create communities where everyone can participate and belong.
In this reflection, CBM associate Stevie Willis shares what this month means to her. Stevie lives with cerebral palsy and is a long-time advocate for disability inclusion, accessibility and belonging.
Every year, July is a time to celebrate the rich contributions that people with disabilities are, and bring to society. Their extensive experience in overcoming obstacles, negotiating and persevering. These experiences and knowledge weave through their innate skills and talents. People with disabilities hold deep capacity to enrich, strengthen, diversify and build resilience into their communities.
CBM Australia works alongside people with disabilities living in poverty to improve their quality of life. Poverty can deepen the barriers that people with disabilities face to fully participating in their communities. CBM works towards a world where no one is left behind because of their disability. They work to support communities in low- and middle-income countries to improve inclusion and accessibility. The resilience, experiences, skills and talents of people with disabilities can enrich communities, strengthen participation and contribute to more diverse and inclusive societies.
Despite being pregnant with contributions to the community, people with disabilities regularly come across negative attitudes and stigma. As an adult with cerebral palsy, I encounter people who relate to me as if I’m childlike. Instead of fellow contributors to society, people with disabilities can be perceived as mere recipients of care and charity. It is timely that we reflect on our own attitudes and those that exist within society, becoming more aware of negative attitudes and the impact they can have.
“As an adult with cerebral palsy, I encounter people who relate to me as if I’m childlike… It is timely that we reflect on our own attitudes and those that exist within society.”
Disability Pride Month: A time for Listening, learning and working together
Disability Pride Month is a focused time to partner with people with disabilities to build inclusion and accessibility into community. It is a time to advocate alongside people with disabilities, identifying and removing the barriers that prevent full participation in community. Identifying and removing different types of barriers requires working in partnership with people with different types of disabilities or impairments.
The Disability Pride Month flag represents different types of impairments, symbolically through the differently coloured stripes.
Green represents invisible and undiagnosed disabilities. Blue represents mental illness while white represents sensory impairments. Yellow represents neurodiversity and development impairments, and red represents physical impairments. The stripes are diagonal to represent cutting through barriers people with disabilities face. The black background remembers people with disabilities who have died as a result of abuse, neglect, suicide and illness.
What we can do
Hearing from and learning from people who have lived experience of disability is an effective way to deepen understanding, broaden perspective, and partner with people with disabilities to identify and remove barriers. CBM works towards a world where disability is never a barrier to a full life and continually listens to and partners with people with disabilities in some of the poorest areas on earth.
This Disability Pride Month is it time to;
- Celebrate the values of people with disabilities and their contributions to society.
- Reflect on any stigma or negative attitudes we may encounter within ourselves or our communities.
- Work together for inclusion and accessibility
- Hear from people with lived experience of disability
As we come to the end of July, there is time for us to celebrate, listen, learn and reflect. Are there reflections that you can make room for? What practical steps can you take?
Want to explore disability inclusion in your church or community?
CBM Australia’s Luke 14 resources help churches learn from and alongside people with disabilities, creating communities where everyone can participate and belong.
Explore the Luke 14 resources.
Stevie Willis is a poet, speaker, writer and CBM associate who lives with cerebral palsy. Through her writing and advocacy, Stevie shares perspectives on disability, accessibility and inclusion. Follow Stevie @steviewillsvibrancy on Instagram and Facebook.
https://www.cbm.org.au/stories/what-we-gain-when-everyone-can-participate
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