15 July 2025
Author: PWDA member Jane Scott
At Disability Pride Fest, disabled people hold the spotlight.
We are centre stage.
We are the ones making things happen. We are the voices being heard.
That’s not something you get every day.
You need to be part of it.
Disability Pride Fest will be happening on Saturday July 26, at Sydney Town Hall from 10am.
The whole city will know it’s happening because there will be banners, hanging from poles for several blocks around the town hall. There will probably be a lot of people looking at those banners wondering what disability pride actually is.
Disability Pride is…
Disability pride is disabled people being proud of who we are. It’s recognising that disability is nothing to be ashamed of, or to apologise for. It’s just an ordinary (but less common) part of human life.
At the 2022 festival, panellist and artist, Amy Claire Mills, made that point plainly when she talked about people without disability who expect her to grieve over being disabled.
She said,
I don’t have grief about my life. My life is my life. It has struggles. I was born with disability. I will die with disability. I have struggles but it doesn’t mean that I’m sad because of it and I really hate when society constantly tells us that It’s negative to be disabled. While we all accept it is extremely difficult to live in an ableist society, we aren’t the problem.
Disability Pride Fest is a place where disabled voices are heard and people without disability hear perspectives they might not hear anywhere else.
Celebrating what Disabled People do
Disability Pride Fest creates space to celebrate and enjoy some of the cool things disabled people do. Deb Roach Is a champion pole dancer who flies around her pole with only one arm. She’s been a regular at Disability Pride Fest and will be there again showing people that accepting and accommodating your disability doesn’t mean you can’t find something you excel at – and in Deb’s case, really “wow” an audience!
This year, she’ll be joined in wowing the audience by cabaret performer Elly-May Barnes (you might have heard of her dad – but wait til you see Elly-May!), singer and comic Dean Nash.
Speaking up for Disabled People’s Rights
In 2025, we’ll be protesting the legal underpayment of disabled workers, particularly in Australian Disability Enterprises (aka sheltered workshops). We’ll hear from Shaun Bickley from Our Fair Go who has seen success against sub-minimum wages for disabled workers in both Seattle, USA and the City of Sydney. He’ll be joined by David Solomons, who has first-hand experience to share, as well as Disability Discrimination Commissioner and lawyer Rosemary Kayess and NSW Greens Disability spokesperson Abigail Boyd.
We’ll also hear from Alastair McEwin AM – former Commissioner of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability. He’ll have a lot of insights to share, particularly as he is one of the commissioners who lives disability as well as working for justice for our community. (He is deaf.)
Disability Pride Fest is disabled people speaking up on our own terms. There’ll be a makers market, a silent cinema where you can check out films by Emily Dash who was a panellist in 2023, arts and crafts to express your Disability Pride and more.
Disability Pride is celebration, protest and solidarity. You don’t want to miss it.
Come and join us for Disability Pride Fest 2025
When: Saturday July 26
Where: Sydney Town Hall from 10am
No shame. No apologies.
PWDA members are the heart and soul of our organisation. We encourage all people with disability, residing in Australia to join our community of thousands of people with disability across Australia.
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