Series: Humanist reflections Author: Liam Whitton

This July, we mark Disability Pride Month – an opportunity to celebrate the lives, experiences, and contributions of disabled people, and to reflect on the changes still needed to create a society that truly includes everyone.

Disability Pride Month began in the 1990s and has grown steadily since, led by disabled people and their allies. At its heart is the belief that disability is not a tragedy to be pitied or a personal hurdle to be overcome, but a part of human diversity to be understood and valued. It challenges us to confront how society marginalises people – not because of any impairment itself, but because of the way environments, attitudes, and systems exclude them.

Humanist thinking

As humanists, we believe in the equal dignity and worth of every person. We support the social model of disability, which recognises that people are disabled by societal barriers, not by their bodies or minds. That belief informs how we approach disability rights and inclusion in our work. It also demands that we listen. For too long, conversations about disability have taken place without disabled voices at the table, and that must change.

A core part of the humanist approach is recognising every person as an individual with inherent dignity and the right to shape their own life. That includes disabled people, whose perspectives, goals, and needs are as diverse as anyone else’s. Disabled voices are not marginal whispers we must listen out for but a vibrant chorus all around us – diverse, complex, and human. No disabled person should be expected to be a role model, a token, or to speak for anyone but themselves. A flourishing society, in the humanist view, is one where everyone has the freedom and support to pursue a fulfilling life on their own terms.

Just as there is no singular perspective on any given issue for different racial groups, religious groups, humanists, or any other demographic in society, the same goes for disabled people. What matters is that everyone has a say in shaping the world around them. We aim to centre the voices of those with lived experience, not speak for them or over them.

This commitment to inclusion has deep roots in Humanists UK’s own history. In 1955, the Ethical Union Housing Association – later the Humanist Housing Association – was established to provide affordable homes for those in need, regardless of religion or belief. Its remit extended to supporting older people and those with learning disabilities, reflecting a strong humanist commitment to dignity and autonomy in housing. This inclusive ethos also shaped the work of Marjorie Abbatt, a member of the West London Ethical Society, who developed educational toys designed to encourage physical engagement and imaginative play, including for children with physical disabilities. And it was embodied by Belfast-based disabled rights campaigner and educationist Jack McDowell, whose humanist leadership at Jordanstown School for the Deaf was radical in its time in its uncompromising focus on guaranteeing disabled children a high-quality education.

Equality and human rights

As the humanist philosopher John Rawls argued, a just society is one we would design without knowing what position we ourselves might occupy within it. That includes whether or not we are disabled, rich or poor, young or old. This principle – sometimes called the veil of ignorance – is at the heart of the humanist case for equality and the social model of disability. It makes clear why inclusive policies are needed to anticipate and remove systemic and everyday barriers, rather than placing the burden on individuals to fight for access, inclusion, and dignity every day.

Humanists UK was one of the many charities and campaign groups that campaigned in support of both the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010. For disabled people, the Equality Act consolidated and strengthened protections from the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001. It also introduced important new provisions, including a broader definition of discrimination arising from disability, stronger safeguards against harassment in education and public services, and restrictions on employers asking health-related questions before offering a job.

Meanwhile, the Human Rights Act was intended to embed a culture of human rights at the heart of public life, a vision humanists had long championed as part of their commitment to an ‘open society’ – a public realm built on reason, democratic accountability, and a social milieu in which all recognise the inherent moral worth of every person and where every individual has the freedom and support to pursue their vision of happiness. The Human Rights Act also meant that for the first time, public bodies in the UK were required not only to avoid violating individuals’ rights, but to actively consider and uphold those rights in how they developed and implemented policy. It empowered courts to interpret legislation in a way that aligned with the European Convention on Human Rights, and it gave individuals a direct route to challenge injustice here at home rather than taking their case to Strasbourg.

This marked the beginnings of a shift in how governments, institutions, and public services all approached issues of inclusion – not merely responding to discrimination after the fact, but anticipating and preventing it in the first place, including indirect forms of discrimination. Mechanisms like Equality Impact Assessments emerged in this context, requiring decision-makers to assess how new policies might affect different groups, including disabled people, and to mitigate harms before they arise.

Happier lives

The Human Rights Act marked a profound shift in principle – towards recognising human dignity, independence, and participation as legal entitlements, not optional extras. This had been a central plank of humanist campaigning since Humanists UK’s earliest advocacy for civil liberties in the 1890s. Yet it goes without saying that there remains a significant gap between the optimistic vision of society in 1998 and the lived reality for disabled people in the UK today. Disabled people still routinely face discrimination, exclusion, and barriers to full participation in society. Some of this remains legal, some of it economic, and some of it sadly, cultural – including persistently stubborn stereotypes, stigma, and prejudice about disability in society as a whole. 

All of this underpins why occasions like Disability Pride Month are so important. By offering a space for reflection, visibility, and discussion, they provide an opportunity to shift the dial on how society views disabled people – who make up as much as a quarter of the UK population. It also inspires us as individuals and organisations to think self-critically and to grow and develop our own inclusive practice. For example, within Humanists UK, an internal Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Action Group helps us improve our own practices, including in relation to accessibility. That extends to our communications, events, ceremonies, employment policies, and services. We don’t always get everything right. But we are committed to learning and doing better.

Disability Pride Month also reminds us that accessibility benefits everyone. Automatic doors, captions, clear signage, and other accommodations originally designed for disabled people often improve life for all of us. Subtitles, for instance, originally designed for Deaf audiences, are now actively preferred by 70% of Gen Z viewers interacting with content online. Marketers, educators, and streaming platforms were the first to note that what aids accessibility often enhances clarity and usability for everyone. Designing with inclusion in mind from the start leads to better outcomes, not just fairer ones.

Throughout July, you may see disability pride flags, community events, and campaigns led by disabled people. These are not just celebrations. They are calls to action. Real change happens when people are heard, and when we remove the barriers that prevent full participation.

As humanists, we want to see a world where everyone has the same opportunity to thrive, and we recognise that it is our responsibility to help create it.