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July is Disability Pride Month which celebrates disability as an identity by sharing the experiences of the disabled community. The reason behind the month is a chance to share the joy and pride that disabled people can bring to their local and global communities. The disabled community is a vibrant part of society and makes up 15% of the population. We asked a few blind and visually impaired adults what "Disability Pride" means to them. Please join Lighthouse as we celebrate them and everyone with a disability!
"I am proud of who I am as a person, and I just so happen to be disabled. I have accepted myself as a person; blindness is just one characteristic of who I am, along with many others. As a disability advocate, I am proud to be a role model for others. I don't care
what others think about me; through my actions, my words, and how I carry myself is
what matters. Having a positive attitude, living life to the fullest and accepting your disability is how you succeed. I've come along way since I lost my vision 14 years ago, and now when I help others I tell them to be mentally strong and that they will get there."
- Tekesha Saffold, 40 - Accessibility Advisor, Palm Beach State College
"Disability pride month to me is about being proud of the person I've become. I started losing my vision when I was 5 years old, and went through the youth programs at Lighthouse. It was Lighthouse and all of the various instructors that helped me become the person I am today. They taught me how to adapt and how do do things that normally require vision, they just taught me new ways of doing those same things such as cooking, reading and how to use technology devices. Taking the skills I have learned, I am about
to graduate from college with a degree in Psychology and plan to pursue my PhD."
- Brandon Butzberger, 21 - Senior at Palm Beach Atlantic University
"I personally take pride in my identity; that I function despite of my disability. This culture
in America allows individuals with disabilities to thrive in their environments. Culture is made of several attributes that we can foster, and I chose to foster my identify as a black, blind, female! Honestly, I hesitate to call my blindness a disability, thanks to the training I received at the Lighthouse, the only thing I can't do anymore is drive and read fine print - and I really never like either of those before I went blind."
- Patricia Darlington, 66 - Retired Professor and Life Skills Empowerment Coach
"When I think about being disabled, and what makes me proud, is when I can help others accept their disability. I began to lose my vision when I was 11 and accepted that challenge, among many others throughout my life. However, until the pandemic came
and I started writing music, I finally found myself. Music takes me to a different place, it soothes my soul, it helps me meditate and relax - when I'm in my music I have no problems and I don't feel disabled."
- Winston Callum, 40 - Technology Training Specialist, Lighthouse for the Blind of the Palm Beaches
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