12-07-2025
East Anglia's first Disability Pride celebrates 'individuals for who they are'
Hundreds of people gathered in a coastal town for the first Disability Pride event to be held in East Anglia.
Organisers of the event, which was held on Friday (11 July) in Felixstowe, said it aimed to celebrate "all individuals for who they are - not their limitations."
The march started at the SeaYou cafe on the seafront and went along the promenade, ending at the leisure centre.
Led by a samba band, the parade included live performances, a community Disability Roadshow, and a public celebration of inclusion.
Co-organiser of the event and founder of Suffolk Mobility Solutions, Ian Bell, says the procession was a "huge success."
"Its a day to celebrate disability. Its a day to celebrate me as a person rather than me as a disabled person. Look at me rather than the wheelchair rather than the disability that I've got."
Disability Pride month takes place every July and is a "celebration of the creativity, resilience and achievements if disabled people."
The charity Scope says: "Disability Pride Month is for anyone who is disabled – or anyone who wishes to show their allyship by celebrating their disabled communities, like businesses.
It's a time for embracing disability identity positively. And challenging the negative attitudes that hold disabled people back. "
