What Disability Pride Means to Me

Jenna Elyse Johnson is a children’s author, teacher and bookseller with a particular passion for writing stories that highlight disability joy. Having grown up with cerebral palsy, and now living with other chronic illnesses, Jenna enjoys creating stories that feature all types of characters. Her new picture book, Every Body Move!, is an original singalong celebrating kids with disabilities and the tools that help them access our world.

When I talk about disability joy or disability pride, I sometimes get confused looks from others. “You are happy to be disabled?” someone might ask me. Or “So, you’re never upset about being disabled or chronically ill?” The answer is…well, it’s complicated!

I want to preface this by saying that I cannot possibly speak for the entire disability community. I am speaking from my personal experience, though I know many people within the disability community share my opinions. Still, everyone is entitled to their own views

Stories Behind the Stories