NLIHC recognizes July as Disability Pride Month, commemorating the landmark passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in July 1990. Today, over 70 million people in the United States live with a disability. Disability is a natural part of the human experience, reflecting the diverse ways people engage with and contribute to the world around them. Disability Pride Month is a time to celebrate this diversity and challenge harmful narratives that suggest people with disabilities must conform to live comfortable lives.
According to The Arc—a leading national organization advocating for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD)—the 2025 theme for Disability Pride Month is “We Belong Here, and We’re Here to Stay.” This message underscores the importance of belonging to the disability community and calls on us to confront discrimination and affirm that individuals with disabilities deserve safe, accessible, and affordable housing. This year’s theme also aligns with our work through the Opportunity Starts at Home (OSAH) campaign, which advocates for equitable housing solutions for the nation’s low-income people.
Access to accessible, safe, and affordable housing is out of reach for the lowest-income renters, and high rental housing costs disproportionately impact people with disabilities living on Supplemental Security Income (SSI). In 2024, the national average rent for a basic one-bedroom rental unit was equal to 142% of the average SSI payment. Our work at NLIHC is dedicated to bridging this opportunity gap to ensure all people, regardless of ability, have access to affordable housing in communities of their choice.
To learn more about the connections between affordable housing and disability rights, read the OSAH campaign factsheet here.