Honoring Disability Pride Month: Local Advocates Share Personal Stories, Push for Awareness and Inclusion
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Asia Tabb
Aired; July 28th, 2025.
July marks Disability Pride Month, a time to celebrate the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990 and reflect on the ongoing journey toward accessibility, dignity, and equity for people with disabilities.
In recognition of the month, The Spark spoke with two Pennsylvania advocates whose personal stories highlight both the challenges and triumphs within the disability community — and who remind us why awareness and advocacy still matter every day.
Deanna Kloss Adair, a physical therapist and mother of a child with special needs, reflected on the lessons she’s learned raising her daughter, Zoe. Diagnosed with torticollis as an infant and later Rett Syndrome, Zoe has received extensive care and support from the Schreiber Center for Pediatric Development in Lancaster.
“I’ve kind of learned to slow down and focus on what’s really important,” said Adair. “I’ve learned to appreciate the small things, like small achievements instead of looking at big achievements all the time.”
The Schreiber Center has been a crucial part of Zoe’s life — and Adair’s. “Zoe went to preschool here. She’s done PT, OT, speech. She goes to summer camp. Everyone knows her, and she feels at home,” she said. “It’s kind of like family to her.”
Adair wishes people would be more open in how they engage with children like Zoe. “Sometimes people are afraid to ask. I’d rather they just say hello to her. Even though she’s nonverbal, talk to her like she’s there.”
She also emphasized the hidden struggles of accessibility: “You have to think ahead a lot. Sometimes we have to get creative, lift the chair, carry Zoe in. It can be a physical struggle.”
Jessica Nupponen, a Harrisburg mother of two, became disabled unexpectedly in 2020 after an accident led to necrotizing fasciitis — a rare and life-threatening bacterial infection. To save her life, doctors amputated her left leg and hip.
“I drove myself to the hospital, which is kind of insane now that I know what I had,” Nupponen said. “It wasn’t long before they realized I needed an amputation to survive.”
Now a full-time wheelchair user, Nupponen spoke candidly about how her family adapted to the change. “My youngest son doesn’t even remember life before the wheelchair. My older son had a harder time — but when I came home, he became the ‘official wheelchair helper.’ They both did.”
Accessibility in daily life has been one of the most challenging aspects. “I just ask people to notice,” she said. “Notice the step to get into that store that calls itself accessible. Notice when a bathroom can’t accommodate a wheelchair. If we start thinking that way, maybe things will change.”
Her message to the public is clear: “People often say, ‘Well, people in wheelchairs don’t come here.’ But we don’t come because we can’t. If you become accessible, we will.”
For both women, Disability Pride Month is a chance to spark real dialogue and push beyond surface-level inclusion.
“People just don’t think about it until they have to,” Adair said. “It’s a whole different world, but it shouldn’t be invisible.”
Nupponen echoed that sentiment. “Everyone’s disability is different. But with support, humor, and compassion, we can all find ways to thrive — and to help each other do the same.”
As Disability Pride Month continues, their stories serve as powerful reminders: disability is part of the human experience, and inclusion starts with attention, empathy, and action.
