Nothing About Us Without Us: Why Disabled Voices Must Lead the Way
- Helen Rutherford
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
This July, as we mark Disability Pride Month, we are reminded of the rallying cry that has echoed across decades of disability rights activism: “Nothing About Us Without Us.”
It’s more than a slogan. It’s a demand for dignity, inclusion, and agency. It’s a powerful declaration that disabled people must not only be included in conversations about disability, but must be at the centre of them. At Emotional Respite, a disability-led online mental health service, this principle guides everything we do.
What Does 'Nothing About Us Without Us' Really Mean?
The phrase originates from the disability rights movements of the 1990s but has roots in much older struggles for autonomy and self-representation. It means that decisions, policies, services, and support must not be made without the direct involvement of people with disabilities.
It means:
We are not problems to be solved.
We are not passive recipients of care.
We are experts in our own lives.
Representation is not Optional, it’s Essential
Too often, disability is discussed in rooms where disabled people aren’t present, or where their input is tokenised. This leads to well-meaning but harmful initiatives that miss the mark.
In mental health, especially, the stakes are high. Systems designed without disabled voices frequently reinforce trauma, invalidate our experiences, or ignore the complex realities we navigate. That’s why at Emotional Respite, all of our services are shaped, delivered, and led by disabled people. We know what it means to be dismissed, pathologised, or left behind, and we have built something different.
Why Disability Pride Matters
Disability Pride Month isn’t about pretending everything is easy; it’s about rejecting shame. It’s about recognising that we exist not despite our disabilities, but with and through them. Pride means honouring our resilience, our anger, our joy, and our right to thrive.
It means dismantling the ableism embedded in mental health systems.
It means creating safe, affirming spaces where people can bring their whole selves, including pain, complexity, and celebration.
Our Approach: Led by Lived Experience
At Emotional Respite, “Nothing About Us Without Us” isn’t a checkbox; it’s our foundation. Every peer-support session, every piece of content, every offering is designed by people who get it, because we have lived it. We don’t just listen to disabled voices. We amplify them. We trust them.
We offer:
Peer-led support for disabled people experiencing mental health challenges.
Trauma-informed spaces that prioritise accessibility, not just physically, but emotionally.
Advocacy and content that reflects the real, messy, beautiful truth of disabled life.
How You Can Honour Disability Pride Month
Listen to disabled people. Begin by amplifying the voices of those at the margins, as individuals who are marginalised deserve to be heard.
Examine where disabled people are excluded in your workplace, services, or communities.
Support disability-led organisation not just with your attention, but with resources.
Challenge internalised ableism. That includes how you view your own worth, productivity, and rest.
A Final Word
This month, as we celebrate Disability Pride, remember: inclusion isn’t a favour. It’s a necessity. Justice starts when we centre the voices long been pushed to the edges.
Nothing About Us Without Us isn’t just a slogan. It’s a roadmap.
And at Emotional Respite, we’re proud to walk it together.
Visit emotionalrespite.co.uk to learn more about our work, access support, or connect with a community that sees you, believes you, and stands with you.
Happy Disability Pride Month, in solidarity and strength, The Emotional Respite Team
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