Wheels on the Ground, Sky’s the Limit: What Disability Pride Means to Me

Take a moment and think back to grade school. There’s a common scenario where during recess, PE, or any other time there may be an organized game taking place, teams have to be formed. Usually, two captains draft their team on the spot. In a moment like this, where were you normally selected in the order of the draft? Were you selected right away? Selected in the middle? Or never selected at all?

Growing up with a degenerative physical visible disability, I was often chosen last, if chosen at all, and not just with organized games during my younger years in school, but with other scenarios throughout life as well like job hunting, relationships with people platonic or romantic, etc. I remember there was a time in my life where I didn’t feel like I belonged anywhere. Further thinking, “the world isn’t made for a person with a disability”. 

However, that slowly shifted when I started thinking about how even if no one nor any scenario chooses and celebrates who I am, then it’s especially important that I at least do that for myself. That shift began to form when occasionally, I would imagine myself at the end of my life asking, “Have I done enough in this lifetime?” I want the answer to be: “Yes, I did more than enough”.

Because of this thought, I began putting myself out there more, with the objective that whether an experience was good or bad, it would add to the overall “I did more than enough” that I have previously mentioned. After that shift, over time through trial and error, I began finding places/people that not only chose me but had me as a viable part of their “team”. Friends who don’t mind helping me transfer in and out of their cars just so that we could drive around whenever we hung out. A lovely partner who isn’t too familiar with disability and even sometimes forgets that I am “disabled”, yet is willing to learn my life as a whole, not to care-give for me, but to learn how we can build a healthy life together. Workplaces/clients who trust in my skills and background to accomplish organizational objectives via collaboration and leadership. 

These are just a few examples where with my disability I feel a place of belonging. However, through a recent experience, that feeling of belonging, especially “belonging in the world”, was solidified. Since 2018, I have had the pleasure of competing in the sport of Wheelchair Rugby.

JD smiling while sitting in his rugby wheelchair wearing a black "Thunder" jersey and Philippine flag headband on an indoor basketball court.

Yes, the sport itself brings a sense of belonging with regards to competition and camaraderie/community. But there are also many chances to travel which I enjoy and appreciate. Since I began playing the sport, I have always traveled with my regular season team, the “Portland Pounders”. However, in June 2026 I was offered to play with a team from the “Grand Rapids Thunder” based out of Michigan to compete in a summer league for Wheelchair Rugby that would run from June to September. Even though the team was based out of Michigan, I would simply fly to competition/tournament venues, meeting them there, and all of my training would still happen in Portland. Since I wouldn’t be traveling with anyone from Portland to these summer league competitions, where I would have to meet up with Grand Rapids, this was a chance for me to test my independence and do some solo traveling for the first time ever. 

The wing of a Southwest Airlines plane extends above a blanket of white clouds beneath a bright blue sky, capturing a peaceful view from the window during flight.

Other travelers who also have a disability can attest that traveling can be a hit or miss experience since there are many factors that determine the outcome of a trip. For example, how accommodating an airline company is with their priority passenger policies, the risk of having damaged mobility devices during air travel/transport, lost medical items, etc. These examples and more are common fears for travelers with disabilities, and despite the appreciated opportunities to travel I also keep these thoughts in the back of my mind. It definitely has helped that I have already gone through many travel experiences with my Portland team; that I already knew how to navigate air travel on my own.

Thankfully, with my first solo trip in June 2026 to a tournament weekend in Grand Rapids, Michigan I couldn’t have asked for a smoother travel experience—the airport staff in PDX, Grand Rapids, and Denver, along with both Allegiant and Southwest Airlines, and even strangers, fellow travelers at the airport or on the plane itself, giving me the feeling of belonging. Treating me not as a disabled traveler, but simply as a traveler who had things to do and places to be. I’ve learned that in general, people are always willing to help; it just depends what you need help with. Additionally, the sense of “belonging” happens when disability doesn’t feel like an “extra piece”, “addition”, or “burden” when it comes to certain situations in life, but rather when you work “with” disability rather than “around” or “against” it.

Every year in July, we celebrate Disability Pride Month—a time to honor the strength, diversity, and contributions of the disability community while commemorating the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 1990. The ADA marked a historic step toward protecting the civil rights of people with disabilities, but Disability Pride is about more than legislation. It is about recognizing the lived experience of disability: the triumphs, the barriers, the resilience, and the everyday reality of navigating a world that is not always designed with accessibility in mind. Disability Pride embraces disability as a valuable part of human diversity, encourages authentic self-expression, and reminds us that true inclusion happens when every person is welcomed, respected, and empowered to fully participate in their communities. 

To me, Disability Pride goes beyond the month of July, but into everyday life. Because despite oftentimes having wheels on the ground, to me, especially where there’s a sense of belonging, and a recognition or celebration of one’s life despite their ability, the sky’s the limit.

ABOUT the AUTHOR

JD Duran is the Communications Manager for INCIGHT and a former recipient of the organization’s scholarship program. JD is also the Founder & CEO of a digital marketing business, Create Everyday PDX, and spends his free time as an online content creator and competitive adaptive athlete cross training between Wheelchair Racing and Wheelchair Rugby.