Disabled x LGBTQIA+ Community

​ParaPride started on the basis of a need to address the lack of inclusion for disabled people within the LGBTQ+ community; a need for more accessible LGBTQ+ spaces; and a need to promote body positivity around different bodies and being able to celebrate that. Given the high percentage of LGBTQ+ people that identify as having a disability, long term illness, and/or caring responsibilities, there is a stark lack of visibility and education that surrounds people who sit in the cross-section of these intersectional communities. ​We also aim to challenge misrepresentation of disabled people often portrayed as the vulnerable community in need of special care. Key topics to be discussed include: - Health inequalities - Social inequalities - Employment inequalities Speakers who are contributing content to this section include: - Kym Oliver, Co-Founder, Triple Cripples, diversity and inclusion expert focused on the harmonies and dissonances within marginalised communities - Georgie Williams, Founder of /Queer, professional gender and sexuality consultant, specialising in transgender, genderqueer, nonbinary, and intersex research and education - Emma Prach, Founder and CEO of Project Sonrisa, focusing on mental health stigma, and Chair of the Scottish Queer International Film Festival (SQIFF) - Leng Montgomery, passionate LGBT inclusion and trans specialist who actively engages with and consults with the public and private sector, Non-Executive Director of Outvertising, and Advisory Board member of IMPROPER - Hafsa Qureshi, openly bisexual and genderqueer Muslim from Birmingham; award-winning LGBTQ+ activist, writer, and public speaker - Lukasz Konieczka, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Mosaic LGBT+ Young Persons' Trust and Chair of the Board for the Greater London Youth Foundation - Aidy Smith, award-winning TV presenter, broadcaster, public speaker on disabled LGBTQIA+ intersectionalities See more information about all speakers in the Speakers section.