There are hundreds of national and international days dedicated to raising awareness for — and celebrating — groups and causes within the disability community.
At Good Good Good, we share stories that leave our community feeling more hopeful and empowered to make a positive difference. For years we've privately collected and curated a comprehensive list of important cause-themed holidays and awareness months that we've used to create content for our Instagram, Goodnewsletter, and Goodnewspaper.
We made our Monthly Cause Awareness Calendar publicly available earlier this year. We also published:
- The Ultimate Calendar of Heritage Months
- LGBTQ+ Pride Days and Months Awareness Calendar
- Environmental & Sustainability Days Calendar
- Animal & Pet Awareness Calendar
- Mental Health Days & Awareness Months Calendar
- HIV/AIDS Awareness Days Calendar
- Cancer Awareness Months Calendar
And now we're publishing this calendar specifically related to the disability community. Our hope is this resource will help you or your organization bring attention to important issues and communities.
Remember, the disability community is not a monolith. Always listen first to members of the community you're talking about — not caretakers, media, or other outside sources. Listen to how they refer to themselves, what issues they highlight, and the tone in which they speak about their disabilities.
Where applicable, we've included resources (usually good news around particular topics — or action steps on how to make a difference) — and encourage you to share them if you find them helpful.
We've worked hard to make this the most comprehensive collection of disability days and months on the internet. Always double-check dates (via the links we included), as organizers may occasionally change dates.
Bookmark this page and revisit it as often as you need. We'll continue to update it over time.
Holidays & Awareness Months For Disabilities
January
Days
World Braille Day - January 4th
Paget’s Awareness Day - January 11th
Moebius Syndrome Awareness Day - January 24th
World Leprosy Day - Every last Sunday of January
Weeks & Months
Cervical Health Awareness Month
Learn about the women fighting in court for access to HPV vaccines
February
Holidays
National Women Physician Day - February 3rd
World Cancer Day - February 4th
While too many people die from cancer every year, it’s worth celebrating the rapid rate at which cancer deaths are decreasing
International Epilepsy Day - Every 2nd Monday of February
World Day of the Sick - February 11th
Congenital Heart Defects Awareness Day - February 14th
National Donor Day - February 14th
International Childhood Cancer Day - February 15th
National Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day - February 22nd
World Encephalitis Day - February 22nd
Rare Disease Day - February 28th or 29th
Weeks & Months
Jewish Disability Awareness & Inclusion Month
White Cane Week - Every 1st week of February
Tinnitus Awareness Week - Every 1st full week of February
Congenital Heart Defects Awareness Week - February 7th to 14th
National Eating Disorders Awareness Week - Last week of February or the first week of March
March
Holidays
Disability Community Day of Mourning - March 1st
World Teen Mental Health Day - March 2nd
World Hearing Day - March 3rd
Breast Implant Illness Awareness Day - March 8th
National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day - March 10th
World Kidney Day - Every 2nd Thursday of March
National Trisomy 18 Awareness Day - March 18th
World Down Syndrome Day - March 21st
World Tuberculosis Day - March 24th
U.S. National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day - March 25th
Purple Day for Epilepsy - March 26th
Amniotic Fluid Embolism (AFE) Awareness Day - March 27th
Weeks & Months
Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month
Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) Prevention Awareness Month
Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month
National Trisomy Awareness Month
World Glaucoma Week - Every 2nd full week of March
National Eating Disorders Awareness Week - Last week of February or the first week of March
April
Holidays
World Autism Awareness Day - April 2nd
Learn about why autistic people don’t support World Autism Awareness Day
Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy Remembrance Day - April 4th
Bohring-Opitz Syndrome Awareness Day - April 6th
World Health Day - April 7th
Cushing Disease Awareness Day - April 8th
Teal Day (for Counselors) - April 8th
National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day - April 10th
Parkinson’s Disease International Awareness Day - April 11th
Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) Awareness Day - April 13th
World Hemophilia Day - April 17th
Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Action Day - April 19th
World Meningitis Day - April 24th
World Malaria Day - April 25th
Read the good news about the new malaria vaccine that could save millions of lives
World Wish Day - April 29th
International Guide Dog Day - Every last Wednesday of April
Weeks & Months
Cushing Disease Awareness Month
Learn about how donating life can be an impactful way to give back to your community
Paralyzed Veterans Across America Month
Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month
Follow our guide to learn how to find a counselor that works for your needs and your budget
Porphyria Awareness Week - April 10th to 17th
Oral, Head, and Neck Cancer Awareness Week - April 11th to 17th
World Primary Immunodeficiency (PI) Week - April 22nd to 29th
May
Holidays
International 5p Syndrome Awareness Day - May 5th
World Asthma Day - May 5th
International Day for Osteogenesis Imperfecta - May 6th
National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day - May 7th
World Ovarian Cancer Awareness Day - May 8th
World Red Cross & Red Crescent Day - May 8th
Ependymoma Awareness Day - May 10th
World Lupus Day - May 10th
International Awareness Day for Chronic Immunological and Neurological Diseases (CIND) Day - May 12th
International Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) Awareness Day - May 15th
Global Accessibility Awareness Day - May 19th
Mental Health Action Day - May 19th
International Behcet’s Disease Awareness Day - May 20th
International Blue Cone Monochromacy Awareness Day - May 20th
World Autoimmune Arthritis Day - May 20th
International Day to End Obstetric Fistula - May 23rd
National Schizophrenia and Psychosis Awareness Day - May 24th
Learn more about Schizophrenia and other commonly misunderstood mental disorders
World Thyroid Day - May 25th
World Multiple Sclerosis Day - May 30th
Weeks & Months
Read Good Good Good’s comprehensive guide on ideas and activities for celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month
National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month
Better Speech and Hearing Month
Bladder Cancer Awareness Month
Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month
Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) Month
High Blood Pressure Education Month
Huntington’s Disease Awareness Month
Read the good news about the new mRNA vaccine that may offer protection against Lyme
Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month
Brain Tumor Action Week - Week-long event in May
Face Equality Week - Week-long event in May
Deaf Awareness Week - Every 1st full week of May
Brain Injury Awareness Week - Every 2nd week of May
Mental Health Awareness Week - Week-long event in May
National Eosinophil Awareness Week - Week-long event in May
June
Holidays
National Cancer Survivors Day - Every 1st Sunday of June
Learn about Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green changing the way America treats cancer
World Brain Tumor Day - June 8th
International Albinism Awareness Day - June 13th
CDKL5 Worldwide Awareness Day - June 17th
Autistic Pride Day - June 18th
World Sickle Cell Day - June 19th
Global Day of Recognition of ALS/MND - June 21st
Dravet Syndrome Awareness Day - June 23rd
Neuropathy Action Awareness Day - June 23rd
World Vitiligo Awareness Day - June 25th
PTSD Screening Day - June 27th
World Scleroderma Awareness Day - June 29th
Arthrogryposis Awareness Day - June 30th
Weeks & Months
Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month
Read about this music program supporting people with Alzheimer's
Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome (APS) Awareness Month
Migraine and Headache Awareness Month
Hemiplegic Migraine Awareness Month
Audiobooks are a great accessibility tool — check out our recommendations for the best audiobook platforms (that aren't Amazon's Audible)
Read about how one veteran, Richard Casper, is using art and music to help others with PTSD
Learning Disability Week - June 20th to 26th
Helen Keller Deafblind Awareness Week - Every last week of June
July
Holidays
Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST) Awareness Day - July 13th
World Sjogren’s Day - July 23rd
National Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) Day - July 24th
Samaritans Awareness Day - July 24th
Americans with Disabilities Act Anniversary - July 26th
World Hepatitis Day - July 28th
Gastroschicis Awareness Day - July 30th
Weeks & Months
Read and share Good Good Good’s complete guide to celebrating Disability Pride Month — written by activist Daphne Frias
Fragile X (FXS) Awareness Month
National Cleft & Craniofacial Awareness & Prevention Month
Sarcoma and Bone Cancer Awareness Month
August
Holidays
National Nonprofit Day - August 17th
National Senior Citizens Day - August 21st
Grief Awareness Day - August 30th
Weeks & Months
Read and share Hank Green’s iconic quote about bullying
Spinal Muscular Atrophy Awareness Month
Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) Awareness Month
September
Holidays
World Duchenne Awareness Day - September 7th
International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Awareness (FASD) Day - September 9th
World Suicide Prevention Day - September 10th
Read about student advocates taking the lead to curb campus suicide
Celiac Disease Awareness Day - September 13th
World Lymphoma Awareness Day - September 15th
National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day - September 18th
Usher Syndrome Awareness Day - September 19th
World Alzheimer’s Day - September 21st
World Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) Day - September 22nd
International Day of Sign Language - September 23rd
International Ataxia Awareness Day - September 25th
Mesothelioma Awareness Day - September 26th
Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy Awareness Day - September 30th
Weeks & Months
Read our guide to Suicide Prevention Week activities & explore the best quotes about suicide prevention
Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
National Hydrocephalus Awareness Month
National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
Read and share this guide on how to help someone who’s contemplating suicide — and read about how suicides fell when gay marriage was legalized
Orthostatic Tremor Awareness Month
Listen to our podcast interviews with Ruthie Lindsey and Grace Theisen about their experiences dealing with chronic pain
Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) Awareness Month
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Awareness Month
Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month
Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month
World Alzheimer’s Disease Month
International Week of the Deaf - Every last week of September
October
Holidays
World Day of Bullying Prevention - October 5th
American Veterans Disabled for Life Awareness Day - October 5th
World Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day - October 6th
International Trigeminal Neuralgia Awareness Day - October 7th
Team Margot Stem Cell and Bone Marrow Awareness Day - October 7th
PANDAS/PANS Awareness Day - October 9th
World Mental Health Day - October 10th
Explore our guide to activities to celebrate World Mental Health Day — and, of course, explore Good Good Good’s collection of mental health resources
World Sight Day - October 13th
Learn about the app Be My Eyes — a free app that connects people who are blind or experience low-vision with sighted volunteers for assistance
Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day - October 13th
World Thrombosis Day - October 13th
Blind Americans Equality Day - October 15th
World Osteoporosis Day - October 20th
Breast Reconstruction Awareness (BRA) Day - Third Wednesday of October
Disability Mentoring Day - Third Wednesday of October
International Stuttering Awareness Day - October 22nd
Learn about STAMMA, an organization helping end the stigma around stuttering
World Polio Day - October 24th
Hydrocephalus Day - October 25th
World Stroke Day - October 29th
Weeks & Months
Explore Good Good Good’s resource guide — featuring the best podcasts, blogs, and TikToks about ADHD
Listen to Good Good Good’s interview with Paige More, founder of The Breasties
Listen to our podcast interview with John Moe, a comedian fighting depression with humor — and read about the U.S. decreasing depression stigma for the first time
Audiobooks are a great accessibility tool for people with dyslexia — explore our guide to the best audiobook apps
Learning Disability Awareness Month
National Disability Employment Awareness Month
Selective Mutism Awareness Month
Dyslexia Awareness Week - Begins on the first Monday of October
OCD Awareness Week - Every 2nd week of October
Read our guide to how to support someone with OCD
International Epidermolysis Bullosa Awareness Week - October 25th to 31st
November
Holidays
International Stress Awareness Day - November 2nd
Aicardi Syndrome Awareness Day - November 8th
World Usability Day - November 11th
Veterans Day - November 11th
Explore these Veterans Day ideas and use this holiday as an opportunity to support disabled veterans
World Pneumonia Day - November 12th
World Pancreatic Cancer Day - Every third Thursday of November
World Diabetes Day - November 14th
World Ohtahara Sydrome Awareness Day - November 15th
World COPD Day - Every third Wednesday of November
Giving Tuesday - First Tuesday after Thanksgiving
Learn how to volunteer with or donate to disability rights organizations for Giving Tuesday (and explore more ideas to make a difference)
Weeks & Months
Dercum’s Disease (Adiposis Dolorosa) Awareness Month
International Stress Awareness Week - Every 1st week of November
December
Holidays
World AIDS Day - December 1st
Explore good news about the fight against HIV/AIDS in the U.S. around the world
International Day of Persons with Disabilities - December 3rd
International Day of Epidemic Preparedness - December 27th
Weeks & Months
Is this list missing a holiday or awareness week/month? Let us know. We want to ensure this list is comprehensive and inclusive.