WHEN her adopted daughter experienced “disability discrimination” in a pub, Jenny Skelton decided to take positive action.

She set up Disability Pride Brighton, a bid to raise awareness of the diversity and value of disabled people – with both visible and invisible, impairments or conditions.

The festival is now in its second year and is a growing success.

Jenny explained how it grew out of the incident in a Brighton pub involving her adopted daughter Charlie, 21.

She said: “We walked in and I had Charlie’s ID. Everything was going fine, we were being served and then because of a loud burst of music from the pub next door Charlie ducked down momentarily because she was startled and the barman said ‘right, get out’.

“I tried to explain that it’s because she is disabled, I explained the Equality Act and he just said ‘no no, you have to go’.”

The incident happened during Brighton and Hove Pride Festival, the popular LGBTQ event, and Ms Skelton suspected that because of the atmosphere the barman was under pressure.

She said: “I realised Brighton is pretty good at being inclusive, but we have got a long way to go and I thought, right, OK – we need to have a celebration.”

Jenny, from Coombe Vale, Saltdean, has osteoarthritis and coronary heart disease and before having a stent fitted a couple years ago she had a 90 per cent blockage in her arteries.

Although her condition has improved after having the procedure, it still affects her day-to-day life.

She said: “I can’t go up hills very well and I get angina if I’m under any kind of stress, physical or mental.”.

Daughter Charlie has global developmental delay (GDD), severe learning disabilities and two rare genetic disorders.

Jenny said: “She can’t read or write, she’ll never be able to lead an independent life.”

Jenny is now the chairwoman and spearhead of the committee which organises Disability Pride.

She said: “I work 14 hours a day, seven days a week, and I do it for nothing – I don’t get paid or anything, so it’s really hard work, but it’s worth it.

“It’s given me purpose and it’s great to give back to the community, to give back to society.

“I think it’s a good idea for people to come along and see that disabled people are just people and there shouldn’t be any disability discrimination.

“We just want everybody to come along and celebrate – it’s not just for disabled people, we want everyone to come along and see us as we are.”

The organisation’s main partners are Brighton and Hove Buses and it has received generous donations from the Big Lottery Fund and Brighton and Hove City Council.

Jenny said: “I want to thank The Big Lottery without whom this event could not have gone ahead.”

It has also gained support from sponsors such as Scope, People’s Health Trust and Sussex Community Foundation.

Jenny said: “We want it to be totally accessible for every disabled person and because of that everything costs a lot of money.

“Just to have enough British Sign Language interpreters costs over £2,000 and everything has to have wheelchair tracking so anyone in a wheelchair can access every bit of the festival.”

The city council has donated £7,500 to the organisation.

A council spokesman said: “We’re delighted to be awarding the money to such a fabulous organisation for an event that touches the lives of so many people throughout the city.

“Disability Pride Brighton has already established itself as a popular and much valued contributor to the city’s busy cultural calendar.

“They help many disabled residents challenge injustice and prejudice, and improves well-being and cohesion across the city.”

This year’s celebrations are on Saturday and kick off at11.30am with a parade along Brighton promenade from the i360 to the Peace Statue on Hove Lawns.

There will be entertainment and information stalls which will run until 7pm.

The entire event is free.

Ms Skelton said: “We want to change the perception of disability in the community so that disability is seen as a natural part of human diversity.”