Author: Grace W. Dow

Georgia is set to construct the state’s first new state psychiatric facility in decades as state officials say it is a critical move toward improving mental health care. This hospital will cost $409 million and will have 300 beds, all for patients who have been found not guilty by reason of insanity or incompetent to… Continue reading A Hospital A Memo A Movement 

CW: Ableism Jimothy, the raccoon currently winning hearts across the internet, has become an unlikely symbol of resilience. According to a recent Smithsonian Magazine article, the raccoon likely has a rare congenital spinal condition called “short spine syndrome” that gives him his distinctive short, rounded body. Wildlife experts say he looks fit, healthy, and strong… Continue reading Jimothy’s Acceptance Should Extend to Disabled People Too

CW: Institutional Bias The Department of Justice’s decision to stop enforcing its long-standing ADA guidance, at least while it re-examines those documents, might sound dry and technical, but it’s already causing worry among disabled people. The ADA hasn’t changed. The Olmstead decision is still in place. Yet, guidance has always bridged the gap between what… Continue reading The Freedom to Belong 

CW: Poverty & Food Food insecurity is a matter of life and death. For millions of disabled Americans, it’s a reality of daily life, especially for those living with serious mental illness. There are too many people choosing between food, healthcare, and housing. Stories like this are all around us. Somewhere there is a man… Continue reading An Empty Plate, an Unequal Burden

CW: Discrimination Colleges and universities often refer to themselves as places where opportunities are created. Nonetheless, disabled students and employees still encounter barriers on campus.According to Matthew Mattingly, retired multimedia director at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, these issues not only make things more difficult but also indicate how the whole system is failing by… Continue reading Every Curb Cut, Every Door, Every Day: What Disabled Students Carry

While talking to my uncle yesterday morning, I was trying to find the right words to describe why living in my own apartment is so important to me. When you have a disability you often already feel limited in many ways and like you are a burden. What I didn’t say to him was how… Continue reading Growing Up Feeling Like “Too Much”

Whenever I see people insist that a disabled person just needs to be “cured,” I feel a pang of frustration. It happened again recently on social media when someone commented on a mother’s Instagram post that independence “begins with getting him cured.” Amanda Griffith‑Atkins responded with a question: “And how does one cure a genetic… Continue reading Curing What, Exactly? 

CW: Ableism & Eugenics When Fatima Muhammad is out with her son Alameen, who has Down syndrome, she has to endure stares, whispers, and rude comments. She says Alameen’s biggest challenge is not his Down syndrome − it is the way society interacts with him. Disability is not viewed with compassion and acceptance, and Fatima… Continue reading The Lives We Overlook 

Flying is meant to be a normal aspect of life in the modern world. Millions of people take flights every single day. For me and many others who have a disability, flying is not an easy experience. It is something that causes a great amount of stress and anxiety. My last flight was in 2016.… Continue reading What It Takes to Fly

CW: Discrimination The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), is a significant civil rights law passed in 1990, helps ensure equal access to public businesses for disabled people. Most business owners are supportive when it comes to accessibility. Nevertheless, an increasing number of small business owners are expressing concerns that the increase in ADA lawsuits presents… Continue reading Accessibility Meets Reality