This Is What It Takes to Live With CP
CW: Ableism Today is the last day of Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month. I have had CP my whole life. For me, the physical symptoms are difficult, particularly the spasticity. However, there are ways to help manage the physical symptoms, such as therapy and medications. The emotional toll can also be overwhelming. There are times when…
Lives in the Balance: Inside the Worldwide Push to Redefine Disability Support
A new controversy is emerging in the United Kingdom as planned changes to disability benefits raise concerns about increasing inequality among vulnerable people. According to The Guardian, hundreds of thousands of disabled people could see their benefits change under new rules expected to start in April 2026. The main issue involves a change to the…
The Services That Keep People at Home, And Why They’re Disappearing
What’s happening in Idaho might look like a local budget issue—one governor, one legislature, and a $22 million cut. But that perspective misses the bigger picture. When Governer Brad Little approved cuts to Medicaid services, he became another part of national trend that’s been growing for years. These cuts mainly hit home- and community-based services,…
Living in a World That Questions Our Right to Live Fully
CW: Ableism Independence is a cornerstone of society. From the time we are young, we are encouraged to do things for ourselves. Children take pride in learning to tie their shoes, teenagers yearn to get their driver’s license, and young adults look forward to moving out. As a person with cerebral palsy, independence is difficult…
Defending the Right to Live in the Community
For many years, disability rights in the United States have been based on a key idea: disabled people should not have to live in institutions if they can live safely in their own communities. Unfortunately, this idea now being challenged by a lawsuit led by Texas that could change how care is provided across the…
When Independence Depends on a Ride That Doesn’t Show Up
When Joshua Taylor who lives in Farmington Hills, Michigan, needs to get to his medical appointments, his struggle shows a bigger problem: the transportation systems meant to help disabled people often don’t work. Joshua can’t drive and uses a power wheelchair, so transportation isn’t a luxury for him—it’s how he accesses healthcare. His Medicaid plan…
A Democracy That Excludes Disabled People Isn’t a Democracy
In a democracy, voting should be easy to access, not complicated by paperwork, logistics, or physical obstacles. However, proposals like the SAVE America Act force us to reconsider who voting systems really serve. Though the act is presented as a way to improve election security, it imposes stricter requirements for proving citizenship, showing ID, and…
Trained Forever, Hired Never
CW: Ableism Bryan Rowe is 21. He is a young man who does what millions of young men do every day. He shows up, works hard, proves himself, and hopes that his effort will lead to bigger opportunities. Rowe also has myotonic dystrophy. Myotonic dystrophy is characterized by progressive muscle wasting and weakness. People with…
An Actor, an Insult, and a Moment That Exposed a Bigger Problem
CW: Ableism British actor Adam Pearson, who lives with neurofibromatosis, became the target of an online joke this week. A critic posted a photo of him from the Oscars red carpet with the caption, “Me and the boys after taking Chinese peptides for 5 years.” The comment was intended to be funny. Neurofibromatosis type 1…
Supporting Disabled People Means Supporting Their Right to Belong
In Australia, discussions about the cost of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) often focus on spending on activities like walks, movies, or haircuts. At first glance, these examples can seem superfluous. However, if you are only looking at the price tag you are missing an important point: disabled people deserve to be a part…
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