Money Follows the Person, But Kansas Forgot the People
CW: Institutionalization For years, a federal initiative has supported disabled Kansans in reclaiming something the Supreme Court has guaranteed: the right to live in the community rather than living in institutions. The Money Follows the Person program made this possible by funding practical things that Medicaid doesn’t cover. It helped cover the cost of security…
Whole-Person Care Changes Lives
CW: Weight Integrated care offers a powerful way to reduce emergency room visits and hospitalizations among adults with developmental disabilities. For many in this population, navigating the healthcare system is complex, and routine medical needs can escalate into crises when preventive care and coordination are missing. A recent study from the University of Cincinnati and…
Words Don’t Help People Get Out of Bed
The Massachusetts Legislature’s recent move to update state laws by removing outdated disability-related language is an improvement. The words used in legislation influence societal attitudes and show how much we value disabled people. Updating antiquated language honors people’s dignity. Unfortunately, respectful language within our laws does not automatically translate into respectful and fair treatment in…
Eighty Hours or Else: What Work Requirements Really Mean for Medicaid Recipients
From time to time, a policy change reminds me of the difference between how legislators write a law and how it affects people’s lives. The new Medicaid work requirements serve as just one example of that feeling. Starting in 2027, people on Medicaid in states that expanded the program will need to work, volunteer, attend…
The Invisible Work Behind Everyday Movement
Our bodies naturally move so usually we don’t think about it at all. Tasks like standing in line or walking around a store are so easy for most people that they do not realize that these activities require muscles, joints, and brain signals to be activated simultaneously to keep the body balanced, supported, and moving…
A Tragic Reminder of Why Water Safety Matters for Disabled People
CW: Missing Person With summer fast approaching, water safety is vital, especially for disabled people. Beaches, oceans, lakes, and rivers are dangerous even for seasoned swimmers. The immediate hazards of these environments include strong currents, rip currents, shifts in weather conditions, wave activity, and limited visibility. Davoris Carter III was on a field trip to…
When Policy Fails Families
Families in Minnesota caring for medically fragile children are facing a crisis. For years, parents have depended on private insurance plans from Medica and HealthPartners to fund the skilled nursing care essential for their children’s survival. These services aren’t luxuries: they’re the difference between life and death for kids who rely on ventilators, feeding tubes,…
“If It Costs More”: What Rep. Gross’s Words Mean for My Life at Home
CW: Institutional Bias When I first heard Ohio Representative Jennifer Gross’s recent comments on long-term care, I was disappointed. Gross, who is the chair of the Ohio House Medicaid Committee, said, “If it costs more to keep people at home with home-care waivers… then we need to suggest that more people go into long-term care.”…
Self‑Advocacy Shouldn’t Be This Hard
CW: Institutionalization As a child, I had high expectations for myself. I did not see my disability as an obstacle. However, I did not anticipate possessing the strength, the patience, and the self-advocacy needed to live as a disabled adult. My life has always been shaped by living with cerebral palsy. It has involved navigating…
Still Locked Out: Disabled Americans Face Housing Barriers
CW: Discrimination More than fifty years after the Fair Housing Act was passed, disabled people still experience many challenges in accessing and maintaining housing nationwide. These challenges are the subject of a recent report from Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME) in Cincinnati that presents an alarming new picture of a problem deeper than a city…
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