Category: Uncategorized

CW: Child Abuse, Murder, & Death In August, 26-year-old Isaac Valdez suffered a seizure while visiting his local library in Waxahachie, Texas. He convulsed, struck his head and lost consciousness. What began as a medical emergency soon became something much more complicated: a question about faith, treatment and how far a person’s right to choose… Continue reading When Faith and the Doctor Disagree

Yesterday during my physical therapy appointment, I told my PT about a dilemma I am having with Social Security. Last week, I received a notice saying that I had supposedly received more than $1,000, except the money was nowhere to be found. “If it makes you feel better, I didn’t receive $1,000 either,” he replied.… Continue reading If Only Botox Worked on Bureaucracy

Opening the mail can be frightening, especially when you open an astronomical medical bill you cannot pay. It is not the kind of bill that means cutting back for a few months. It is a bill with a balance so large that it does not seem real. Sophia Finocchio is 15 years old and has… Continue reading The Lives Behind the Paperwork

CW: Transphobia & Ableism I know what it is like to realize that the world has noticed your disability before it has noticed you. Josh Turek talked about the bullying he faced growing up in a wheelchair. He said something that should be simple: “No Iowan should face discrimination.” That is why I paused. Disabled… Continue reading When “No Discrimination” Comes With an Asterisk

Yesterday was Election Day in the United States. Across the country, disabled people cast their ballots, taking part in a process that is supposed to belong equally to everyone. However, for many disabled voters, accessing the ballot box remains complicated. In Central New York, disabled people continue to encounter barriers to voting. In 2026, the… Continue reading For Disabled Voters, Access Starts Long Before the Ballot Box

Today is Election Day in the United States. For millions of Americans, voting means entering a polling place, filling out a ballot, and leaving. For disabled voters, the ability to cast a ballot is not always that simple. Last week, I voted in the 2026 election using Massachusetts’s accessible electronic ballot system. I was able… Continue reading A Ballot Is Only Powerful If It’s Accessible

CW: Medical Emergencies On an ordinary July afternoon, Stephanie Rowell was standing on her parents’ front porch when a wasp stung her left arm. At first, there was the burning sensation she might have expected from a sting. Then her whole body began to itch. Her face swelled and turned red, and her throat felt… Continue reading The Price of Getting Help When You Can’t Wait

CW: Fraud When Idaho stopped paying Challis Hopwood for the care she provided for her disabled son, Leon, he still woke up needing the same care. The mortgage still had to be paid, the car needed gas, and there were therapy appointments to get to. What disappeared was the financial cushion that had helped her… Continue reading The Care Doesn’t Disappear When the Paycheck Does

CW: Fraud There is something unsettling about the national conversation around Medicaid. We hear constantly about people who should not be getting something: providers submitting fraudulent bills, companies collecting money for care they never delivered. People are exploiting a program meant for those who need it. There is another reality.  Disabled people cannot find caregivers. … Continue reading Caught in the Crackdown: Disability and the Fight Against Medicaid Fraud

CW: Injury Yesterday I watched a video about Garet Frey, who is a quadriplegic. He was injured shortly before his fifth birthday. Medicaid allows him to live at home with his mother in Iowa. He has caregivers overnight, but sometimes no one is available. Because of budget cuts, Frey is worried about whether or not… Continue reading Prayer Cannot Fill an Empty Shift