Category: Uncategorized

CW: Suicide, Mental Health, & MAID September is Suicide Prevention Month, a time to raise awareness and show compassion. Recently, in Edmonton, Alberta, that awareness felt very real. Families and supporters gathered around a wheelchair with a sign that said, “One disabled life lost, one too many.” This wasn’t just a saying; it was a… Continue reading What Suicide Prevention Really Means for Disabled People 

CW: Incarceration, Neglect & Death Disabled people are a growing presence in our country’s prisons. However, this reality is seldom talked about, particularly in the media. In 2016, some estimated that roughly one-quarter of people in the US were disabled. Yet, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, as of 2017, disabled people make up… Continue reading The Cost of Being Disabled in Prison

CW: Poverty Across the United States, older adults and disabled people who rely on programs like Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are forced to follow antiquated rules that nondisabled people would not accept. The rules differ from state to state, but the pattern is the same everywhere: if you need Medicaid or SSI, you… Continue reading The Poverty Rules

Play is how children learn. During play, they experiment, test limits, engage with peers, and explore their world. A family in Berthoud, Colorado had a dream for five years. They wanted a playground where their son, Miles Bowling, would be able to play just like any other child. Parents want their children to enjoy those… Continue reading Every Child Should Get to Play

CW: Ableism, Death, & Medical Care A deaf patient who uses American Sign Language wasn’t provided with an interpreter while being treated at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Williamsport. This came to light after a complaint was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights. As a… Continue reading When Accessibility Isn’t Considered Care

CW: Death Today is my 27th birthday. The past year has been challenging. It’s been nearly a year since my former paraprofessional passed away. It’s difficult knowing that I won’t hear from her today, especially because a year ago today I received the last message I would ever get from her. While I am filled… Continue reading What 27 Means This Year 

CW: Terrorist Attacks, Death, & Illness Twenty-five years after 9/11, the day still feels strangely quiet, calm before the memorials start, before the names are read, before the country begins its yearly remembrance. The narrative is still the same: heroism, shock, national unity. But disability is part of the story that hasn’t been fully told,… Continue reading Twenty‑Five Years Later, Disability Remains One of 9/11’s Most Human Truths 

CW: Ableism Public attitudes toward disability are largely shaped by a mix of empathy, suspicion, and cultural storytelling. The newest British Social Attitudes survey shows nearly half of people supporting higher disability benefits, even if taxes rise to fund them. That quiet support matters, but it exists alongside louder narratives that divide disabled people into… Continue reading The Quiet Support vs. the Loud Suspicion

CW: Cancer Parents like Susan and Mike Browne have always thought about their sons’ future. They constantly figured out how to keep their sons safe, and how to ensure the world wouldn’t forget their two sons, who are profoundly autistic and can’t advocate for themselves. When Susan, who is now in her seventies, found out… Continue reading The Algorithm That Decides Our Safety 

CW: Institutionalization & Medical Care For 10 years, Nicholas Papadopoulos’s world was contained within the walls of Room 130 at Brown Health & Rehabilitation in Georgia. Papadopoulos has cerebral palsy and lived on his own until he developed cellulitis. Cellulitis is a bacterial infection. It can begin with a small cut or irritated skin. But… Continue reading After Ten Years Indoors, Freedom Begins With a Diet Soda and a Walk Outside