Author: Andrew Pulrang

5 Things Disabled People are Looking for in Healthcare Plans as the 2020 Elections Approach
A friend asks: “Do you support Medicare For All? Why not? Don’t you believe everyone has a right to health care?” Your coworker says: “I think everyone should have healthcare, but how do we pay for it? And even if…
Shopping for the Best Presidential Candidate? Here’s a List to Help.
It can be hard for any voter to figure out which presidential candidate to support. For disabled voters, it can be bewildering and downright painful. You find a good candidate — someone you’re really excited to vote for, who promotes…
Here’s Some Free Advice for Presidential Candidates on How to Talk About Disability
The 2020 Elections are still 17 months away and there are currently 26 people are running for President. We’re just about to see the first two Democratic Debates, set for June 26 and 27. With that in mind, I’d…
Disabled Person Online? Here are Some Tips for Navigating the Internet.
We are all a bit skittish about the internet these days. There’s shady data collection, “fake news,” and the addictive qualities of social media to contend with, not to mention the emotional toll that online life can take when it…
Can We Stop Arguing About the “Right Way” to Be a Disability Activist?
There is more than one way to do disability activism. This should be obvious, but needs repeating. There are plenty of internal arguments inside the disability community, about race, gender, sexual orientation, age, social class, and disability type, not to…
The Americans with Disabilities Act: Then and Now
On Thursday, July 26, 1990, President George H. W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). I was in my first year working at a Center for Independent Living, and my understanding of disability was evolving. I was starting…
Dealing with Medical Ableism
I have a tracheostomy and use a ventilator to breathe at night. It works well for me, and I have no regrets, but every couple of years, I wind up in the hospital with some kind of upper respiratory infection.…