Policy

We often hear about policies that impact the disability community in broad, sweeping terms. But the reality is that policies have real impacts on real people. Stay up-to-date on key policy issues that are important to the disability community

A teacher at the front of the class pointing who a student whose hand is raised. There is a group of students sitting in front of the teacher at their desks.

Have Schools Become More Inclusive and Accessible in the Last 28 Years?

When I started school in the Malden public school system just outside Boston, Massachusetts in the late 1990s, accessibility and accommodations in the classroom were a significant challenge. It’s now been 28 years since the the Americans with Disabilities Act …

A stage with bright red spotlights shining from it. Crowd of people all standing in front of the stage, some with hands up.

28 Years After the ADA, Disabled People are Still Fighting for Accessible Event Seating

This winter, my friends and I bought tickets to see “50 Shades Freed,” because hate-watching and laughing at the franchise’s terrible movies is a tradition that we started when the first film premiered for Valentine’s Day. When we got to…

Ban Inaccessibility, Not Plastic Straws

Straw or no straw? This question has become the topic of debate in cities all around the world. While there’s no denying that disposable plastic straws create issues for the environment, calls for an outright ban on them are problematic.…

Fresh, colorful fruits and vegetables displayed in bulk in boxes.

Proposed Changes to Nutritional Assistance Programs Will Disproportionately Affect Disabled People

I am disabled and though I am not currently on food stamps, there have been times in my life when I have relied on them. Food stamps have been in the news again lately as the current administration has proposed …

VIDEO: #HandsOffMyADA

Congress is about to vote on HR 620 – a bill designed to weaken the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). 1 out of 5 people in the US has a disability, and the ADA provides us with the fundamental civil…

A paper that is titled "abortion restriction rests on a table, with a stethoscope draped across it and a gavel next to it.

Are Abortion Bans on the Basis of Disability Really in the Interest of Disability Rights?

The abortion debate in the United States has been forever compromised by the clash of politics and personal medical decisions — abortion is no longer a value-neutral, private choice. One regrettable consequence of that shift has been the creation of…

illustration of fists of people of different skin colors raised together in the air.

Celebrating the Disability Community’s 2017 Wins

Disabled people have accomplished some really kickass things in 2017 that we should recognize. It’s not easy existing as a disabled person in an ableist world (and even tougher if you’re multiply marginalized), but I believe in celebrating our successes, …

Large group of ADAPT members, many using various mobility devices, holding signs during an action.

How ADAPT and Allies Changed the Conversation About Disability Issues in 2017

Many nondisabled people were introduced to disability rights activism in 2017 with splashy protests from ADAPT, Housing Works, and other organizations who fought ferociously to defend health care on Capitol Hill. Those protests joined a long and rich history of…

An image of a city skyline. One half is brown with dry brittle ground. The other half has a blue sky and lush green grass.

It’s Time to Recognize Climate Change as a Disability Rights Issue

“What are you doing here?” I’ve been thinking about my answer to this question over the past few weeks. I’m the founder of a social enterprise focused on disability inclusion who was one of the 50 World Economic Forum Global …