1/6/26 - Three from "The Guardian"

Hello!

I don't often post three links in one day from the same publication. But I wanted to share the stories linked below together, and they all happened to be published by The Guardian.

I originally planned to post an item on the refused MBE posted by the BBC. But two things prompted me to go with The Guardian instead. For one thing, the BBC website now seems to have a paywall. That's not always a dealbreaker for me. Struggling outlets need to make money somehow. But seeing one of the world's most iconic public service media institutions start charging to read its articles, (and by the way making its mobile app offerings almost useless to me now), is particularly galling. Another minor, rather odd point is that the BBC article doesn't list an author. That's new or at least unusual too. It feels wrong not to be able to credit an actual person.

So, it's all about The Guardian today.

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Campaigner turned down MBE over ‘scapegoating’ of people with disabilities

Libby Brooks, The Guardian - December 30, 2025

"Burke, who emphasises she means no disrespect to colleagues in the voluntary sector who have accepted similar honours, explains that she received the letter of recommendation on the day of the UK budget, which introduced stricter assessments for personal independent payments, frozen or reduced universal credit health top-ups and cuts to the Motability scheme ... 'The budget was an opportunity to send out a signal not about how much disabled people cost but about how much disabled people are worth and are valued by society.' ... Instead, she says, it has 'supercharged the inequalities and unfairness disabled people face'."

It's always hard to tell from so far away whether an individual disability advocate or advocacy organization is actually as great as a news story claims or assumes. And there are certainly valid arguments on all sides about the value and ethics of activists accepting awards from the governments they so often have to fight. But based on the details in this article, it certainly sounds like Tressa Burke made a good decision, and that her Scottish disability organization is pretty great. In fact, with its combination of individual services and activism, and its apparent use of peer services, (disabled helping disabled), it sounds a lot like how Centers for Independent Living are meant to work. That's a model I'm very familiar with. And it's always nice to see it seem to work as intended.

Disabled people in England ‘betrayed’ by cuts to new-build accessibility targets

Jessica Murray, The Guardian - December 19, 2025

"In its proposals for changes to the country’s planning system, the government said a minimum of 40% of new-build homes would be built to improved accessibility standards – M4(2) – which include step-free access and wider doorways and corridors ... The proposals set no minimum target for the proportion of wheelchair accessible – M4(3) – new-build homes, which disability campaigners believe should be at least 10% ... The move is a big climbdown from the previous Conservative government’s commitment to making all new homes meet the M4(2) standard as part of a push for better accessibility throughout the housebuilding industry."

Again, from a US perspective, it's interesting to try and digest this news from the UK. In the United States, there are relatively few and much less ambitious requirements for accessibility in housing, especially where single-family house building is concerned. There has been a "visitability" movement for a good 20 years or more – aimed at setting requirements for basic accessibility in new housing, usually one municipality or state at a time. But it's rarely made much headway – certainly nowhere near what's being argued about in the UK. And in the current environment where even many disabled people are priced out of decent housing, it may be harder than ever to get such requirements through, or even get a majority of disabled people behind such accessibility goals. Of course, the key question is how much these sorts of accessibility requirements really make new housing harder to build. My guess is not much, but I don't really know.

I’m 15 years old and have a disability. Social media has been a lifeline – why is the government kicking me off?

Ezra Sholl, The Guardian - December 7, 2025

"If banning social media for kids under 16 is a response to a mental health crisis among young people, shouldn’t it consider all young people? What about those who are isolated? Those who are in hospital or managing a chronic health condition or disability that means they can’t participate in the world in the same way as other teenagers their age?"

I am a lot less excited optimistic today about social media than I was, say, in 2016 when Alice Wong, Gregg Beratan and I were starting #CripTheVote on what was then called Twitter. I actually do believe that in many cases, maybe most, that the dangers and damages of social media for youth are greater than the benefits. But I think it's probably a close call. And I still believe that the benefits to people with disabilities of all ages are clearly greater than the risks. This ban by Australia seems like a textbook moral panic move that will look at least a bit silly ten or so years from now. And like so many panicky government initiatives based on weaponized conventional wisdom, little thought seems to have been given to its effects on disabled people. It would be nice if more nuanced, intelligent steps could be taken instead, as Ezra suggests in his editorial.

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