11/10/25 - SNAP, gratitude, and 10 movies
Good afternoon!
How is everyone doing today?
Here are your three disability-related links to start your week ...
Thoughts on the SNAP Crisis: Disability, Resources, etc
Rebecca Upton, Disability, Chronic Illness, & Culture - October 30, 2025
"Everyone deserves to have access to food ... Food insecurity is a disability justice issue.”
It looks like the US government shutdown may end shortly. Exactly why and how is another topic. But it's important to note that SNAP could easily be restarted even without ending the shutdown. It's never been about a literal lack of money, or about Congressional gamesmanship. The more central reason the Trump administration has been fighting SNAP restoration is that they think SNAP is fundamentally bad – that it encourages laziness and rewards people who they think are all stupid with their money. That is a gross and very old gripe that is entirely misplaced. it also happens to be extra off base, and twice as damaging for millions of disabled people.
The Problem with Gratitude
Kelly Mack, Rolling With It - November 6, 2025
"But there is a kind of gratitude that is just plain problematic. It’s the moment when someone points to a shoddy ramp, a restroom with an ‘accessible’ stall not large enough for a wheelchair, or a job that reluctantly provides minimal (insufficient) accommodations and then pointedly demands or expects me to exclaim my gratitude. Um, no thanks.”
This piece feels especially relevant to me as a patient in the hospital, soon to be in rehabilitation. I suspect that I am about to have my own gratitude and advocacy fine tuning skills tested. Once again, I face the same dilemma every disabled person must confront, especially in tough situations. It's the practical and socially-desirable need to be polite and appreciative, while balancing reasonable boundaries and the urgent need to be a strong self-advocate.
10 FILMS THAT DO DISABILITY HUMOR RIGHT (AND A LESSON WE CAN LEARN FROM EACH OF THEM)
Steven Verdile, ReelAbilities / Dis and That - November 6, 2025
"Disability may seem like too sensitive of a topic to joke about, but disabled people have been using humor as a tool for fostering community and justice for decades.”
I haven't seen any of these films. I'm disappointed in myself, but excited to have this list of movies – and possibly some extra time to watch them.
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