12/10/25 - Continuation, institutional failure, and "gratitude"

Hi there!

I hope everyone's week is going reasonably well. Here are three more disability links for mid-week ...

After Alice Wong’s Death, Her Friends Vow to Keep Fighting for Disability Justice

Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí, KQED - December 8, 2025

"In her writings and public appearances, Wong spoke of the need for disabled people to advocate loudly for their health needs. This mission brought together a bold and effective network of advocates living with different disabilities. But now, folks are preparing for the biggest challenge yet: more than a trillion dollars in cuts to Medicaid and other social services in the coming decade, slashing a lifeline for disabled people nationwide ... 'Alice fought like hell to exist in her body and mind every day,' said Hernandez-Wilson, who works for a nonprofit that advocates for domestic workers and caretakers. 'There is a larger system at play that dictates if we are worthy enough of getting care.'"

This is an outstanding look at what Alice Wong was all about, and what her legacy actually still means. For me, there are two key points. First, that Alice can't be remembered and understood without dealing with whatever is happening with disability policy issues and disability politics. I can't think of another disabled person for whom the old activist phrase, "The personal is the political" is more relevant. But second, we also have to recognize and enjoy Alice's love for joy – for good food, comfortable things, and above all for friends. All that is here in this article, which also provides important historical context for important movements like Disability Justice, Independent Living, and Disability rights.

Broken Care, Broken Lives

Grace Dow, Grace Dow Writes - December 8, 2025

"These examples, along with the tragedies in New Hampshire and the scathing report from New Jersey, paint a picture of a national crisis in disability care. They depict that the failures are not confined to one state or one type of facility but are systemic, cutting across geography and funding levels. While billions of dollars are spent annually, mechanisms for oversight remain weak, staff shortages persist, and accountability is often absent."

It's been a while since I shared one of Grace Dow's blog posts. This one focuses on an old disability issue – arguably one of the oldest we still deal with: the neglect and abuse disabled people still suffer in congregate care institutions. It's vitally important that we keep up with these stories, and remember that they aren't just localized, individual scandals. They are part of a patten of failure and harm that has always been part of the institutional approach to "caring for" disabled people. And while bad things do happen in more individualized, home care situations, there seems to be something built into disability care in "facilities" that brings out the worst in people, and in outcomes.

What Is Toxic Gratitude?

Kelly Mack, Rolling with It - November 13, 2025

"Getting help from a nondisabled person is all well and good (thank you kind strangers!), but gratitude may also have the resulting negative effect of pacifying the situation despite the accessibility barrier continuing to exist."

This is an important and logical follow-up to Kelly's previous writing about "toxic positivity." It all comes under the umbrella of "good things" that can have perversely negative effects for people with disabilities. These kinds of contradictions are common experiences for disabled people. And being able to think them through clearly and honestly is an essential step in becoming truly empowered disabled people – able to express genuine human gratitude without stifling our feelings or blunting our necessary advocacy.

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