2/18/26 - An interview, the risk of confinement, and solidarity with trans rights

Wednesday greetings!

Today’s links feel … weighty. And if you look closely enough, you might find some interesting contradictions.

DISABILITY ELDERS: An Interview with Bob Williams

Alex Green, (Un)Hidden - February 15, 2026

"Another thing that should be built on is that everything we did to gain passage of the ADA, we did in unison with the wider civil rights, women, faith, sexual identity, and labor communities. Whenever we met with Senate and House members, we did so in unison. When we strategized and made tough judgment calls, we did it as a coalition. When we celebrated a victory or lamented a setback, we joined together. Not just because there is strength and wisdom in numbers, but because we knew that the ADA has to be about justice for all. It has to constantly attack the fact that racism, ableism, ageism, genderism, classism, speechism, xenophobia—all oppression—are inextricably interdependent and must be eradicated together ... Working together is vital to our survival more than ever. Everything this regime is doing both domestically and internationally is about divide and conquer. Erasing our shared and unique identities. Furthering demonizing and dehumanizing those already oppressed. Currying favor with oligarchs and authoritarians. Either we resist and build a better America together. Or we settle for living in hell."

There's so much history and wisdom to learn from Bob Williams. But this reminder about how the ADA got passed is probably one of the most important thing to take from this interview. More on that in a moment …

How Involuntary Commitment Could Become Indefinite Detention

Matthew P. Cavedon, Reason - February 4, 2026

"In July 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order vowing to end "crime and disorder on America's streets" caused, the administration asserted, by the record number of homeless people, many of them with mental illnesses. The president promised that, among other measures, involuntarily committing more Americans with mental illnesses  would "restore public order." The risks to civil liberties that executive order created are now impossible to ignore."

It sure seems like we might be entering another period where the "common sense" view of what to do with "severely" disabled and "mentally ill" people is to put them into facilities where they can be "taken care of." I'm not sure we can completely reverse course and avoid this, at least for a while. But we need to keep reminding everyone, including ourselves, why "deinstitutionalization" happened in the first place. And it’s encouraging to see the libertarian thinkers at Reason take a stand for disabled people’s freedom.

Disability groups are standing united for trans rights. That hasn’t always been the case.

Sara Luterman, The 19th - January 29, 2026

"She and other disability advocates tried to negotiate with the Republican senators whose support they needed. The GOP holdouts came back with a demand for more restrictions. Feldblum said it made her “sick to her stomach,” but in the end, she and the other advocates put together a list of eight exceptions, including “transexualism,” transvestitism” and “gender identity disorder not resulting from physical impairments,” terms that are no longer in use and that some consider offensive today. The process took a handful of minutes and the exclusions were not deeply considered, according to Feldblum."

I'm not always confident that I fully understand every aspect of trans rights issues. But, as a disabled person, I instinctively relate to the fear of other people – or governments – making decisions about my body. I also understand from personal experience the difficulty and oppression of having to justify medical and emotional needs to others who approach unusual people and bodies with skepticism, or with outright prejudice and hostility. Of course, trans disabled people exist, a fact that creates one kind of overlap between communities. But it also seems like disabled people and trans people should be allies, if only through the similarity of experiences.

I understand why the deal described in this article was cut in order to get the ADA passed. But the story of how it happened shows how people of good faith can totally miss crucial angles and arguments, even in issues they think they know.

Disability Thinking Weekday is a Monday-Friday newsletter with links and commentary on disability-related articles and other content. You can help promote Disability Thinking Weekday by forwarding it by email or posting on your social media. You can also comment by sending me an email at: apulrang@icloud.com. Collected comments are shared on the first of each month. A free subscription sends a newsletter to your email each weekday. Benefits of paid subscription include:

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