3/11/26 - More ICE shenanigans, and a disabled actress on Netflix
Good afternoon ...
We have a couple more items on ICE today, and an article on a disabled actress that brings back memories of one of my favorite TV depictions of disability. I hope everyone's midweek is going reasonably well!
Congressman says staff returned hearing aids to deported deaf child
Noe Padilla, USA Today - March 9, 2026
"'In a move that shocks the conscience and violates several laws as well as our constitution, ICE denied Joseph the assistive devices he needs to live.'"
DHS Violence Endangers the Autistic Community
Autistic Self Advocacy Network - March 4, 2026
"The disabled community is among those put most at risk by these actions. Over the past several months, we have seen autistic individuals like Aliya Rahman dragged out of their cars and assaulted on their way to medical appointments. We have seen autistic children held without cause, allegedly held as “ruses” to lure their parents into arrest. We have seen reports that Deaf and other disabled individuals are denied access to the necessary communication tools to assert their rights. We have seen reports that disabled detainees are routinely denied essential medical care and medication in violation of their human rights. We have seen disabled detainees die in DHS’s appalling detention centers, including Nhon Ngoc Nguyen (who had dementia and a TBI), Johnny Noviello (who had epilepsy), and Shiraz Fatehali Sachwani (who was chronically ill.) We have seen children assaulted by riot munitions at schools, and families snatched out of bus stops on their way to and from schools. We have seen the ways these threats have cut our community off from vital services and supports, and robbed people with disabilities of the supports they need to live. And we have seen people killed in the streets by DHS agents, shot dead for daring to document all of these other assaults on our rights and our persons by agencies that then used those killings to threaten others exercising their rights. Enough is enough."
How should disabled people and disability organizations approach the ICE campaign to deport undocumented immigrants in the US? When disabled people are involved, it's helpful to highlight how ICE and allied agencies are treating people with specific kinds of disabilities, including ignoring statements of disability need, and violating their rights and accessibility as disabled people – like dragging an autistic woman out of her car and beating her, and denying a Deaf child access to his hearing aids. At the same time, broader statements like this one by the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, (ASAN), are important too – laying out the issues clearly and forcefully, and affirming solidarity with all people being harassed, abused, and killed by ICE. And it's a bonus that ASAN provides two versions of their statements, including one in "plain language."
Bridgerton actor told disability could hold her back - then Netflix came calling
Emily Holt and Emma Tracey, BBC - March 6, 2026
"She said it was these auditions which occasionally cast doubt on her potential to find future roles because of her disability ... 'I was getting quite unhelpful chat about casting and whether I would be a good option to take on as a student with the knowledge that I might not have any work in the future, because there might not be a role for me.'"
I haven't seen Bridgerton yet. It's been in my Netflix queue for a long time, and I don't know when or if I'll get to it. But the role described here reminds me a bit of the character Bates on Downton Abbey. Bates is the valet to Lord Grantham, and has a significant limp from a war wound. In the first season it's a pretty big issue. Just about everyone tries to force Bates out of his job on the assumption that he's incapable and an unsightly shame to the household. There's some good material exploring disability discrimination and accommodation, as well as a moving and meaningful story about self-acceptance of disability. So, I wonder whether it's good that Bridgerton mentions the maid's disability only in passing. Or, are they missing an opportunity to say more – especially as the actress playing the maid actually has the disability herself.
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