3/18/26 - Three flavors of ableism

Good afternoon ...

In which three articles highlight different types of disability discrimination, and describe what, exactly, different kinds of ableism feel like ...

Republicans and Democrats Are United in Their War on the Unhoused

Leah Ida Harris, Truthout - March 12, 2026

"California is a Democratic state that is basically aligned with Republican policies. They just hide it because they couch it in language of care. Democrats and Republicans are united in demonizing unhoused people."

Disgust: If anyone reading this is tempted to think that issues around unhoused people aren't significant for disabled people, think again. The interview is worth a complete read. And I'll just highlight a few extremely basic points:

• Most disabled people aren't unhoused, but a lot of unhoused people have disabilities. And the fragile nature of medical, practical, and financial support for disabled people certainly contributes to this.
• Disgust for "homeless" people is closely related to the oldest forms of disgust for noticeably disabled people. Often, it's basically the same emotion. And it tends to attract people towards some of the same "solutions," including removing such people from sight and imposting "care" on them in the most controlling ways.
• When laws allow government to take control of unhoused people's lives, it becomes just as easy to take control of disabled people's lives, and force us to do and live as others want us to, "for our own good." There are few things more terrifying for people with disabilities.

For disabled fliers, hope took wing. Then Trump returned to office

Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times - March 15, 2026

"McBride — adventurer, daredevil — appears unflappable. Until it comes to air travel ... It’s not the hassles and aggravation that most people put up with. Every trip requires McBride, 43, to undergo a special regimen, dehydrating himself so he won’t have to use the bathroom in flight. Every excursion includes the likelihood of being uncomfortably jostled or, worse, dropped as he’s being transferred to his seat. He can never be certain his wheelchair, his lifeline, won’t be damaged or missing once his plane lands ... 'There are very few places or in my life that I feel less independent' than an airport, said McBride, who still plays competitive rugby at the club level. 'None of the systems are set up for wheelchair users to be able to manage things on their own.'"

Neglect: *G-d dammit!* That's my instinctive response to this particular example of disability rights progress almost achieved for a moment, only to be undone by the Trump administration. I mean, what more is there to say? Airline inaccessibility may not be the most important, life or death issue for the entire disabled population. But it's certainly urgent for everyone whose wheelchair is destroyed, or who can't even really plan on air travel for any purpose because it's so risky for some people with disabilities. And it feels more urgent precisely because we can see some fairly simple ways to solve the problem, lacking only political will and priority. We got a decent start under the last administration. Under Trump, progress is on hold. And airlines are actively seeking to derail it.

The Hidden Ableism in "Good Intentions"

Sarah Levis, Power in Every Body - March 9, 2026

"Judging from the number of disabled people I’ve heard talk about this, there are a lot of very kind people in the world who dislike seeing others struggle. When they notice someone having difficulty, they want to step in and help ... That instinct is admirable ... But sometimes help isn’t actually needed. And even when it is, it may not be wanted."

Condescension: This is one of those disability facts of life that are common experiences and have obvious meaning for people with disabilities, but which seems persistently unfamiliar and confusing to non-disabled people. And the path from genuinely good intentions to high-handed imposition is short. In fact, it's part of what's behind efforts to force unhoused people to "accept help," and to get disabled people to follow others' advice, "for our own good." Sarah notes here that part of the motivation is that people "dislike seeing others struggle." That, too, is probably related to efforts to force solutions on unhoused people, and people with disabilities. They may come from kinder motives. But they are linked to others that are less admirable, and usually lead to bad outcomes for those they are supposed to help.

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