3/25/26 - Voting threatened, and remembering our history

Good afternoon ...

How is everyone's week going? Here are three links to make us think about the past, as we face challenges in the present that could affect our future.

How the SAVE America Act Hurts Disabled Voters

Naomi Hess, Time - March 23, 2026

"The provisions of the SAVE America Act that add extra barriers to voting could further depress the turnout of disabled voters. The SAVE America Act requirespotential voters to show proof of citizenship to register and to present voter identification at the polls. Research from the Brennan Center for Justice indicates that 21.3 million voting-age people, representing 9% of the voting-eligible population, lack easy access to their birth certificates, passports, or other documents demonstrating citizenship. More than 3.8 million people do not have these documents in their possession at all."

As Naomi points out in this excellent summary of how the SAVE America Act would impact disabled Americans, it seems unlikely that the bill will pass. There are political obstacles to its passage in the Senate that have little to do with disability rights, but which may help stop the bill. That kind of off-topic procedural barrier happens sometimes – either thwarting needed legislation or saving us from terrible ideas. But when it comes to our right to vote, we can't take it for granted that the SAVE Act will fail on its own. And if this exquisitely bad bill doesn't pass, it could still open the door for some kind of "compromise" bill later on that is maybe less sweeping and politically toxic overall, but just as harmful to disabled voters. It's worth repeating every time voter ID and other complicating laws are debated: Anything that makes voting a more complex and multi-step process makes it less likely that disabled people will vote. And we need to vote. Democracy may be faltering here and around the world. But, it's not dead yet and it's one of our most important means for disabled people to influence how we are treated.

Note: There is an Action Alert on this issue in the "Take Action" section below.

How an act of civil disobedience in 1978 Denver helped propel disability rights

Joseph Shapiro, Stephanie Wolf, National Public Radio - March 19, 2026

"Disability wasn't understood as a civil rights issue back then. So on that hot July day in 1978, those disabled people blocking the buses were doing something disabled people were not expected to do."

This is the kind of story that when I first heard about it around 1990, finally fully convinced me that disability activism was actually a lot more exciting and impactful than walkathons for this or that disease. Most of the time, when we want to remember a great victory in disability rights in the US, we think about the Capital Crawl to pass the ADA, or the sit-ins to get Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act implemented. It's good to see this slightly less celebrated moment in disability history remembered.

Alice Wong Celebration of Life Livestream

University of California San Francisco - March 25, 2026

"We will gather to honor and celebrate the life and legacy of Alice Wong through community, reflection, and creativity."

This is happening today. I wish I could be there in person.

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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