4/27/26 - An online event, the autism spectrum, and highly specific accessibility

Greeting

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Now, on to Monday's links!

Online Event: Join Us: AAPD National Community Event Wednesday, April 29, 6:30 PM ET

American Association of People with Disabilities - April 24, 2026

"AAPD’s 2026 National Community Event is next Wednesday at 6:30 PM ET! This event celebrates the strength of the disability community, uplifts the progress we have made, and discusses how we can take collective action to protect disability rights ... The National Community Event will include a panel about authentic disability representation in the media. We will be highlighting HBO Max’s show The Pitt, which has been groundbreaking in its commitment to inclusive storytelling. Through storylines about supported decision-making, Medicaid cuts, neurodivergence, and more, The Pitt excels at depicting the complexity of disability in a nuanced and accurate manner."

I am a little surprised that there aren't more "virtual" disability community events like this one. Now seems like an idea time – maybe "essential" is a better word – to offer disabled people more chances to get together and share our stories, while discussing common topics and getting the latest news. This one in particular is interesting to me because it satisfies my current The Pitt fixation. But, if this one goes well, I would be interested in more events like this. I don't mean every week or even every month, and not necessarily from every narrowly-focused group, but rather the most broadly-based organizations and scopes of interest possible. I crave the ten thousand feet up view once in a while.

Here’s what the autism spectrum really looks like

Allison Parshall & Amanda Montañez, Scientific American - March 17, 2026

"It’s not simply a one-dimensional scale from “more autistic” to “less autistic,” which would collapse so much of the diversity that the spectrum metaphor is meant to showcase. There is no single trait that defines autism: it encompasses differences in social communication skills, interests, sensory sensitivities, and more. Every person’s profile is unique. These graphics, based on clinicians’ evaluations of actual people using the Autism Symptom Dimensions Questionnaire, reveal a more nuanced “spectrum” of differences."

Autism Acceptance Month is already almost over. I'm overdue to share something substantive about autism. The problem is that I don't feel qualified to evaluate or judge the most interesting questions about autism these days. I still instinctively tend to find the neurodiversity view of autism most sensible. And I'm not too interested in sharing stuff from more traditional, medical-model groups, even for fairness sake. But, I have recently watched some pretty persuasive and potentially helpful videos by autistic people who have very mixed views about what autism is and what autistic people need. Their views on, say, who is or isn't autistic, whether there are important differences between autistic people with higher and lower support needs, or whether Applied Behavioral Analysis, (ABA) is inherently abusive or just needs reform – don't fit comfortably in any particular camp. There's a certain appeal to that. On the other hand, I think it's often a mistake to assume that more "centrist" or "moderate" views of such things are automatically better, just because they feel more chill and "reasonable." In any case, I found this Scientific American piece to be helpful in understanding the different flavors of autism, and confirming the idea that the "spectrum" really is more three dimensional than a linear, "mild" vs. "severe" scale. I would be interested in hearing what others think. Send comments to my email address: apulrang@icloud.com.

A Public Restroom Should Work for Everyone

CP Unlimited - March 18, 2026

"Across New York City, the vast majority of public restrooms lack height-adjustable adult changing tables. Without them, caregivers assisting adults and children with significant physical or developmental disabilities have few safe and hygienic options. Families often find themselves forced to improvise and some resort to changing loved ones on restroom floors. Others retreat to vehicles in parking lots. Many simply cut outings short because the basic infrastructure needed to support their family members does not exist ... The result is a city that unintentionally shuts people out ... This is not a niche issue affecting a small group of people. Nearly one in four adults lives with some form of disability, and many require assistance with personal care at different stages of life."

I found this in my "to read" list from last month. I wasn't going to post it because it initially reads as very local to New York City. Although it is an action alert, it wouldn't be too relevant to readers outside NYC to add it to the "Take Action" section below. On the other hand, it is an interesting example of advocacy for a very specific component of accessibility. And it suggests questions about the boundary between standard, expected accessibility and individual accommodations you usually have to ask for. Is it reasonable to require adult changing tables in public restrooms? Without the kind of explanation provided here, some might think it's too much to ask. But, I think this action alert does a good job of making the case for changing tables as an essential part of restroom accessibility. Plus, I've actually seen them in public restrooms. And really, they don't look that difficult to add. How common they are around the world, outside of New York City? Let me know if you know! apulrang@icloud.com.

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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