4/8/26 - Monthly Essay: "Brainstorming"

Good afternoon ...

Unexpected life stuff got in the way of posting a newsletter yesterday. Sorry about that! Tomorrow's newsletter will feature some links I had planned to share on the new proposed US Federal Budget – which, spoiler alert, does not look good.

But first, here is the inaugural Monthly Essay. I'm starting off this new feature with a fairly easy topic – what I have been thinking about for future monthly essays.

Brainstorming

Andrew Pulrang, Disability Thinking Weekday - April 8, 2026

This is the first monthly essay written by me for this newsletter. The plan going forward is to publish a disability-themed essay like this on the second Wednesday of each month. It's one of two new Disability Thinking Weekday features that got the most votes in January's 2026 Disability Thinking Weekday Poll. The other new addition will be Monthly Q&As with interesting people in disability culture and activism, starting in August.

Each monthly essay could be on any disability-related topic. It might be timely – related to something happening in current disability news. It could be seasonal – connected with an annual event or one of the many “awareness months.” Or, it could be about any random stuff I'm curious and can’t stop thinking about. Here are some of the possible topics I have been brainstorming:

• How my thinking about disability has changed over the years.
• If we are seeing the birth of a new kind of politics, in the US and around the world, how will disability politics adapt?
• Is there anything useful left to say about the Americans with Disabilities Act?
• Coping with Forrest Gump as a disabled movie fan.
• Different ways of defining disability.
• How our families deal with our disabilities.
• Is it time for completely new models of disability activism?
• What are the most important disability issues in the US Midterm Elections?
• How can we get politicians to take disability issues seriously?
• What is actually the hardest part of your life with disabilities?
• What is "disability awareness" really?
• Things disabled people predicted that have come true.
• What do we really think about disability employment?
• What do disabled people have to be thankful for this year?
• Disability and the holidays.

I would love to get your feedback, on these topics, or others you would like to see discussed. Please send thoughts and topic ideas to my email address: apulrang@icloud.com. I look forward to exploring more "disability thinking" with all of you!

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:

• A monthly recap with links to all of the previous month's shared articles, organized by topic.
• Listing as a supporter, and a link to your website if you have one.
• You can recommend one disability-related article for me to share per month in a weekday post.

To to subscribe, upgrade to paid, or make a one-time donation, click one of the buttons below:

I am so grateful for your help and engagement, in whichever forms you choose!