5/7/26 - Banning shock, protecting voting rights, and exploring disability fashion

Good afternoon ...

I don't have much to add today. Here are your three disability-related links as the week begins to wind down.

FDA May Finally Make It Illegal to Shock Autistic Kids as Punishment

Julia Métraux, Mother Jones - April 27, 2026

"The FDA’s new rule, if finalized by the Trump administration, doesn’t prohibit all types of shock therapy. Electrical stimulation may still be used voluntarily for things like smoking cessation, for example, and the rule won’t affect the electroconvulsive therapy devices used to treat conditions like major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. But the types of devices used by JRC would be banned from the market."

This issue has been crawling towards a resolution since before I stopped working in Independent Living well over ten years ago. It's important for its own sake, and because it involves real, direct pain and cruelty for disabled people, not just indirect, likely harm like so many other disability issues. It also highlights two other themes in disability culture and activism – the misalignment of what some parents think is best for their disabled children and what their children want and need – and the overlap that can occur between treatment and abuse for disabled people. I hope the Trump administration approves the ban. My concern is that at the last minute they won't, because of the "Make America Healthy Again" tendency to uncritically favor treatments that are considered "alternative," and have small but fanatical followings. Fingers crossed.

Disability Voting News: May 6, 2026

Sarah Blahovec, The Accessible Voting Booth - May 6, 2026

"'When the Voting Rights Act is weakened, it is not an abstract policy shift. It is a direct hit to Black voters, Brown voters, disabled voters, rural voters, and every community that has fought for generations just to be seen, counted, and heard.'"

As we get closer to the midterm elections here in the US, the Accessible Voting Booth newsletter is going to become more important. There's a lot of depressing news in this edition from the Supreme Court and Texas, but also some good news from Connecticut. This suggests to me that the effort to make voting more accessible for disabled Americans is still relevant and active. It's still possible to widen pathways to the ballot, not just defend them.

Finding my armour in threads

Tanzila Khan, Disability Debrief - May 6, 2026

"My disability made my body a unique canvas for fashion and styling. Through clothes I found new forms of inclusion and participation. And with a unique form of self-expression, I found my identity."

As someone who has still never worked out a way to feel comfortable and creative with how my clothes and disabilities interact, this edition of Disability Debrief really spoke to me. I especially love Khan's descriptions of how clothes started out feeling like protective "armour," but gradually became an expressive "canvas."

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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