6/4/26 - A disabled candidate's victory, voting accessibility, and more airline foolishness

Hello!

It's been an oddly quiet week. But that's also given me a chance to catch up on some reading and update the list of disability-related articles I work from in putting this newsletter together. Speaking of which, don't forget that if you find articles you think should be shared here, email me at: apulrang@icloud.com.

Here are your links for Thursday ...

Josh Turek, a Paralympian, Wins the Democratic Senate Primary in Iowa

Lisa Lerer, New York Times - June 3, 2026

"Josh Turek, a Paralympic gold medalist and state legislator, won the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Iowa on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press, defeating a progressive rival to capture the nomination in a contest that tested the party’s anti-establishment fervor."

This the first of what will probably be several follow-ups to the article on the "Populist Paralympian" shared on May 26th. The New York Times article further underscores that so far, Turek's disability seems like less of an issue, positive or negative, than whether he is a true Democratic "populist," or the favorite of the increasingly disliked and distrusted Democratic Party "establishment." From a disability power standpoint, that political ambiguity may be a good thing. But, as someone who also cares about the ideology and political policy positions of candidates, I find it hard to be completely enthusiastic about Turek's Senate primary win. Still, unless getting to know him further changes my mind, I wish him well in November. Either way, it will be interesting to follow his campaign and how he and the voters interpret his disability.

Disability Voting News: June 3, 2026

Sarah Blahovec, The Accessible Voting Booth - June 3, 2026

"On May 12, Maryland enacted legislation that requires plain language summaries for ballot measures and petition signature pages, prohibiting 'the use of legal jargon, passive voice, and double negatives.' The state board must also include a brief statement that explains the outcome of each voting choice."

As usual, there's a lot I could have quoted from this latest edition of The Accessible Voting Booth newsletter. I chose to highlight the "plain language" legislation in Maryland because it's something I am quite interested in. And I love this brief summary of what "plain language" requires.

Her scooter was damaged on a flight. She says it keeps happening

Zach Wichter, USA Today - May 20, 2026

"Town said she was frustrated with Southwest’s slow response and felt that she got the attention she did because of her high-profile advocacy role ... 'Disabled people fly on the airlines all the time and don’t get any response, don’t have any visibility into what’s happening,' she said. 'You shouldn’t need to be a high-visibility person to get a response when an airline breaks your mobility device or something you rely on to go about your day.'"

It's so important and valuable that this article includes the fact that the disabled person who had to deal with equipment broken by an airline had a comparatively easier time of it because she is "high-visibility," as the CEO of a major disability organization. And it's Maria Town, herself, who points this out. Most disabled people don't have that kind of clout. If Maria's privilege couldn't produce a better result from the airline, how is an everyday, non-famous disabled traveler supposed to cope? As I have said before, air travel problems like this are far from the most urgent issues disabled people face. But they are among the most infuriating. Maybe it's because they seem so avoidable, because they involve airlines – which most people hate already – and because of how quickly a broken wheelchair can develop from an inconvenience into a life-threatening disaster. And year after year, we all wonder when airlines will do better enough, consistently enough, for us to really notice.

Disability Thinking Weekday is a Monday-Friday newsletter with links and commentary on disability-related articles and other content. You can help promote the newsletter 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 around 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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