7/20/26 - Disability professionals, voting accessibility, and a Medicaid action alert

Good afternoon!

Let's get back to the regular articles ...

Darline Graham’s career centered disability. Now she could help shape national policy.

Sara Letterman, The 19th - July 17, 2026

"Tissot was careful to note that she doesn’t think Graham is some kind of secret liberal nor a disability rights activist. In fact, Tissot said, Graham has never seemed particularly political; her dedication has been to her family and to employment for people with disabilities, which has long been a bipartisan issue."

This article is the most hopeful and thorough article I have seen so far on what the appointment of the late Senator Graham's sister Darline to complete his term might mean for disability policy. Given how little time is left, it's hard to see how she could have much of an effect either way. But I have known several vocational rehabilitation counselors who were a lot like Darline Graham, based on what little we can tell about her. And I can imagine a rare situation where someone like her might cast an unexpected vote in support of disability rights or a disability support program. Vocational rehabilitation counselors have a variety of political thoughts about their profession. Some really do have basically no political thoughts about what they do. Not all lawmakers know what they are talking about or voting on with disability-related issues. But most vocational rehabilitation counselors at the very least would understand what a yes or no vote on a disability-related bill would mean for disabled people – and would probably have the guts to vote in a good way, given the chance. That's something.

Mapping Disabled Americans’ Access to Democracy

Casey Doherty and Mia Ives-Rublee, Center for American Progress - July 9, 2026

"The data from the Accessible Democracy Tracker show that disabled voters face numerous barriers at every stage of the voting process. Responding organizations reported challenges related to voter registration efforts, access to voting information, in-person voting, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance, and voting by mail. At the time of publication, 88 completed survey responses representing organizations in 40 states yielded a national voting accessibility score of 3.3 out of 5, suggesting that while many states have taken steps to improve access, significant barriers remain."

Voting in the United States is a highly varied experience, organized on state and local levels and according to a wide range of priorities. It's easy to see why this decentralized system might be a weakness. For instance, it seems unfair and unnecessary that for people with disabilities, voting is significantly harder in some states than in others. On the other hand, as the Trump administration tries to exert more control over voting – to essentially nationalize it – we are reminded of why our system's local control is also a strength. Studying this voting accessibility map of the US, I am also curious about voting accessibility in other countries. How accessible is voting in other places around the world, in different countries and regions within them? Let me know at: apulrang@icloud.com, and I'll share your comments at the end of the month.

Action Alert: Tell CMS You Oppose Medicaid Work Requirements

American Association of People with Disabilities - July 14, 2026

"Having to jump through hoops and hurdles to keep the healthcare that many people with disabilities depend on to survive will cause many to lose their Medicaid and could lead to unemployment, institutionalization, or worse."

Just to drive this point home and make it personal – I am on Medicaid. I rely on it. And I work part time. I'm in a state-level program where I am able to work and earn some money while still receiving Medicaid. So in effect, I'm already complying with a kind of work requirement for Medicaid – although crucially, it's my choice to be in the program. I don't think I will have any problem complying with the new work requirements if and when they actually begin next year. But I can easily imagine losing Medicaid for a while at some point because of some failure in record-keeping or reassessment paperwork. And that's both not okay and pointless.

I have added this Action Alert to the "Take Action" section below.

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