Andrew Pulrang - Disability Thinking Weekday (Page 3)

Disability Thinking Weekday

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Andrew Pulrang

Angled closup of white on blue wheelchair symbols marking pavement of two accessible parking spaces

4/15/25 - Police violence, DOGE cuts, and Medicaid

Nothing particularly uplifting today ... another disabled person killed by police, and more on threats to disability support. And they're all from NPR. Interesting. Subscribe or Upgrade Intellectually disabled teen shot by Idaho police dies after being removed from life support The Associated Press, National Public Radio - April

4/14/25 - Social Security, and virtual "Hands Off"

4/14/25 - Social Security, and virtual "Hands Off"

A couple of updates on Social Security for today's newsletter – plus a look at how disabled people participated online in last weekend's protests. Subscribe or Upgrade Social Security backs off cuts to phone services amid outcry Emily Peck, Axios - April 9, 2025 "After weeks

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4/11/25 - Friday Video Share: Survivor 48 - Jeff Probst Gets Emotional as Eva Opens Up

I was feeling crummy yesterday, which is why there wasn't a Thursday newsletter. The Friday video for this week is a little different ... Subscribe or Upgrade Survivor 48 - Jeff Probst Gets Emotional as Eva Opens Up SurvivorOnCBS - March 26, 2025 Is this good, actually? Is it

Yellow wheelchair symbol painted onto rough pavement marking an accessible parking space

4/9/25 - Fake accessibility, disability and death, fashion and identity

I am finally getting around to planning for some kind of biweekly or monthly stand-alone post, just for this newsletter, by me and maybe eventually some guest writers, on disability issues and ideas. If you have any thoughts on this, please let me know in the comments, or by email

White on blue wheelchair symbol labeled "Entry" monted on a wood door

4/8/25 - Medicaid, pain, and Miss Manners

This week I am trying to share some interesting but less timely articles that have been hard to fit in because there have been so many more urgent things to read about lately. Subscribe or Upgrade Tell Your Legislators: Protect Medicaid! Autistic Self Advocacy Network - April 4, 2025 "

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4/7/25 - A potentially important lawsuit, and a disability summit

I had these articles set up by mid-day last Friday. They are still timely. But all I can think about right now is how plunging stock markets affect disabled people, disability services, and disability organizations. My guess is that the impact is greater than some might imagine. Subscribe or Upgrade

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4/4/25 - Friday Video Share: "GEMS CAR CHATS: PIP is Changing! What You Need to Know"

A disability lifestyle YouTuber gets a little bit political. Honestly, it's kind of encouraging. Subscribe or Upgrade GEMS CAR CHATS: PIP is Changing! What You Need to Know Wheelsnoheels - Gem Hubbard - April 3, 2025 What's interesting about this video? * It's about the

Photo of a row of four accessible parking spaces, marked on black pavemenet with white lines and wheelchair symbols

4/3/25 - Myanmar aftermath, more on voting rights, and surfing

A few random articles for today, in no particular order or connection ... Subscribe or Upgrade Myanmar earthquake tragedy deepens dire crisis Disability Insider - April 1, 2025 Source: Raul Krauthausen Substack "The UN Humanitarian Country Team is actively conducting rapid needs assessment missions in coordination with UN agencies, humanitarian

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4/2/25 - Current dangers, past bipartisanship, and a rare win

It's still all about disability advocacy today, but from some slightly different perspectives. Subscribe or Upgrade Proposed Cuts to Medicaid and Social Services Target Our Community — Here’s What We Can Do Tim Gilmer, New Mobility - March 17, 2025 "Since the age of 20 I have

Black on white wheelchair symbol sign mounted on a cement wal

4/1/25 - April Fool's Day

We can all use a bit of a laugh about now. Here are three links where you might find some. Subscribe or Upgrade The Squeaky Wheel The Squeaky Wheel Headline: "Recently Paralyzed Libertarian Fights for Local Business’s Right to Deny Him Entry" It's hard to

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3/31/25 - Another agency decimation, and accessible kitchens

These days, I find myself deliberately sharing stories on serious threats to disabled people's lives and freedom, alongside seemingly lower-stakes, lifestyle accessibility and inclusion topics. I'm not sure what message it sends to post these very different kinds of stories side by side. I certainly don&

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3/28/25 - Friday Video Share: "Tyrion Gives Bran A Gift"

A little Tyrion for your weekend viewing ... Subscribe or Upgrade Tyrion Gives Bran A Gift Nineteen1900Hundred, YouTube - May 1, 2012 Spoilers ahead, I guess ... It feels a bit silly to still be obsessed with a TV character from a show that ended almost six years ago – not to mention

White on blue wheelchair symbol painted onto black tarmac to markan accessible parking space

3/27/25 - Voting rights, Social Security chaos, and erasing advice for businesses

The hits just keep coming ... Subscribe or Upgrade Disability Voting News: March 26, 2025 Sarah Blahovec, The Accessible Voting Booth- March 26, 2025 "Regardless of which documents are accepted, the people who will be most impacted by a DPOC requirement are young people and elderly people who are less

Parking by disabled permit only sign with white on blue wheelhair symbol against a blue sky with fluffy clouds

3/26/25 - Breaking Up The Education Department

I was sick the last two days, which is why there were no newsletters on Monday or Tuesday. Actually I don't feel too bad about missing a weekday issue once in a while. But disability articles that should be shared tend to pile up quickly these days. Hopefully

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3/21/25 - Friday Video Share: NO DECISION WITHOUT US | World Down Syndrome Day 2025

Today is World Down Syndrome Day. Time for a new video! Subscribe or Upgrade NO DECISION WITHOUT US | World Down Syndrome Day 2025 CoorDown - March 13, 2025 Here's this year's World Down Syndrome Day from CoorDown, an Italian Down syndrome organization that has been producing

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3/20/25 - Cuts in the UK, and the latest from Smart Ass Cripple

By the time this newsletter is published, President Trump may have already signed his executive order to shut down the U.S. Department of Education. I have also seen a few copies of a Facebook post listing over a dozen steps the U.S. Department of Justice has taken that

Round metal Push To Open button with blue lettering and wheelchair symbol, on a brick wall

3/19/25 - Mental health farms, eugenics, and photography

One slightly older piece, one newer, and an arts break today. Subscribe or Upgrade RFK's plan to make America healthy again? Send people with mental health conditions to farms Amanda Marcotte, Salon.com - February 19, 2025 "Kennedy has long had it out for these drugs, and

Two white on blue wheelchair symbols directional signs, top sign pointing left, bottom sign pointing right

3/18/25 - Wheelchair repair, accessible fonts, and Miss Manners

Some less dire content today. After all, smaller disability issues and experiences continue and are worth thinking about, even when the foundations of our lives threaten to crumble. Subscribe or Upgrade Profit shouldn’t take precedence over health and safety Editorials, Altamont Enterprise - March 5, 2025 "Thompson said,

Grey wheelchair symbol on a light grey backgroun

3/17/25 - More on Section 504, and a new disability blog

I'm circling back today to the ongoing legal threat to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act – an issue that benefits from further discussion and interpretation, provided here in two newer articles. I'm also linking a new disability-related blog you should all subscribe to. Subscribe or Upgrade

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3/14/25 - Friday Video Share: "Trailer | CHANGE, NOT CHARITY: THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT | American Experience | PBS"

Marking this week's 35th anniversary of the "Capitol Crawl," one of the most iconic advocacy actions in modern disability history ... some new video and audio that really does bring history alive. Subscribe or Upgrade Trailer | CHANGE, NOT CHARITY: THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT American Experience | Public

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3/13/25 - Deeper dives into the U.S. Department of Education

Once again, I can't help thinking about what disabled people would be advocating for in education, in a different timeline, under different election outcomes. We would be fighting for stronger, more effective enforcement of disabled kids' right to an equal education, in regular classrooms alongside their non-disabled

White on blue wheelchair symbol painted onto an accessible parking space

3/12/25 - 5 years of COVID

Yesterday was the fifth anniversary of the World Health Organization declaring COVID-19 a pandemic. COVID is a rare example of something that affected the entire world in deep and devastating ways, and affected disabled and chronically ill people in additional, distinct ways. COVID means something to everyone. But it means

White wheelchair symbol on a black brick wal

3/11/25 - Strategy, Medicaid, and "Wicked"

We're still struggling to even begin to figure out how to defend disability rights and supports, with a U.S. government in self-inflicted, not at all random chaos. Meanwhile, somewhat lower-key disability culture continues to evolve. Reminder: If you have a free or paid subscription, you can comment

White on blue wheelchair symbol sticker on the bumper of a vehic

3/10/25 - The Education Department, and two takes on disability identity

The poll I embedded in Friday's newsletter didn't work right. For some reason it doesn't appear in the actual email. Sorry about that! If you visit the Friday newsletter's web page, the poll shows up right where it's supposed to