Disability News - April 19, 2026
Editor's Note: The disability community is increasingly preferring to use identity-first language (disabled person) in place of person-first language (person with a disability). This is because many in the community view disability as being a core component of identity, much like race and gender. Some members of the community, such as people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, still prefer person-first language. Both should be considered valid. Articles shared in this newsletter may contain one or the other (or both) depending on the author's preference, and if they themselves have a disability.
What ‘The Pitt’ gets right and where Massachusetts health care falls short Op-Ed by Maura Sullivan on April 13, 2026 at MassLive (Note: While this article does have spoilers for Season 2 of "The Pitt" it's only for one plot line)
"A study by researchers at Kaiser Permanente involving nearly 1,000 health care providers revealed that 77% of doctors felt unprepared to treat patients with autism. Only 13% of physicians felt they had adequate tools or resources to accommodate these patients."
Long-Awaited Safeguards For Medicaid Home And Community-Based Services Put On Hold by Michelle Diament on April 17, 2026 at DisabilityScoop
"Federal officials are delaying enforcement of a new mandate aimed at helping people with disabilities experiencing issues accessing Medicaid home and community-based services. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said recently that it will hold off on a requirement that states establish a grievance system."
What’s Going On With Disability Programs in the President’s Budget? Press Release by The National Disability Rights Network on April 17, 2026
"The President’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 budget is a proposal to Congress about how the federal government should spend money. Congress, not the President, makes the final decisions about how federal money is spent. This year’s proposal includes cuts that would seriously harm people with disabilities and the systems they rely on. "
Climate Change Is Here—and America’s Most Marginalized Communities Are on the Front Lines by Angelo Villagomez and Devon Lespier on April 15, 2026 at the Center for American Progress
"This accelerating pace of more frequent and intense storms mirrors the findings of a recent Center for American Progress climate disasters report: Warming ocean temperatures and rising seas are intensifying tropical storms, increasing rainfall, magnifying storm surge, and driving up both human and economic costs. What were once considered rare, extreme events are becoming more frequent and far more destructive, with costs measured not only in damaged buildings and broken infrastructure, but also in health risks, displacement, and longer, more inequitable recoveries."
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