Disability News - February 14, 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.
Toolkit: Ensuring State Implementation of HHS’ Updated Section 504 Rule by Casey Doherty and Mia Ives-Rublee on February 11, 2026 at the Center for American Progress
"This toolkit provides background on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ final rule on "Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance." It also provides guidance for advocates on outreach to state attorneys general and officials, reminding them of compliance dates related to the rule."
American Association of People with Disabilities Response to House Passage of the SAVE America Act by Jess Davidson on Feb 13, 2026 at the AAPD
"The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) strongly condemns the passage of the SAVE America Act and urges the Senate to reject this harmful legislation. This restrictive policy would prevent millions of people from accessing their right to vote and would hit historically excluded communities the hardest – voters who are disabled, Black, Latina/o, indigenous, people of color, married women whose names have changed, and/or voters in rural or low-income communities."
The Political World of Caregiving by Julia Métraux on February 10, 2026 at Mother Jones
"In her new book, In Sickness and in Health: Love Stories from the Front Lines of America’s Caregiving Crisis, University of Connecticut professor Laura Mauldin explores the relationships between caregivers and their disabled and sick spouses, and the underlying lack of structural support in the US that makes unpaid care an inescapable feature of most such relationships."
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