Disability News September 27, 2025
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.
Editor's Note: All of these are related to President Trumps disgusting announcement on Monday. As Eric Garcia said on his BlueSky account: "It is hard to put into words how this past week basically erased a decade’s worth of work to promote of acceptance of #ActuallyAutistic people and accommodate autism. But somehow Trump did more to promote fear and lies around autism than any other president."
Disgust, Horror, and “Elimination”: Trump and RFK Jr.’s Eugenicist Autism Conference – The most striking omission from Monday’s White House pageant: autistic people. By Julia Métraux on September 23, 2025 at Mother Jones
"The two, alongside administration officials including Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz, claimed without definitive scientific evidence that Tylenol during pregnancy, one of the only means to treat fever, was a leading factor in children becoming autistic—demanding, in Trump’s case, that women discontinue its use."
Statement from The Arc of Massachusetts CEO Maura Sullivan posted on September 22, 2025 on LinkedIn (and other Social Media Accounts)
"We must ground decisions related to public health in sound science and evidence, not on rhetoric or opinions lacking the support of research. The correlation between acetaminophen and autism has not been proven. Families, particularly mothers, deserve clear guidance rather than cycles of blame and guilt."
Trump’s announcement linking Tylenol and autism is already doing major damage - Touting a possible cure with little evidence only gives loved ones of autistic people false hope. Posted by Eric Garcia on September 23, 2025 at MSNBC
"They made this announcement even though the evidence of a link between autism and acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, is thin and the biggest study about the two showed that “use during pregnancy was not associated with children’s risk of autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability in sibling control analyses.” "
FACT FOCUS: A look at false and misleading claims made by Trump about autism, Tylenol and pregnancy posted by Lauran Neergaard on September 23, 2025 at Associated Press
"But his comments came under intense criticism from medical experts and researchers — because there’s no proof tying the painkiller to autism. He also made a number of dubious claims about autism, vaccines and treatments. Here’s a look at the facts."
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