News Items - May 2, 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.
The New Frontiers of Aging: People with conditions like HIV and brain trauma are now living far longer—and revealing gaps in medical research and training. by Julia Métraux on April 30, 2026 at Mother Jones
"As people with complex immune and neurological conditions age into their 60s and 70s, their lifespans are now often extending beyond the expectations of their doctors—and the design of the systems meant to support them. Health care professionals in most fields typically receive little training in disability, less in aging, and virtually none at the intersection of the two. And as federal Medicaid cuts reduce access to the home-and community-based services some aging disabled people depend on, many rely for their survival on networks of personal connections: siblings, spouses, neighbors."
The Trump Administration Aims to Penalize Disabled Adults Who Live With Their Families by Eli Hager on April 28, 2026 at ProPublica
"President Donald Trump’s administration is poised to penalize people like Burton simply for living in the same home as their families, according to four federal officials, internal emails and a federal regulatory listing. The administration is working on a rule change that would deduct the value of a disabled adult’s bedroom from their SSI allotment, even if the family members they live with are poor enough to qualify for food stamps. This would mean slashing the benefits of some of the most low-income SSI recipients by up to a third — about $330 a month in Burton’s case — or ending their support altogether."
Supreme Court hollows out a landmark law that had protected minority voting rights for 6 decades by Gary Fields and Kim Chandler on April 30, 2026 at AP
"On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court knocked out a major pillar of the law that had protected against racial discrimination in voting and representation. It was a decision that came more than a decade after the court undermined another key tenet of the law and led to restrictive voting laws in a number of states. Voting and civil rights advocates were left fearful of what lies ahead for minority communities."
"Voting rights experts said the ruling leaves the Voting Rights Act only a shell of what it had been and will provide an open door for political mapmakers at every level — from local school districts to state legislatures to Congress — to undermine minority representation."
Saving America by Defeating Heritage’s Radical Project: The rights of women, people of color, gay people, disabled people and trans people — a vast majority of the country — have been targeted by a science-denialist, billionaire-funded network. By Billie Jean Sweeney (copublished with the Accountability Journalism Institute) on April 30, 2026
"Making its intentions clear from the start (“The Founding Fathers were, quite literally, fathers”) the document envisions an America that overturns the marriage equality codified by Obergefell v. Hodges; denies trans people’s existence and vilifies the “LGBT agenda”; rejects the no-fault divorce doctrine that helped enable women’s emancipation; uses DEI as a cudgel to promote bias in federal policy and spending on Medicaid; restricts educational opportunities, particularly for single or low-income women; and celebrates a white Christian nationalist version of “God’s design.” "
2026 AAPD National Community Event - The video of the event is open to the public and includes the following:
- Opening reflections from AAPD leadership
- A tribute honoring disability leaders Alice Wong and Bob Kafka
- Recognition of the 2026 Paul G. Hearne Emerging Leader Awardees
- A conversation on Medicaid and what changes mean for the disability community
- A discussion on disability representation in media, featuring creators and talent from "The Pitt"
- A segment from REV UP (Register! Educate! Vote! Use your Power!) on building the power of the disability vote
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