Accessibility and Design

Overview

International News

Paws for Access: A Global Survey on Assistance Dog Rights. “43% of handlers were refused access in the past year”. (Assistance Dogs International)

Jordan

Wheelchair Users’ Experience and Perspective of Accessibility to Public Services in Jordan: wheelchair users' experience in Jordan:

“Wheelchair users frequently described past experiences with emotional, pain and despair and suffering.” (Jun, Review of Disability Studies)

South Korea

Disabled in Korea struggle to use kiosks as new Accessibility Law looms. “The use of kiosk ordering terminals in South Korean restaurants has surged, fueled by efforts to cut labor costs and a consumer shift toward contactless service.” (Aug, The Korea Times)

United States

Divesting from the “fake service dog” narrative in service of a future that centers care:

“Mainstream public discourse about “fake” service dogs has created an environment in which I am hypervigilant and frequently downplay Eilish’s and my success as a team. I feel anxious every time Eilish steps an inch out of not just public access standards but also the expectations that people have of service dogs. I am hyperaware of the language I use when talking about what Eilish does for me, making sure that I use words like “task” and “trained” rather than language that suggests that Eilish’s presence brings me comfort (which it does), so as to distinguish her from an emotional support animal (Price, 2017). I internally minimize the compliments we receive from members of the public, and focus instead on the questioning looks, because that feels safer to me. I need Eilish to be able to be in the world with me, and the world has told me that to have her with me is to conform to a particular image.” (Jun, Review of Disability Studies.)

Housing

Australia

Hundreds of homes for people with disability sit empty at expense of NDIS participants and investors. (Aug, ABC News)

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Ageing

Australia

Dinner or a shower? Older people fear tough choices when Australia’s new aged care changes are rolled out. (Aug, the Guardian)

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Assistive Technology

Australia

More grievances against prosthetic eye maker Jack McDonald's work. “Some clients of Mr McDonald are out of pocket for prosthetics they cannot use and are making do with old, scratched artificial eyes.” (Aug, ABC News)

Nepal

Nepal Wheelchair Provision situational analysis and workshop report. (Mar, AT2030)

Pakistan

OPD and capacity building in Pakistan. (Jun, AT2030)

United Kingdom

Understanding the Impact of Assistive Technology on Users Lives in England. (Jul, AT2030)

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Black Lives Matter and Racial justice

International News

Luciana Viegas: Expanding Opportunities for Black Disabled People Worldwide. (Sep, Ford Foundation)

United States

Brad Lomax: The Disabled Black Panther Who Fought for Section 504. (Jul, Emerging America)

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Civil Society and Community

United Kingdom

A hostile environment for disabled people— and the Church’s prophetic response. “Challenging ableism, defending dignity, and reclaiming the Gospel call to justice.” (Sep, Diocese of London)

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Communication and Language

Sign Languages

Austria

20 years of recognition of Austrian Sign Language in the Constitution. (In German, Sep, Bizeps)

Japan

Japan to promote sign language with new law ahead of Deaflympics:

“The law requires the national and local governments to take necessary steps to improve environments that ensure reasonable accommodations for learning and using sign language.” (Jul, Japan Wire)

United States

A Manual for ASL Students a fiction piece with advice to ASL students:

“(ASL students: You cannot look good. You can only get good. To get good, you have to stay the course. Sign language is not a one-night stand. You have to want it past the first morning, and the next morning, and the next.)” (Sep, The Offing)

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Conflict and Peace

Israel-Palestine Conflict

International News

Call for global action for Palestinian disability rights:

“The ongoing genocide in Gaza is not only a devastating humanitarian crisis but also a mass disabling crime against humanity that leaves deep impacts on people with long-standing disabilities and those newly disabled, not to mention the scars on the community’s physical and mental wellbeing.” (Sep)

UN experts warn Gaza city offensive will be ‘apocalyptic’ for persons with disabilities. (Sep, OHCHR)

Israel

More than 10,000 IDF soldiers have been treated for mental health issues since Oct. 7:

“Defense Ministry says 45% of 20,000 wounded soldiers have physical injuries, 35% have PTSD or other mental ailments, and 20% are suffering both physically and mentally” (Sep, The Times of Israel)

Palestine

Teaching the deaf to survive in a silent war zone: “During this conflict, I realised that the community urgently needed practical survival training.” (Sep, Independent)

How disability can become a death sentence in Gaza today. “We are witnessing sanitascide, as Israel violently maims the host population while disabling the very infrastructure that supports life in the territory” (Sep, Middle East Eye)

Inside The Fight For Disabled Palestinians. (Sep, HuffPost UK Asian Voices)

Gaza’s Amputees: “Aid Restrictions Leave Thousands Without Prosthetic Care and Humanitarian Workers Scrambling” (Sep, Disability Justice Project)

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Culture, Entertainment and Media

International News

Going Global: A guide for disabled artists. (Jun, Unlimited)

Africa

Activating Arts to Understand Disability in Africa. An edited collection. (Aug, Routledge)

Europe

EU-Funded SHIFT Project Deploys Multilingual AI Accessibility Toolkit. (Jun, Slator)

United States

What Disability Art Means Now: “As the U.S. rolls back aid and protections, these contemporary artists are making the art world, at least, more open.” (Aug, New York Times)

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Data and Research

Overview

Europe

The impact of living with a rare disease: barriers and enablers of independent living and social participation:

“58% experienced discrimination related to the rare disease or disability in healthcare, in employment, in education, in housing, in public accommodations or in other places.” (Apr, EURORDIS Rare Diseases Europe)

Research

International News

Using Real Names of Disabled Participant-Contributors to Practice Citational Justice in Accessibility. (Aug, ArXiv)

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Digital Accessibility and Technology

Overview

Australia

How video games and adaptive technology are helping people with disability build connections. (Sep, ABC News)

Europe

80% of disabled people used the internet in 2024:

“In 2024, 82.3% of people in the EU with severe disability had used the internet in the past 12 months. Among those with moderate disability, the share was 89.0% and it was 95.2% for those with no disability. This means that the gap between those with severe disability and those without was 12.9 percentage points (pp).” (Aug, Eurostat)

United States

The 'Accessibility' link is a Lie: My Adventures in Weaponizing Corporate Virtue Signaling:

“The lesson is this: never fight a corporation's customer service department. Fight its legal department or its PR department. They don't care about your inconvenience, but they are terrified of a broken promise. And their Accessibility Statement is the biggest, most legally binding promise of all.” (Jul, Sightless Scribbles)

Artificial Intelligence

Europe

EU-Funded SHIFT Project Deploys Multilingual AI Accessibility Toolkit. (Jun, Slator)

United Kingdom

Why accessibility might be AI’s biggest breakthrough:

“The UK's Department for Business and Trade recently released evaluation results from its Microsoft 365 Copilot trial showing that while overall satisfaction was 72 percent, neurodiverse employees reported statistically higher satisfaction (at a 90 percent confidence level) and were more likely to recommend the tool (at a 95 percent confidence level) than other respondents.” (Sep, Ars Technica)

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Disaster Risk Reduction and Crisis Response

India

Flood of despair and indifference. “Shampa Sengupta writes about what the recent flooding in Kolkata meant for people with disabilities and the all-round disregard for their concerns.” (Sep, Varta Trust)

United States

‘I Could Literally Be Left Behind to Die’: How a Student With a Disability Changed the Law on emergency plans for students with disabilities. (Aug, New York Times)

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Economics and Social Protection

Overview

International News

Disability Policy Insights: Budget Analysis. (Center for Inclusive Policy)

East Africa

Finances of people with disabilities are worse in the Balkans and Baltics. “People with disabilities are more likely to struggle making ends meet than those without disabilities”:

“However, fewer people are suffering economically in Luxembourg (8%), Germany (11%), the Netherlands (11.2%), or Finland (13.2%). By contrast, in Greece (75.5%) and Bulgaria (52%), more than half of people with a disability live in households that have difficulties in making ends meet.” (Aug, Euronews)

Timor Leste

Learnings and options for disability rights-based budgeting in Timor-Leste: Summary brief. (Aug, Annie Sloman)

Financial Inclusion

Indonesia

Disability and exclusion. “The intersection of disability and poverty creates layered barriers to financial inclusion”. (Aug, Inside Indonesia)

Social Protection

Estonia

Estonia's disability criteria:

“Last year, the number of people with disabilities fell by nearly 8,000. However, for many, it remains unclear what criteria the Social Insurance Board used to make such decisions, and later to change them.” (Aug, ERR)

New Zealand

Neurodivergent man overwhelmed by Jobseeker admin comes off weekly support. (Aug, RNZ News)

United States

Wisconsin ordered to pay disabled workers who were denied unemployment benefits. “A federal judge ruled the 'blanket denial' of unemployment payments to those receiving Social Security disability payments was discriminatory” (Sep, WPR)

The Biggest Hurdle to Trump’s Medicaid Work Requirements: “The White House is telling Medicaid users to get jobs—while attacking everything that makes that possible.” (Sep, Mother Jones)

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Education and Childhood

Overview

Bangladesh

Services Mapping for Children with Disabilities in Bangladesh. Findings from a Self-Reported National Facility Assessment. (Jul, UNICEF)

Germany

Is Germany abandoning inclusion? Dozens of new special needs schools are being built – despite UN rebuke. (In German, Aug, News 4 Teachers)

United States

Education Dept. Halts Funds to Programs for Deafblind Students Over DEI Concerns, in eight states. “How low can you go?” one advocate asked. (Sep, ProPublica)

Higher Education

Germany

Disability Studies under threat: Protect and strengthen critical-emancipatory science! (In German, Sep, We Act)

United Kingdom

Towards an Accessible Academy: Perspectives from Disabled Medievalists, an edited collection. (Jul, De Gruyter Brill)

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Employment, Business and Work

International News

Loud wins and quiet consolidation: why both matter for authentic disability inclusion:

“As we move toward 2026, businesses face a defining choice. They can view the current retreat from DEI as permission to deprioritize inclusion, or they can recognize it as an opportunity to gain a competitive advantage while their competitors pull back.” (Aug, World Economic Forum)

Jordan

Promoting the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Jordan’s Garment Sector. (Jul, ILO)

Uganda

The role of qualitative methods in shaping policy on employment rights for people with disabilities in Uganda:

“In-depth qualitative interviews generated statements from many of the policy participants indicating an intention to do things differently or to promote a system or policy change. This suggests that the act of inquiring about the policy framework with policy makers in Uganda led to reflection on the subject of the research.” (Dec, Societal Impacts)

United States

House Dems Blast Labor Department “failing to protect federal contractor workers with disabilities”. (Sep, Mother Jones)

Vatican City

Pope Leo XIV approves new measures to include people with disabilities in Vatican workforce. (Sep, Catholic News Agency)

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Health

Overview

International News

WHO adds Sunscreen to Essential Medicines List: A Global Victory for Disability Rights. (Sep, CBM Global) See also a note of gratitude from the UN Independent Expert on the rights of people with albinism.

Leaving no one behind: the impact of disability and socioeconomic status on maternal continuum of care. (Aug, BMC Public Health)

United Kingdom

Adults with learning disabilities die 20 years early, says report. “It found 39% of deaths of people with learning disabilities and autism were classed as avoidable in 2023, almost twice as high as the general population.” (Sep, BBC)

Third of disabled and neurodivergent doctors feel bullied by colleagues, survey finds. (Aug, The BMJ)

United States

This isn’t the first time moms have been blamed for their kids’ autism. “One of the earliest theories of autism is centered on “refrigerator mothers.” Echoes of it can be found in plans to Make America Healthy Again.” (Oct, The 19th)

The Bonkers Wellness Myths That Fueled Trump’s Autism Announcement. (Sep, Mother Jones)

Rehabilitation

International News

Rehabilitation for all: essential throughout life and for many health conditions:

“Today, an estimated 2.6 billion people worldwide - or one in every three people - are affected by health conditions that could be improved through rehabilitation. However, these services often remain out of reach for those who need them most. Over 50% of those who need rehabilitation services do not receive them in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).” (Humanity & Inclusion)

Tajikistan

A new lease on life: how basic rehabilitation services are transforming lives in Tajikistan. (Jul, WHO)

United States

Get set for independence: Why I left the rehab hospital more disabled than when I arrived. (Sep, Disability Debrief)

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History and Memorial

International News

National Paralympic Heritage Trust's Global Virtual Museum: “This is a place where you can explore the history of the Paralympic Games from its birthplace in Stoke Mandeville and interact with inspirational Paralympic stories from around the world.” (National Paralympic Heritage Trust)

Europe

Disability heritage: “Explore heritage and stories of people with disabilities from across Europe”. (Europeana)

Germany

Nazi Eugenics and Euthanasia an extract from The Devil's Castle by Susanne Paola Antonetta. (Sep, Mother Jones)

Blindness, Judicial Blinding, and Social Death in Early Modern Germany. (Jul, Renaissance and Reformation)

Kenya

KNCHR mourns Felicia Mburu, Deputy Director of Research and Compliance. (Sep, The Star)

Netherlands

Disability History: a review essay. (In Dutch, Jul, Amsterdam University Press)

Portugal

Vocational Rehabilitation in Portugal: International Influences, Moral Imperatives and Economic Interests:

“During the Portuguese dictatorship, two primary factors influenced rehabilitation policies. The first was driven by moral obligations rooted in Christian values while the second stemmed from economic national interests, prompted by the country's involvement in colonial wars and a significant wave of emigration that created a labor shortage.” (Jun, Disability Studies Quarterly)

United Kingdom

Book review of 'Disability and the Victorians: Attitudes, Interventions, Legacies':

“Thus overall, for disabled people in Britain and much further afield, the impact of the Victorian period has been one of intensified judgment with moralizing attitudes about their presumed social value. These beliefs have restricted access to employment, increased social isolation generally, and perpetuated the conception of disabled people as diminished citizens who should expect less than full participation in society in which negative ideas about disablement remain firmly entrenched.” (Aug, H-Net)

United States

“Still A Locked Door”: Mental Health Peer Advocates Remember Those Living in Disability Institutions. (Sep, Disability Visibility Project)

7 Historic Sites Telling the Story of Artists and Politicians with Disabilities. (Jul, National Trust for Historic Preservation)

Brad Lomax: The Disabled Black Panther Who Fought for Section 504. (Jul, Emerging America)

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Humanitarian, Migrants and Refugees

Migration

United States

Man with physical, developmental disabilities in WA ICE detention. (Aug, Seattle Times)

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Independent Living and Deinstitutionalization

Overview

International News

Peer support and the collective side of independent living. (Aug, Disability & Society)

Australia

Dinner or a shower? Older people fear tough choices when Australia’s new aged care changes are rolled out. (Aug, the Guardian)

France

On Care and Violence: Reflections on L’Arche in the Wake of the Jean Vanier Abuse Revelations. (Jun, Disability Studies Quarterly)

Germany

No money for self-determination: “The fact that disabled people can decide for themselves who helps them in their daily lives is a political achievement. It is now under threat in Berlin.” (Aug, Taz.de)

Conditions in Institutions

United States

“Still A Locked Door”: Mental Health Peer Advocates Remember Those Living in Disability Institutions. (Sep, Disability Visibility Project)

Inside a ‘Hell on Earth’ in Oklahoma: “The Greer Center was supposed to be a refuge for people with developmental disabilities. But accounts from inside the secretive facility paint a starkly different picture, depicting a place where helpless patients faced beatings, waterboarding and constant fear.” (Sep, New York Times)

Trump order pushes forcible hospitalization of homeless people. “Trump’s executive order could increase hospitalization of homeless individuals with mental health and substance use disorders.” (Jul, The Washington Post)

Community Care, Not Coercion. Understanding the New Executive Order. (Jul, IDHA)

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Indigenous People and Minority Communities

Canada

Indigenous Leadership and the Canadian Disability Movement. “Our central question is: How do Indigenous organizations and Canadian disability rights organizations think about Indigenous disability issues?” (Jun, Disability Studies Quarterly)

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International Cooperation

International News

Disability inclusion is under threat – we cannot afford to lose momentum. (Sep, Inclusive Futures)

Transforming Communities for Inclusion (TCI) Annual Report 2024. (Aug, TCI)

Accessibility, reasonable accommodation, and budgeting for inclusion. (Aug, CBM Global)

Community-Based Inclusive Development: An Introduction: “Represents the first book on CBID, a growing area of practice facing a dearth of academic literature”. (Jan, SpringerLink)

Uganda

When Aid Fails in Uganda. “Refugees with disabilities are among those excluded, often with no recourse”:

“Asiimwe, from the DRC, is fifty-one years old and has lived in Kyangwali for over a decade. She explains that she uses crutches and a back brace for support due to a back fracture suffered in an accident. Rebuilding her life in Kyangwali, she finds her family now struggling. Her husband is too weak to work, and both of her children have dropped out of school.

Asiimwe describes her shock at finding out in May that food assistance was cut. Having first heard of it through others, she went to the WFP distribution site as usual, where she learned that she, too, had been cut. Many people who don’t own cellphones found out this way.” (Aug, Fair Planet)

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Justice Systems and Legal Capacity

International News

Disability: A Missing Piece of the International Criminal Law Puzzle. Policy Brief on Drafting a Disability Cognizant Convention on Crimes against Humanity: Recommendations for Accounting for Persons with Disabilities. (Jul, International Disability, Peace and Security Network)

India

Access to Justice for Persons with Disabilities: A Data-Informed Report. (Jan, Pacta)

Spain

Legal personhood and legal capacity: the case of the locked-in syndrome:

“In the early 2000s in Spain, two men with LIS who had been declared ‘incapable’ and deprived of their civil rights reclaimed them in court. Rights were given back to the one who could use a computer. They were initially refused to the other, who communicated solely by blinking and depended on a human intermediary. Only the human–machine system was trusted to convey faithfully and reliably the subject’s autonomous will.” (Aug, Journal of Law and the Biosciences)

United States

A.J.T. v. Osseo: The Supreme Court Decision That Raised the Bar for Disability Rights: “This ruling reinforces that discriminatory impact, not just intent, can constitute a violation of federal rights law.” (Jun, AccessAbility Officer)

Zambia

Zambia’s Historic First: Legal capacity Communication submitted to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights:

“The right to legal capacity is foundational to the exercise of all other human rights,” said Jennifer Wairimu, Legal Advocacy Officer at Validity Foundation. “This communication is not just about reforming one law, it is about ending systemic denial of personhood faced by persons with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities across Africa.” (Aug, Validity.ngo)

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Lived Experience and Opinion

India

Insights: Dinner table syndrome. “A report about the profound isolation that deaf people experience in their everyday social interactions with hearing family and friends” (Aug, Insights)

New Zealand

Why I keep a stocked ER box. “Over time, I learned that being in pain is only half the battle. The other half is convincing someone else that the pain is real.” (Aug, The D*List)

United Kingdom

When you stammer with someone: At Stammering Pride, dysfluency actually creates connection. (Oct, Body Babble)

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Mental Health

International News

Involuntary Mental Health Treatment: A Human Rights Crisis in Authoritarian Times:

“Recent legislative trends in various countries, including the United States (specifically in New York, Ohio, and California), Argentina, Uruguay, and Singapore, highlight a troubling global shift toward strengthening involuntary mental health practices. These stricter laws, often justified as protective measures for individuals and communities, aim to expand the criteria for involuntary commitment and lower the threshold for forced interventions—broadening the circumstances under which authorities can detain, hospitalize, or medicate individuals against their will. Such measures obscure the underlying crisis: the systematic erosion of communities, safety nets, health care systems, and meaningful support structures that enable people to live with dignity and autonomy. This change coincides with the emergence of authoritarian and conservative governments that promote political agendas based on restrictive, punitive, and exclusionary policies. In this context, the role of coercive mental health interventions as a tool for social control, the marginalization of certain groups, and the silencing of dissent become more visible and politically explicit.” (Jul, American Bar Association)

India

Talking mental health beyond the metropolis: What does talking about mental health outside of urban India look and sound like? (Aug, Insights)

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Mobility, Travel, Transport and Tourism

Overview

France

Paralympic Games revolutionising Paris’s transport system. “Billions of Euros has been invested so far into making it easier for people to get around the French capital” (Aug, International Paralympic Committee)

Kenya

Special taxis in Nairobi help disabled Kenyans stay mobile, with specialised vans. (Aug, DW)

United States

In Boston, disability oversight on subway shifts from judicial oversight to a citizen group. “Some say it’s a natural evolution. Others worry that without a judge staying on top of matters, the T could lapse.” (Sep, Boston Globe)

Disabled Amtrak Riders See Progress, but Still ‘Feel Like Freight’. “Passengers are facing blocked wheelchair space, getting stuck in doors and suffering other indignities 35 years after the Americans With Disabilities Act became law.” (Aug, New York Times)

Air Travel

United States

US will not enforce Biden wheelchair passenger protection rule:

“USDOT said in a filing it is writing a new rule and will not enforce the requirements imposing airline liability for mishandled wheelchairs or a requirement for airlines to reimburse passengers using wheelchairs the difference between a fare on a flight taken and the fare the passenger would have paid on a flight if their wheelchair could have fit in the cabin or cargo compartment of a different aircraft.” (Sep, Reuters)

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Policy and Rights

Bangladesh

Disability inclusion remains a distant promise:

“Disability inclusion cannot remain the responsibility of non-governmental organizations alone. For meaningful, long-lasting change, disability support must be integrated into national strategies and public systems. This includes ensuring accessible education, healthcare, and employment opportunities for all, regardless of ability.” (Aug, Dhaka Tribune)

Colombia

Despite legal progress, full inclusion of persons with disabilities in Colombia remains an unfulfilled promise: UN expert. (Jul, OHCHR)

Czechia

How Czechia Fulfils its Obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, a Human Rights Indicators-Based Analysis. (Jun, Ombudsman)

Ecuador

People with disabilities face more poverty and fewer opportunities in Ecuador. (In Spanish, Aug, Gestion Digital)

Egypt

EIPR Demands Immediate Withdrawal of the Regressive Amendments to Disability Rights Law. “Proposed amendments excludes eligible beneficiaries from public services” (Aug, Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights)

Fiji

Disability aid up, but struggles remain. (Aug, Fiji Sun)

Germany

Interview with the Government Commission for People with Disabilities. “It's very clear that there are political forces trying to marginalize people”. (In German, Aug, Taz.de)

Kenya

Kenya Joint Disability Inclusion Strategy 2025-2027. (Aug, UNDP)

New Zealand

The Cost of Exclusion A report on Hardship and People with Intellectual Disability in New Zealand. (Jun, IHC)

Papua New Guinea

Parliament unanimously passes Disability Services Bill 2025. In the words of Prime Minister James Marape:

“For the first time, we now have a piece of legislation that formally embraces, protects, and involves our citizens living with disabilities. It is not just law. It is a statement of compassion, a statement of national maturity, and a powerful message that every citizen matters. This Bill recognises the needs of over 1.5 million Papua New Guineans living with some form of disability.” (Aug, The National)

United Kingdom

Disability rights plan risks failure: “Key parts of the Welsh government's flagship plan to improve disabled people's rights need to be rewritten, according to the equalities watchdog.” (Aug, BBC)

United States

Donald Trump’s Assault on Disability Rights. (Sep, The New Yorker)

Disability and Constitutional Legitimacy:

“This Article focuses on classifications that provide preferential treatment to disabled people precisely because of their disability through disability affirmative action programs, and argues that their legitimacy is bolstered, not weakened, by the rational basis standard. It does so by distinguishing the constitutional status of affirmative action on the basis of disability from the constitutional status of affirmative action on the basis of race.” (Aug, SSRN)

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Politics and Elections

Argentina

Demanding the Law: Disability, Emergency and Democracy in Dispute. (In Spanish, Oct, Latinta)

A chainsaw to disability rights: How Argentina’s far-right government is attacking disability benefits and the disability movement is fighting back. (Oct, Disability Debrief)

Bangladesh

Time for political parties to prioritise disability rights:

“The July uprising of 2024 ignited a national conversation around injustice, economic disparity, and democratic accountability. If this spirit of reform does not translate into tangible gains for the marginalised—including persons with disabilities—then the movement's legacy will remain incomplete.” (Aug, The Daily Star)

National consultation calls for disability-inclusive polls. (Aug, Dhaka Tribune)

Malaysia

Reimagining Merdeka: From Independence to Interdependence:

“The independence won from colonial powers has not reached everyone. For many of us, the disabled, women and girls, those at the margins, our independence is still conditional, still rationed, still incomplete. What was gained in 1957 has not yet evolved to fit what we, the rakyat of today, need it to mean.” (Aug, Beatrice Long)

United Kingdom

Creating a democracy that works for us all. A new policy paper on accessible voting. (Sep, Disability Policy Centre)

United States

What The Government Shutdown Means For People With Disabilities. Alison Barkoff says:

“Programs like Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security will continue to be funded because they are mandatory programs. But the vast majority of disability programs, including all of those funded by the Administration for Community Living, are discretionary programs that would be impacted by a shutdown.” (Oct, Disability Scoop)

This Disability Pride Month Is About Survival, Not Celebration.

“We need care webs—mutual aid rooted in relationships, not rescue. These are informal, hyper-local networks where people look out for one another. Not just with money or donations, but with time, attention, and consistency. Someone to check in. Someone to help navigate a job search or bureaucratic nightmare. Someone to drive you to the doctor when paratransit doesn’t show up. Someone who knows your access needs and shows up anyway.” (Jul, Common Dreams)

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Relationships, Sex and Reproductive Rights

Africa

Sexual health is an extra struggle for women with disabilities: “Our research shows that access to sexual health knowledge and modern contraceptives is still out of reach for many women with disabilities in Africa.” (Aug, The Conversation)

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Sport and Paralympics

International News

Paris 2024 Paralympic Games changed attitudes towards disability. In a survey of 15,000 people in 11 different countries:

“Post-Games, the research found nearly three in four (73 per cent) people thought the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games positively changed their attitudes towards persons with disabilities. A further eight out of 10 (80 per cent) felt the Games made them feel more positive about the abilities of people with disabilities, while 79 per cent stated the Paralympics made them more supportive of the inclusion of persons with disabilities in all areas of society.” (Aug, International Paralympic Committee)

National Paralympic Heritage Trust's Global Virtual Museum: “This is a place where you can explore the history of the Paralympic Games from its birthplace in Stoke Mandeville and interact with inspirational Paralympic stories from around the world.” (National Paralympic Heritage Trust)

France

Paralympic Games revolutionising Paris’s transport system. “Billions of Euros has been invested so far into making it easier for people to get around the French capital” (Aug, International Paralympic Committee)

One year after Paris 2024: “The Paris Games generated public enthusiasm and an increase in disabled sports registrations, but few improvements in the daily lives of people with disabilities.” (In French, Jul, Le Monde)

United Kingdom

Paralysed teenager becomes racing driver in Scottish first. (Aug, BBC)

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Violence and Harassment

Uganda

On the Margins: Examining Violence against Women and Girls with Disabilities in Uganda. (Jun, Review of Disability Studies)

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War in Ukraine

Situation in Ukraine

Ukraine

A Resident of the Oleshky Boarding School, Taken to Russia Against His Will, Has Returned to Ukraine. (Aug, Important Stories) See also on Meduza.

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