Disability news, September 2026, by subject

Latest international disability inclusion news across 39 subjects

Library > September 2026

This page is organized by subject, you can also see links organized by country.

This update has 118 curated links from 40 countries and regions, organized across 39 subjects.

Contents

Accessibility and Design

France

Tale of one city: comprehensive disability inclusion at the local level in Lyon. (Jul, Global Disability Summit)

Pakistan

For many disabled Pakistani women, accessibility is about more than a ramp. For Shabana:

“It was shifting: getting from a wheelchair into a car, from a car into a classroom, or navigating staircases and other inaccessible environments. These everyday transitions, often taken for granted by others, required constant planning, physical effort, and emotional vulnerability.” (Jul, Images)

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Ageing

United Kingdom

It’s killing me, I’m dying:

“A system that exists to protect and extend our health increasingly operates in a way that so narrowly views that task that it negates the very things that keep us alive.” (Jul, Making rights make sense)

United States

“Oh, it's happening to me.” Ageism, ableism and adaptation, with Ashton Applewhite:

“Aging and disability have unique intersectional and advocacy potential because they are tents that contain us all. Everyone is aging, and everyone lucky enough to live long will experience some loss of capacity. Because these are universal human experiences, there is enormous potential for collective liberation.” (Jul, Disability Debrief)

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Assistive Technology

United States

Last U.S. Polio Survivor in an Iron Lung Dies After the Machine Started to Break Down and They Couldn’t Find Anyone to Repair It. (Jul, People)

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Civil Society and Community

Europe

Young disabled people across Europe face toxicity and hostility from disability movement veterans, says book. (Aug, Disability News Service)

Ghana

How do teens living with disabilities in Ghana view their future? We asked them to show us: “Some of the adolescents characterised the adversity experience of disabilities as difficult, burdensome, and full of rejection.” (Jul, The Conversation)

India

Disability representation in the coverage of civil protests: where the media and content creators fell short, and how to do better. (Jul, Reframing Disability)

Kenya

What Happened to USP-Kenya? The Challenge of Sustaining an Organisation Through Rapid Growth:

“Growth can be exciting, but it needs to be intentional and supported by investment in people, shared leadership, organisational systems, and a broader funding base. Structures that distribute power, clarify responsibility, and enable accountability are essential to sustaining movement work. Administrative and governance systems also matter because they help an organisation care for its people and protect what they have built. Boards need the capacity to provide direction and oversight, while knowledge, relationships, and responsibility need to be shared so that the work can continue through funding losses, leadership changes, illness, or periods of distress.” (Aug, Mad Thinking)

Nigeria

‘When I go out, people throw jabs at us’: the Nigerian families fighting for their disabled children. (Jul, the Guardian)

United States

What Disabled Artists Want Philanthropy to Know:

“Perhaps the biggest lesson articulated in the survey is that funders often support disabled artists without accounting for disability itself. Too often, grants are designed as though artists share the same access needs, financial realities, and timelines.” (Jul, Ford Foundation)

Stigma Resistance by Adult Self-Advocates With Intellectual Disabilities:

“Interviewees gave many examples of how they stand up against stigma and things that make it easier or harder. This included calling out or reporting unfair treatment, proving people who underestimate them wrong and clearly stating their needs and rights.” (Jun, Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities)

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Climate Crisis and Environment

New Zealand

Disabled people face greater climate change risks - and they can also help NZ adapt. (Aug, The Conversation)

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Communication and Language

Overview

International News

An Autism Breakthrough, or an Illusion? The Fight Over Assisted Spelling: Popular communication methods for nonspeaking autistic people have ignited a fierce debate over what counts as evidence of hidden cognitive abilities. (Jul, New York Times)

Sign Languages

International News

A case to better fit sign languages into Wiktionary, and its prospects in Wikimedia projects. (Jul, Diff)

United States

Netflix Teams with SignUp Media to Add ASL to 200 Hours of Kids Shows. (Jul, IndieWire)

Braille

France

France made me a Knight, and my mission is Braille! (Jul, Haben Girma)

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Conflict and Peace

Overview

Israel

IDF Disabled Veterans Organization against Finance Ministry. (Jul, The Jerusalem Post)

Nigeria

Forgotten People “Flee” Is Often the First Instinct in a Crisis, but for Many Nigerians With Disabilities, the Warnings Come Too Late. (Jul, Disability Justice Project)

Israel-Palestine Conflict

Palestine

Gaza’s Blind Community Fights to Be Seen. War Steals More Than Sight. (Aug, DAWN)

The Gaza War Multi-Sectoral Needs Assessment: The Lives of Persons With and Without Disabilities - July 2026:

“Shelters exist, but 88.4% are reported as unsafe, inappropriate, or inaccessible for persons with disabilities. WASH facilities exist, but 81.3% are not accessible for persons with disabilities. Aid distribution occurs, but the majority of respondents report dissatisfaction rooted in physical inaccessibility, lack of prioritization, and the absence of alternative delivery modalities”. (Jul, Atfaluna)

"They just make sure you are breathing": Exploring the intersecting health and psychosocial risks of young people with disabilities in the war on Gaza:

“The qualitative data also revealed a meaningful distinction between young people with pre-existing disabilities and those who acquired disabilities as a result of war-related injuries. For those with pre-existing conditions, disability had become somewhat integrated into their social identity and daily routines over time. For those with conflict-acquired disabilities, the experience of gaining a disability caused an acute identity rupture. Young people struggled with grief for a lost self, changed appearance, and the difficult renegotiation of social roles.” (Jul, SSM - Qualitative Research in Health)

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Culture, Entertainment and Media

Overview

International News

A Chronic Illness and Disability Substack Directory. (Jul, Illness and Insight)

Italy

In search of disability at the Venice Biennale 2026. (Jul, Disability Arts Online)

United Kingdom

How to embed access riders in your workplace resource. (May, Unlimited)

United States

This Dancer Is Helping to Expand What a Ballet Body Can Be. Olivia Book of Ballet West is one of the first professional ballet dancers to have a limb difference. (May, New York Times)

TV and Film

United States

Netflix Teams with SignUp Media to Add ASL to 200 Hours of Kids Shows. (Jul, IndieWire)

Media

International News

Disability Debrief at 200. Five reader favourites: the disability movement, climate crisis and data. (Jul, Disability Debrief)

The vanishing art of disability reporting

“Toward the end of 2023, when pandemic restrictions largely loosened, something shifted. What started with companies offering fewer remote events quickly turned into disabled stories seemingly vanishing from the industry altogether.” (Jul, Skybox)

All in Frame “A free stock photography collection led by disabled creatives to help marketers, advertisers, and creative teams tell more authentic stories about disability.” (All in Frame)

India

Disability representation in the coverage of civil protests: where the media and content creators fell short, and how to do better. (Jul, Reframing Disability)

United States

August Monthly Q & A, with Julia Métraux. (Aug, Disability Thinking Weekly)

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Data and Research

Overview

Europe

Educational inequalities in disability among older adults: a trend analysis in 15 European countries (2002 to 2023):

“In terms of time trends among men, disability significantly declined in high education groups in ten countries while it increased among those with low education in three countries. Trends in prevalence were quite different among women. There was a significant decline among low as well as high education groups in five countries and prevalences were stable in eight countries. Overall, among men, there was a significant increase of inequalities in disability between low and high educational groups from 2002 to 2023, while this trend was not significant among women.” (Jul, Scientific Reports)

United States

This Nonprofit is Making Much-Needed Disability Data Easier to Use. (Aug, Disabled Journalists Association)

Research

United States

The Only Research Center For Disabled Parents Is Losing Federal Funding. (Jul, Mother Jones)

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Digital Accessibility and Technology

Overview

International News

One year of working on documentation about accessibility for WordPress. (Aug, Make WordPress Accessible)

The vanishing art of disability reporting

“Toward the end of 2023, when pandemic restrictions largely loosened, something shifted. What started with companies offering fewer remote events quickly turned into disabled stories seemingly vanishing from the industry altogether.” (Jul, Skybox)

Bangladesh

Is digital access improving Bangladeshi adolescents with disabilities’ lives? A qualitative study to explore online sexual exploitation risk:

‘Findings reveal a ‘progress paradox’. While connectivity and participation have increased, progress is undermined by disability- and gender-related stigma, assumptions, and digital literacy gaps, leaving adolescents simultaneously more connected and more vulnerable.’ (Jul, Disability & Society)

United States

Layoffs Leave The Future Of Xbox’s Award-Winning Accessibility Efforts In Doubt. (Jul, Aftermath)

Artificial Intelligence

International News

The Limits of Representation. What Disability Data Reveals About Regulating AI Bias:

“To remedy skewed datasets and train fairer AI, advocates, policymakers and developers alike call for more comprehensive and systematic data production and processing about diverse people’s bodies and lives, including disabled people. Yet this response rests on a number of assumptions: that more disability data can correct AI bias, that disability data used to detect and correct AI bias can be effectively safeguarded, and that representative data is possible while adhering to human rights standards and norms. Drawing on disability data, I argue that we should be cautious about these assumptions when regulating AI.” (Jul, Verfassungsblog)

United States

Meta used AI to tag workers who took leave to be laid off, lawsuit claims:

“Lawsuit filed by dozens of employees says people who took maternity or disability leave were disproportionately selected for layoffs”. (Jul, the Guardian)

The Unexpected Way AI Helped Me Appreciate My Body. “I feel so weird about it, but I can’t believe how much easier it is for me to talk about my pain with this silly bot.” (Jul, Time)

AI and Accessibility:

“From managing caregivers and healthcare to keeping pace in workplace and social conversations, the people interviewed for this project are using AI in ways to meaningfully advance their independence and self-determination.” (Jun, CTA)

Technology

Ireland

Meta Is Giving Away 15,000 AI Glasses to Blind And Visually Impaired People In Ireland: “It's one way to change the perception of the glasses.” (Aug, engadget)

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Disaster Risk Reduction and Crisis Response

Bangladesh

Study on Disability-inclusive and Gender-responsive Early Warning Systems in Khulna Division, Bangladesh. (Jul, CBM Global)

Nepal

In a settlement destroyed by the Bhotekoshi flood, a disabled couple offer strangers the little they have. (Aug, Kathmandu Post)

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Economics and Social Protection

Overview

Peru

Disability-Inclusive Poverty Measurement: Adjusting Monetary Lines Through Equivalence Scales in Peru:

“The results revealed that the presence of a member with a disability in the household reduces household income and consumption. The estimation of the equivalence scale showed that a household of one member was equivalent to a household with two members without disabilities. When recalculating the incidence of poverty, the percentage of households with disabilities living in poverty increased from 35% to 50% or 760,000 people with disabilities and their families became poor.” (Jun, Disabilities)

Social Protection

United Kingdom

Today’s arguments about disability benefits have been raging for 500 years:

“Since the first welfare systems emerged under the Tudors, disabled people have faced suspicion, bureaucratic hurdles and repeated battles to secure the support they needed.” (Aug, The Conversation)

United States

SNAP Provides Needed Food Assistance to Millions of People With Disabilities. (Jul, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities)

How private equity is gobbling up disability services. (Jun, Disabled Journalists Association)

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Education and Childhood

Overview

Brazil

School attendance in individuals with cerebral palsy in Brazil:

“Among this group, 589 (76%) attended school and 485 (62%) were not literate; 74% of those illiterate individuals were aged 6 years or older (i.e. the full expected literacy age in Brazil).” (May, Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology)

China

Inclusive education empowering children with and without disabilities in China:

“To date, the program has covered roughly 1.1 million children at 1,682 schools and kindergartens in seven provinces and municipalities across China.” (2025, UNICEF)

Pakistan

Plan to build inclusive education system for differently-abled persons: “agreement to build a province-wide inclusive education system for differently-abled persons, with a dedicated Special Educational Needs Unit”. (Aug, Dawn)

Higher Education

Europe

Educational inequalities in disability among older adults: a trend analysis in 15 European countries (2002 to 2023):

“In terms of time trends among men, disability significantly declined in high education groups in ten countries while it increased among those with low education in three countries. Trends in prevalence were quite different among women. There was a significant decline among low as well as high education groups in five countries and prevalences were stable in eight countries. Overall, among men, there was a significant increase of inequalities in disability between low and high educational groups from 2002 to 2023, while this trend was not significant among women.” (Jul, Scientific Reports)

United Kingdom

"Interweave Love Into Our Society": On the Death of Jason Arday. (Aug, Disability Rights UK)

Teaching disability studies: Building spaces for collaborative resistance:

“The argument is that disability studies is not about how to find a space for disabled
people to be integrated into society as it currently is. Rather, it is about
using our knowledge, creativity, and imagination to say that we don't have to organise the world as it is. We can reimagine an accessible and inclusive world, and we can use our teaching, learning, and research to think through what that may look like.” (Apr, Postgraduate Pedagogies)

United States

I went to the world's only Deaf university:

‘While Gallaudet is very accessible for people who are “just” Deaf, I didn’t feel this accessibility always extended to students with other disabilities – a community known as Deaf+. These were students who were at the bottom of the status quo.’ (Jun, Body Babble)

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Employment, Business and Work

Bangladesh

Reach, dose, and fidelity of STAR+, an employment intervention for youth with disabilities in Bangladesh. (Jul, Development in Practice)

Ecuador

Constitutional Court changes the rules for dismissing people with disabilities. “From now on, judges and employers must assess whether a termination violates the enhanced labor protections afforded to people with disabilities, substitute workers, and those who are responsible for a person with a disability.” (In Spanish, Jul, La Hora)

Seychelles

Cabinet Approves Reforms to Strengthen Disability-Inclusive Employment. (Jul, Office of the President)

Switzerland

Beyond job matching: Reflections on holistic employment support. (Jul, ILO)

United Kingdom

When Access to Work Stops Working. “On Friday 17 July, in an 8.30 am phone call, I was told that after a decade and a half, the travel support that gets me to and from work and for work-related travel had been removed.” (Aug, Disability Rights UK)

ADHD has rewired the workplace. This is what it means for bosses and workers. (Jul, BBC)

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Gender Equality and Women with Disabilities

International News

Disability pride: stories of women with disabilities from the past and present. (Jul, Europeana)

United Kingdom

Shared Struggles: Trans and Disabled Communities:

“As a trans person and as a disabled person, I do not wish to be defined by the medical processes enacted (or not enacted) on my body, but to be heard and believed when I define my own experience in ways that speak to me. As a disabled person, this means not being defined by my impairment, my underlying condition and the medical language that oppresses me, but by the labels I’ve chosen to claim - disabled, for example. And as a trans person, this means not being defined by my status as a trans person, or the medical procedures I have or haven’t had, and being accepted as genderqueer, or as a man, because I say I am, not because I meet a set of arbitrary medical criteria that grant me access to that box.” (Jul, Jamie Hale)

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History and Memorial

International News

Justice Denied by Design: Nuremberg’s Neglect of Atrocities against Institutionalized Persons with Disabilities and Enduring Gaps of Protection Under the Rome Statute. (Feb, Journal of International Criminal Justice)

Austria

Obituary: Bernadette Feuerstein. A champion for a self-determined life. (In German, Jul, Bizeps)

Brazil

Disparate emotions? The play of emotions in clinical histories and patients’ letters (Pinel Sanatorium, SP/Brazil – 1929–1944). (Jan, Medical History)

Niger

Sources of madness: investigating the post-colonial history of psychiatry in Niger. (Apr, Medical History)

Nigeria

Mental illness, forced labour, and colonial biopower in Kabba Province of Northern Nigeria, 1900–1947:

“The British colonisation of Northern Nigeria casts a long shadow on the region’s history. The arbitrary treatment of mentally ill persons and the underlying economic motives show neglect morphed into exploitation, leaving a lasting legacy of inadequate care for those with mental illness”. (Apr, Medical History)

Peru

In defence of medical judgement: medicalisation strategies in the daily life of the Lima Asylum in the last third of the 19th century. (2025, Medical History)

Rwanda

Where traditional perceptions meet global views. Evolving attitudes to disability in Rwanda, from precolonial times to today:

“International efforts on disability inclusion in Rwanda have too often ignored our indigenous traditions. Like in other African countries, treatment of community members with disabilities is an intertwined outcome of inherent social beliefs, practices of the colonial era, and the right-based models championed by activists in disability movements that came out of our newly-inclusive schools.” (Sep, Disability Debrief)

South Africa

‘I cannot say that he is of unsound mind’: the case of Lunatic Richard Lea:

“As an English soldier who knew the rules of a bureaucracy and the codes for filing complaints, he was unusually equipped to advocate for his liberation. His reasons for defending fellow patients are complex; these might have been empathetic attempts at standing up for the vulnerable or opportunities for stirring up more cases of abuse to complain about. Regardless, Lea knew how to work the system he was in. His context was an environment at war, a rapidly changing colony soon to be united into one country, a lunatic asylum, and a bureaucratic legal system, among others. He lived in a changing, turbulent, unpredictable world, which shows in his letters.” (Apr, Medical History)

United Kingdom

Today’s arguments about disability benefits have been raging for 500 years:

“Since the first welfare systems emerged under the Tudors, disabled people have faced suspicion, bureaucratic hurdles and repeated battles to secure the support they needed.” (Aug, The Conversation)

United States

Last U.S. Polio Survivor in an Iron Lung Dies After the Machine Started to Break Down and They Couldn’t Find Anyone to Repair It. (Jul, People)

The ADA at 36: A Q&A with Disability Rights Pioneer Stephanie Thomas:

“One thing I think about a lot is how in the old days you could never assume there was a bathroom you could use. You had to memorize routes to get anywhere, because there were no curb cuts — you had to know which driveway to use, or you rolled in traffic, because there wasn’t any other option. You just launched yourself in and hoped for the best.” (Jul)

Triumph Rather Than Tragedy: The Wheelchair of Justin Dart. (May, Interdisciplinary Journal of Graduate studies)

13 Questions I’ll Never Get to Ask Alice Wong. (Feb, Transom)

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Humanitarian, Migrants and Refugees

Migration

United Kingdom

This under the radar benefits cut reminds us why disability justice must centre migrants’ rights. (Jul, Canary)

United States

How Does Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act Apply to Immigration? An Overview:

“Many immigrants interacting with the U.S. immigration system have disabilities and are protected from disability discrimination and entitled to reasonable accommodations under Section 504.” (Jul, DREDF)

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Independent Living and Deinstitutionalization

Overview

Bulgaria

To sit under the rain What the Independent Living Movement taught me about freedom:

“This is a lesson that I think is important for us all, disabled and non-disabled alike. I share my memories of independent living because they offered me a way of understanding the world that values inter-dependence without surrendering individual autonomy.” (Jul, Disability Debrief)

Conditions in Institutions

Brazil

Disparate emotions? The play of emotions in clinical histories and patients’ letters (Pinel Sanatorium, SP/Brazil – 1929–1944). (Jan, Medical History)

Nigeria

Mental illness, forced labour, and colonial biopower in Kabba Province of Northern Nigeria, 1900–1947:

“The British colonisation of Northern Nigeria casts a long shadow on the region’s history. The arbitrary treatment of mentally ill persons and the underlying economic motives show neglect morphed into exploitation, leaving a lasting legacy of inadequate care for those with mental illness”. (Apr, Medical History)

Peru

In defence of medical judgement: medicalisation strategies in the daily life of the Lima Asylum in the last third of the 19th century. (2025, Medical History)

South Africa

‘I cannot say that he is of unsound mind’: the case of Lunatic Richard Lea:

“As an English soldier who knew the rules of a bureaucracy and the codes for filing complaints, he was unusually equipped to advocate for his liberation. His reasons for defending fellow patients are complex; these might have been empathetic attempts at standing up for the vulnerable or opportunities for stirring up more cases of abuse to complain about. Regardless, Lea knew how to work the system he was in. His context was an environment at war, a rapidly changing colony soon to be united into one country, a lunatic asylum, and a bureaucratic legal system, among others. He lived in a changing, turbulent, unpredictable world, which shows in his letters.” (Apr, Medical History)

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International Cooperation

Overview

International News

When Programs End Overnight: The Impact of the Dismantling of USAID on Persons with Disabilities:

“Survey respondents estimated that the projects collectively aimed to help approximately 349,000 beneficiaries with disabilities at the time of closure, with approximately 137,000 in Africa and 65,000 in Asia.” (Jul, Inclusive Development Partners)

Is Shift the Power still a meaningful call to action?

“For example, when I joined ADD International, most of its programme work was funded by restricted grants which prevented us from being the partner we wanted to be. We therefore had to recognise and own our power to fundraise differently and consciously move towards catalysing more flexible funding to support approaches which served the needs of disability activists rather than funders.” (Jul, Alliance Magazine)

Working Well at ADD International: “how the organisation has been rethinking the way it works as part of its commitment to wellbeing, flexibility, and disability justice”. (Jul, ADD)

Policy Insights: Official Development Assistance. (Jun, Center for Inclusive Policy)

Minimum Standards and Guidance on Disability Inclusion Mainstreaming in United Nations Joint Programmes. (Jun, Joint SDG Fund)

Bahamas

Chinese Embassy donates assistive devices to benefit persons with disabilities across The Bahamas. (Jul, The Tribune)

Jordan

Jordan, Indonesia Exchange Expertise on Disability Inclusion. (Jul, Jordan News Agency)

Middle East and North Africa

UNDP and the League of Arab States forge urgent action plan for disability inclusion amid regional crises. (May, UNDP)

Global Disability Summit

France

Tale of one city: comprehensive disability inclusion at the local level in Lyon. (Jul, Global Disability Summit)

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Malta

Personal Autonomy and Supported Decision-Making Act: “a wide-ranging amending Act that replaces the legal framework of guardianship across multiple Maltese laws with a new regime centred on 'personal autonomy safeguards'.” (Apr, Laws of Malta)

United States

The ADA at 35: Disabled Judicial Personnel and Access to the Courts:

“At the outset, I note here that a consensus from interviews of judicial personnel (employees and officers of courts) with disabilities is that they enjoy an overall welcoming and accommodating working environment, with coworkers and colleagues who are very helpful.” (Jun, Disability Studies Quarterly)

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Lived Experience and Opinion

International News

My Journey Through a Migraine. An illustrated journey. (Jun, Crucial Comix)

United Kingdom

Crip Freedom: “When I think about crip freedom, I think not about the abolishment of impairment, or even of losing disablement completely, but instead about experiencing space without constant negotiation.” (Jul, Jamie Hale)

Do You Need Me to Spell It Out? A guide for those indirectly affected by chronic illness:

‘I’ve found that in my own life all of the losses brought on by illness have been compounded by the breakdown of many of my friendships. I’m sure there are endless reasons for this. Maybe people don’t want to say the wrong thing, maybe they feel awkward, maybe they are ignorant to the reality of what a life interrupted by illness looks like or of the impact their absence has. It’s widely understood by the chronically ill and disabled community that people often recoil away from us because we remind them of their own vulnerabilities and mortality. As Sophie Strand says; ‘to be a sick person is to know that you are always, simply by being alive and being unwell, someone else’s rude awakening”.’ (The Chronic Oversharer)

In Between. “I want to live furiously, to cartwheel over rooftops, to collide with other people and launch fireworks at a vast open sky.” (fvu)

United States

The Unexpected Way AI Helped Me Appreciate My Body. “I feel so weird about it, but I can’t believe how much easier it is for me to talk about my pain with this silly bot.” (Jul, Time)

The Contradiction at the Heart of Disability in America. “You can be celebrated on a streaming service and defunded by a signature in the same summer. The issue: being seen is not the same as being kept alive.” (Jul, Time)

The Clock and the Career: ? minutes to midnight:

“When someone asks about October, there’s a logistical calculation running underneath the answer that most people don’t have to do. What will this physically cost? What else am I doing that week? Who’s traveling with me? Is the thing I can do easily right now still going to be easy?” (Jul, Steve Way's Substack)

how to get proud: my five recognitions of disabled joy + self-respect. (Jul, funny body)

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Mental Health

United States

A Fear-Mongering Law for Locking up Disabled People Falls Apart in New York. (Aug, (Un)Hidden)

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Mobility, Travel, Transport and Tourism

Overview

International News

Verified Wheelchair Accessible Hotels. (Wheelie Travel)

Europe

Accessible EV Europe Road Trip:

“Twenty-four charging sessions. Three countries. Nearly 3,000 miles. One clear conclusion: no EV charging network used during Disabled Motoring UK's accessibility road trip was fully accessible to a disabled motorist”. (Jul, Disability Rights UK)

France

The forest for all: an accessibility initiative. (In French, Jul, Handicap.fr)

United Kingdom

Making public transport fully accessible ‘could boost UK economy by £176bn’. (Jul, the Guardian)

Air Travel

Europe

Boarding pass? Check. Passport? Check. Proof I'm not a bomb? Check:

“the responsibility for making air travel possible for disabled people is still often shifted onto disabled travellers ourselves. The message seemed to be that if we want to travel independently, we need to become experts. We need to understand battery regulations, know the technical specifications of our wheelchairs and of the aircrafts we are flying, contact airlines days before travelling and be prepared to explain everything again at check-in or even at the gate. A kind of constant negotiation for our right to fly.” (Jul, The Trawheeler)

United Kingdom

Boy with Tourette's refused flight for bomb remark. ‘Armed police marched a 13-year-old boy with Tourette syndrome out of an airport after he shouted "bomb", leaving him and his family stranded.’ (May, BBC)

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Policy and Rights

Overview

International News

Navigating the Pushback against Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: A Business and Human Rights Analysis. (Jul, OHCHR)

Justice Denied by Design: Nuremberg’s Neglect of Atrocities against Institutionalized Persons with Disabilities and Enduring Gaps of Protection Under the Rome Statute. (Feb, Journal of International Criminal Justice)

Algeria

Situational Analysis on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Algeria. (Jul, Global Disability Fund)

China

China unveils five-year plan to improve services, quality of life for people with disabilities:

‘"The new target points to the need to increase wage income, business income and property income for disabled households, which will be a much tougher task over the next five years," said Feng Shanwei, deputy secretary-general of China Disability Research Society.’ (Jul, The State Council)

Ethiopia

Accessibility of Roads and Buildings for Persons with Disabilities Remains a Pressing Human Rights Concern. (Jun, Ethiopian Human Rights Commission)

Malawi

National Action Plan on Persons with Albinism in Malawi (2026-2030). (Jan, Government of Malawi)

United States

The ADA at 36: An Unfinished Promise Under Attack: “The ADA’s Protections Have Never Been Experienced Equally, Nor Fully Implemented”. (Jul, Center for Racial and Disability Justice)

Zambia

National Action Plan for the Protection of Persons with Albinism (2026-2030). (Jul, Republic of Zambia)

Assisted Dying and Euthanasia

France

France gives a qualified 'yes' to assisted suicide. (Jul, DW)

Netherlands

Netherlands records first euthanasia death of child under 12. “No details about the child’s circumstances, such as their age, gender or their medical condition, were given.” (Jun, DutchNews.nl)

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Politics and Elections

France

What would change if the National Rally came to power? Risks noted include “increased segmentation based on administrative status or nationality” and “ attempts to delegitimize the voice of associations on the grounds that some organizations receive public funding.” (In French, Jul, Handicap.fr)

Germany

AfD’s plan to segregate disabled and refugee children sparks backlash in Germany. (Aug, LFF)

AfD wants to stop inclusion: Montessori school in Halle fears drastic cuts. (in German, Jul, MDR)

5 reasons why the AfD is dangerous for people with disabilities. (Die Neue Norm)

Myanmar

Vice-President drives support for Yangon disability care. (Jul, Global New Light of Myanmar)

United States

Mapping Disabled Americans’ Access to Democracy:

“Between 2021 and 2024, states passed a total of 79 restrictive voting laws, including measures in Texas and Georgia that limit who may assist disabled and older adult voters with completing and returning their ballots.” (Jul, Center for American Progress)

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Space Exploration

International News

What if disabled astronauts are just better suited to space? “Adaptation, more than perfection, may turn out to be what matters most.” (Jul, The Conversation)

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Sport and Paralympics

United Kingdom

Glasgow Commonwealth Games make history after debuting first-ever braille-designed medals. (Jul, First Post)

UK Athletics fined £350,000 over ‘wholly avoidable’ death of Paralympian. (Jun, the Guardian)

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War in Ukraine

Situation in Ukraine

Ukraine

Russian attack on Sumy region destroys center for disabled children on July 19. (Jul, RBC-Ukraine)

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